The road to Vietnam: France, the US and the First Vietnam War

The past ten years have witnessed a revival in scholarship on militarism, through which scholars have used the concept to make sense of the embeddedness of warlike relations in contemporary liberal societies and to account for how the social, political and economic contours of those same societies are implicated in the legitimation and organization of political violence. However, a persistent shortcoming has been the secondary role of race and coloniality in these accounts. This article demonstrates how we might position racism and colonialism as integral to the functioning of contemporary militarism. Centring the thought and praxis of the US Black Panther Party, we argue that the particular analysis developed by Black Panther Party members, alongside their often-tense participation in the anti–Vietnam War movement, offers a strong reading of the racialized and colonial politics of militarism. In particular, we show how their analysis of the ghetto as a colonial space, their understanding of the police as an illegitimate army of occupation and, most importantly, Huey Newton’s concept of intercommunalism prefigure an understanding of militarism premised on the interconnections between racial capitalism, violent practices of un/bordering and the dissolving boundaries between war and police action.

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Dirty tricks on the underground press

Index on Censorship ◽

10.1080/03064228108533186 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 47-50

Author(s):

Geoffrey Rips

Keyword(s):

Vietnam War ◽

The United States ◽

Freedom Of Information ◽

Underground Press ◽

General Terms ◽

The Us ◽

Psychedelic Drugs ◽

Us Constitution ◽

The Vietnam War ◽

The 1960S

What was known in the United States as the ‘underground press’ – self-published newspapers of the youth counterculture sold at street corners and around campuses in American cities during the 1960s and early 70 s – was once a significant network estimated at over 400 publications. Their hallmark was opposition to US involvement in the Vietnam War, criticism of the authorities, of uncontrolled technology and big business, advocacy of sexual freedom and artistic experimentation and, frequently, the advocacy of marijuana, LSD and other psychedelic drugs. Few of these publications have survived the past ten years, and their disappearance has been variously attributed to the cooling of radical interest after the American withdrawal from Vietnam, as well as to the vague and shifting nature of the ‘hippie’ scene. Complaints by their publishers during the early and mid-seventies that printers refused their business, that office rents suddenly doubled, that advertising was cancelled, that papers were lost – these were seen as local accidents and were rarely reported by the established media. Claims of official or officially-sanctioned harassment were dismissed – even by fellow radicals – as paranoid. Recent research by Geoffrey Rips of the PEN American Center has revealed the extent and variety of official pressure exerted against alternative publications during the Vietnam War period. Using evidence from government hearings like the Church Committee, which reported in 1976, actual FBI documents released to American PEN under the Freedom of Information Act, and other sources, Mr Rips argues that such harassment contributed materially to the closure of certain publications and in general terms constituted a gross infringement on the protection afforded to dissenting opinion and to a free press under the US constitution. We publish edited extracts here from Geoffrey Rips' report which will be published in full by the PEN American Center and the City Lights Press.

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Which Mirror Is ‘Truer’?

Journal of American-East Asian Relations ◽

10.1163/18765610-02201004 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 45-71

Author(s):

Nguyet Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Vietnam War ◽

Wild Rice ◽

Third World ◽

Rice Field ◽

Cultural Background ◽

Film Festival ◽

The Us ◽

Asian People ◽

Ideological Structure ◽

War Film

This essay examines the portrayal of the Vietnam War in one Vietnamese war film—Cánh Đồng Hoang (Wild Rice Field, also known as the Abandoned Field) and one American war film—Apocalypse Now. Released the same year (1979), both received acclaim from film viewers and critics, with the former winning the Golden Prize of the Moscow International Film Festival and the latter two Oscars. This study examines the starkly different way each cinematic product depicts the enemy and nationalism, provides an explanation of the contrast, and assesses how both films sustain, reinforce, and challenge the hegemonic and ideological structure of the two societies during that time. Apocalypse Now evokes sympathy for both u.s. soldiers and the Vietnamese, but its portrayal of these Asian people as faceless and inferior illustrates a culturally imperial approach toward a Third World people. Cánh Đồng Hoang conveys a romanticized, conventional version of the war where the “us” triumphs over the “them” in the defense of the nation. This essay seeks not to show that one film is better, but rather how a large gap exists in American and Vietnamese understanding of one another. Only bridging that gap will promote a better appreciation of each side’s political, social, and cultural background and perspectives.

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Keterlibatan Amerika Serikat dalam Perang Vietnam: Faktor Ideologi, Identitas, dan Idealisme

Jurnal Hubungan Internasional ◽

10.20473/jhi.v12i2.15317 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 265

Author(s):

Demas Nauvarian

Keyword(s):

Vietnam War ◽

Policy Making ◽

Democratic Peace ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Policy Documents ◽

Content Analysis Method ◽

Primary Documents ◽

The Us ◽

Proxy War ◽

The Vietnam War

This paper aims to prove the justification of US democracy in itsconsistency in the Vietnam War for two decades (1955-1975). This wasdone using the content analysis method of the US Department of Defense’sforeign policy documents in Vietnam - the Pentagon Papers - which werethe primary documents related to the process of making US foreign policyduring the Vietnam War. This was later matched with the view of DemocraticPeace Theory (Democratic Peace Theory) which has been widelyargued as the basis for policy making in the proxy war in the Cold Warera. This paper concludes that there are various other considerations,both rational and irrational factors, which were used by the United Statesin the Vietnam War

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Zero Emissions Vessels

10.5957/smc-2010-t04 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

John W. Boylston ◽

Bret S. Smart ◽

John P. Wise

Keyword(s):

