Question

Why did the war in Vietnam result in such widespread opposition? Points to consider include

1. reasons for U.S. involvement in the war
2. the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution vs. constitutional powers to wage war
3. inequities of the draft system
4. duration of the war
5. cost to the United States—monetary and human casualties
6. outcome of the war

Answer 1

The Vietnam War faced mass opposition for several reasons inlcuding:

1) Unfair draft practices- Many citizens who were affluent and had connections were able to avoid being drafted by the US military. This resulted in a majority of the soldiers being individuals from lower-middle class socioeconomic groups. Many citizens felt that this was unfair, an dubbed Vietnam a rich man's fought that happened to be fought by the poor.

2) Monetary cost- The Vietnam War cost America billions of dollars over the course of the 2 decades of their involvement in trying to keep South Vietnam out of the control of the Soviet Union/communism.

3) Casualties- The US military suffered over 50,000 deaths due to this war. Americans felt that this was unacceptable.