The entire Cold War Era was a struggle between freedom and tyranny. But was it clearly that black and white? And how does the Tonkin Gulf Resolution fit in to this battle of ideas?
Vietnam was what we call a "proxy war," representing more than just nations battling. The U.S. was fighting against communism (which it considered the opposite of freedom), and North Vietnam was fighting to be allowed to be whatever form of government they wanted (communist, in this case, which the U.S. considered tyrannical).
Questions About Freedom & Tyranny
- How accurate is it to say that during the Vietnam War, the United States represented freedom, and North Vietnam represented tyranny?
- How does the Vietnam conflict, starting with the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, fit into the greater Cold War narrative of freedom & tyranny?
- Was there an obvious, genuine divide between the U.S. and communist nations that we could describe as freedom on one side, and tyranny on the other? Or is it mostly propaganda?
- Was America truly fighting for freedom, against tyranny? Or was there something else—a hidden agenda—at play?
Chew on This
As a small part of the Cold War, the Vietnam War represented a classic struggle between those that fight for freedom (the U.S.) and those that desire tyranny (communist nations).
During the Vietnam conflict the U.S. successfully tapped into people's fear of communism in order to create a clear sense of us and them, "us" being freedom and "them" being tyranny.