I. The Ignorance of Education and the Media's Influence

"The Vietnam War was a conflict between the United States and Vietnam, not a war," these words swam irritably in my head as I cursed the arrogant Americans who denied the truth and never looked at the other side. Meanwhile, other dialogues floated in my memory:

"How is the war in Vietnam?" asked a British man.

"Pardon me sir, but there is no war in Vietnam in the year 1999."

"Where do you come from?" a senior asked me.

"I come from Vietnam, the united country."

"Oh, I thought it became two countries after the war."

"Miss. Who won in the Vietnam War?" a curious American student asked his US history teacher.

"We didn't lose in the Vietnam War." was the indirect and uncertain answer given by the history teacher which further perplexed the student's comprehension.

It is vexatious to see so many people who are oblivious of the truth and let the media, propaganda, and the majority encroach on their rational thinking. It is also hard to imagine that so many people have misinterpreted history. They assumed something that is not. In this case, they

III. The Vietnamese Victory and American Failures

The United States had three main goals. First, it was to prevent the "domino theory" from occurring; however it was unsuccessful (Vietnam became a united Communist country as well as Laos and Cambodia developing independent Communist governments.) Second, the war was to stop North Vietnamese aggression on the South Vietnamese. Ironically, American troops had killed two to three million Vietnamese civilians and soldiers during the war. The incident in My Lai village where United States troops had murdered some 300 civilians, mostly women and children was a proof that America's intervention in the war became the force of aggression on the Vietnamese in general, not the North Vietnamese or Communism. Third, the war was to protect the American reputation. America wanted other free countries to believe that they would stand by them if they were attacked by Communists. Yet, America had actually ruined its reputation and promises, since it left the South Vietnamese government desolated, chaotic, and helpless after the American withdrawal. The United States wasn't true to its promise of freedom and liberty for the South Vietnamese.

To understand why America uses its education and media to shape the people's opinions on the Vietnam War, it is crucial for you to comprehend the basics of the Vietnam War. The Indochina War was a war between the French and its colonies, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Since the French could not win the war alone, it had asked for American's aid. Before the French surrendered in Dien Bien Phu in 1954, America had provided France with top American advisors, money, and weapons to fight against the Vietnamese. There were various reasons for American involvement in the Indochina War, but the main reason lay in the "domino theory." President Truman believed that if South Vietnam fell to Communist North Vietnam then one by one South East Asian countries would fall into Communism, and this would certainly weaken American prestige in the world.

You might ask why the American influence in history is a major problem. There are American international schools all over the world which propagate these biased ideas. America has become the largest education industry. Millions of students all over the world flock to the United States for college education. They are studying World History and American History with an American bias. Education shapes human beliefs and knowledge. These people, who are influenced by American education, most of the times miss the reality of history. They will go on and pass their biased knowledge of history to their children, and the cycle continues.

In addition to the biased news, there were numerous movies that talk nothing but nonsense about the Vietnam War. A prime example are the Rambo movies, you see the character 'Rambo' killing around twenty Vietnamese soldiers in a few seconds. This is a total distortion of the war. If American soldiers were actually

Some common words found in the essay are:
Vietnam War, North Vietnamese, History American, American B-52, Declaration Independence, Unfortunately Vietnamese, South Vietnamese, President Nixon, Orange Vietnamese, Ironically American, vietnam war, north vietnamese, education media, history written, american soldiers, south vietnamese, south vietnam, history written winner, history united, vietnam united, war vietnam, american b-52 airplanes, south vietnam united, american bias education, north vietnamese sky,
Approximate Word count = 2003
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)