American Political System - Essay Example

One of the most studied elements that was studied during the semester was the Cold War. The Cold War was one of the most pivotal events that impactedthe foreign policy in America. One of the key elements surrounding the Cold War was the Vietnam War. In this context, much emphasis was surrounding the Vietnam War. The difficulty for executing an exit strategy for Vietnam was extremely difficult for numerous reasons. First and foremost, it would clash against the traditional mindset of the containment policy (“Isolationism”).

Since Vietnam was a war that deemed as a failure for the United States, it also made America seem vulnerable to other communistic countries. In addition, many historians feel that that the exit strategy was executed in a hasten manner and was different than the exit date. Both Kennedy and Nixon felt that Vietnam could be saved even though that was not the case as the pressure from American public continued to mount (“Isolationism”). As a world power, it was crucial that the United States made a stand to solidify their position as a world superpower.

When JFK ordered his troops to withdraw from Vietnam in 1963, it was a clear symbolization that Johnson would have executed the same order. According to many historians, the judgment was derived through the Johnson’s statement as he states, “To Kennedy and his fellow New Frontiersmen, it was a doctrine of faith that the problems of Vietnam lent themselves to an American solution” (Perkins 20). The Kennedy administration in essence felt that the problems associated with Vietnam were in geopolitical terms.

As part of the containment policy, Kennedy considered Vietnam to be highly risky. As the toll of death count continued to stagger, the American public became weary of the Kennedy administration (Perkins 24.) The implications were endless because South Vietnam remained to be in chaos and could have fallen under the rule of communism (Brooks 8). In essence, the Vietnam War served as a testament of the constant struggle of American foreign policy to fight against communism or any methodology that risks Democracy.

This is depicted even in modern century as America continues to enforce democracy in other parts of the country. Works CitedMeyer, Alfred G.. Communism. 3d ed. New York: Random House, 1967. Print.Isolationism." United States American History”. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. .