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

East Coast ◽

Cooling Water ◽

Exhaust System ◽

Control Area ◽

Concept Design ◽

Truck Traffic ◽

The Road ◽

The Us ◽

The Cost

This paper proposes a LNG-fueled coastal RO/RO for the East Coast of the US trade to meet upcoming Emission Control Area (ECA) requirements. The exhaust system for this vessel is proposed to be a wet system so there is no airborne emission. The CO2 remaining in the exhaust system is removed in the exhaust stream, and remaining exhaust components are combined with cooling water to provide a cooling effluent that meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements. The concept design is carried to the point of determining operating economics, and the environmental effect of operating such ships is assessed as compared to conventional truck traffic. It was found that each ship will reduce East Coast highway truck traffic by over 1900 trucks per week. Since there are no emissions from the ship, each ship will also bring environmental advantages. It appears the ship would be economically competitive with conventional truck transport: the cost for transporting a single 53’ trailer via ship is roughly $996, compared to $1245 via truck. Furthermore, the proposed three vessel shipping service could potential-ly remove nearly 300,000 vehicles from the road annually.

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Mr. X and the Pacific

10.7591/cornell/9781501711145.001.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Paul J. Heer

Keyword(s):

Soviet Union ◽

East Asia ◽

Vietnam War ◽

Korean War ◽

The United States ◽

The Soviet Union ◽

The Pacific ◽

The Us ◽

The Korean War ◽

The Impact

This book chronicles and assesses the little-known involvement of US diplomat George F. Kennan—renowned as an expert on the Soviet Union—in US policy toward East Asia, primarily in the early Cold War years. Kennan, with vital assistance from his deputy John Paton Davies, played pivotal roles in effecting the US withdrawal from the Chinese civil war and the redirection of American occupation policy in Japan, and in developing the “defensive perimeter” concept in the western Pacific. His influence, however, faded soon thereafter: he was less successful in warning against US security commitments in Korea and Indochina, and the impact of the Korean War ultimately eclipsed his strategic vision for US policy in East Asia. This was due in large part to Kennan’s inability to reconcile his judgment that the mainland of East Asia was strategically expendable to the United States with his belief that US prestige should not be compromised there. The book examines the subsequent evolution of Kennan’s thinking about East Asian issues—including his role as a prominent critic of US involvement in the Vietnam War—and the legacies of his engagement with the region.

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On the Road to Convergence Research

Convergence Mental Health ◽

10.1093/med/9780197506271.003.0003 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 29-36

Author(s):

Niki Wilson

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Mental Health ◽

Food Systems ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Research Approach ◽

The Road ◽

Research Institutes ◽

The Us ◽

Emerging Issues ◽

On The Road

Climate change. Lack of food security. Limited access to basic healthcare. These are just some of the big, complex problems facing humanity. Solutions will require out-of-the-box innovation, which is why many governments, institutions, and entrepreneurs around the globe are beginning to embrace the concept of convergence research. The US-based National Science Foundation describes convergence as “a deeper, more intentional approach to accelerating discovery.” Following interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity, it is the next stop on a continuum used to describe approaches whereby scientists and experts learn from each other and collaborate across disciplines. It aims to integrate the natural, computational, social, economic, and health sciences in a humanities context, thereby transcending the traditional boundaries of those fields and creating unique opportunities for problem-solving. The concept of convergence research is taking hold, but how effectively is it being implemented? This chapter explores examples from research networks, research institutes, and the private sector to better understand how convergence research is addressing some of society’s most pressing issues. From disruptions in indigenous food systems to emerging issues in mental health, the author explores the benefits and challenges that arise from a convergence research approach.

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5. The iconic Socrates

Socrates: A Very Short Introduction ◽

10.1093/actrade/9780198835981.003.0005 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 103-114

Author(s):

C. C. W. Taylor

Keyword(s):

Civil Rights ◽

Vietnam War ◽

Civil Rights Movement ◽

20Th Century ◽

Political Ideology ◽

Civil Disobedience ◽

Ethical Thought ◽

The Us ◽

Intellectual Integrity

‘The iconic Socrates’ considers Socrates’ role as a gay icon and an icon for civil disobedience. In the Platonism revival of the Florentine Renaissance, the high-minded picture of Platonic/Socratic love focused on the spiritual and intellectual perfection of the beloved, but in an alternative ancient tradition Socrates was presented as a sexual enthusiast, with a penchant for attractive boys. The context of Socrates’ emergence as a major political icon of the 20th century was provided by the US civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement, but there is no evidence that Socrates ever actually espoused civil disobedience as a political ideology or performed any act of civil disobedience. Socrates remains a pioneer of systematic ethical thought and a paragon of moral and intellectual integrity.

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10. The Vietnam War

International Relations Since 1945 ◽

10.1093/hepl/9780199693061.003.0013 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

John W. Young ◽

John Kent

Keyword(s):

Foreign Policy ◽

Vietnam War ◽

Basic Principle ◽

Large Scale ◽

The Us ◽

The Vietnam War ◽

North Vietnam ◽

Tet Offensive

This chapter focuses on the United States’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Lyndon B. Johnson inherited the Vietnam conflict in difficult circumstances. He had not been elected president in his own right and so, perhaps, believed that he should carry on with John F. Kennedy’s policies. It was unclear what exactly Kennedy would have done in Vietnam, but Johnson retained his predecessor’s foreign policy team and did not question the basic principle of America’s foreign policy, which called for communism to be resisted. The chapter first considers the escalation of US involvement in Vietnam during the period 1963–1965 before discussing the conflict between the US and North Vietnam in the succeeding years, along with the Tet offensive and its implications. It concludes with an assessment of Richard Nixon’s decision to restart large-scale US bombing of North Vietnam.

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