The U.S. Should Not Have Fought in Vietnam Essay

The U.S. Should Not Have Fought in Vietnam - Essay Example In examining the United States' presence in Vietnam, I have come to the conclusion that the United States should not have fought in Vietnam. "We fight because we must fight it [the Vietnam Conflict] if we are to live in a world where every country can shape its own destiny. And only in such a world will our own freedom be finally secure" (1). Johnson's statement intended to stir up fervor for the 'cause' was nothing more than rhetoric and was far from the truth. To understand this claim, one must look back into the not so distant past. In 1954 Vietnam was given its independence from France. This country had for years been in internal conflict with a division between embracing Socialism in the north to favoring a democratic society in the southern part of the country. During the ensuing years Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Socialist movement in the country, was gaining popularity. The end of French colonialism in Vietnam led to the call for free elections by the Geneva Convention. The United States blocked that. Why - Quite simply because the United States knew that Ho Chi Minh would have won the free election and a Socialist leader would have established in the country. "In his memoirs, President Eisenhower explained honestly: In free elections, the socialist government of Ho Chi Minh would have won by an overwhelming margin" (Jensen, 1). Therefore, the war was not fought to defend freedom. The United States in blocking free elections in the country itself defiled freedom, merely because, in its opinion, the 'wrong' person would win the election. The support from the White House in favor of America's entrance into the Vietnam conflict was based on deceit. As President Johnson, publicly stated the motives were altruistic in nature, "supporting freedom and free choice", and the American public, at the time, was willing to believe such. In truth, however, the motivation was not to defend freedom. It was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public because of one man's fear of appearing weak to the world. Johnson's own sense of righteousness led America into a war it neither wanted nor needed. This is exemplified in the following: "in 1964 between President Lyndon Johnson and Richard Russell, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee. As Johnson's comment hints, ever since the United States had "lost" China to Communism in 1949, it was considered politically fatal to "lose" another country" (Schell, 8). President Johnson was not motivated to enter the war to defend freedom. He chose to enter the war because he did not want to appear weak before the world. The Johnson Administration's decision to enter the war was politically motivated on two fronts, domestically and internationally. As I have shown, internationally, Johnson was concerned with his image as a world leader, but domestically as well, he was concerned with how the public would view his decisions and ultimately himself. This was exhibited not only prior to America's entrance into the war, but continued throughout Johnson's tenure as President. This was verbalized "in 1964 between President Lyndon Johnson and Richard Russell, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee."I don't believe the American people ever want me to [abandon

You Are An Investment Analyst Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

You Are An Investment Analyst - Essay Example alysis of their financial statements will enable potential investors and creditors to familiarize themselves with the growth and potential growth of the companies. The beverage market is very broad and diverse. It can range from water, soda, juice or even milk. They can be hot or cold drinks or even alcoholic substances. However, not all products in the beverage world compete in the market as aggressively as carbonated soft drinks brands. These include Coca-cola and Pepsi. Coca-cola is a drink that requires no introduction. It is enjoyed by most countries all over the world with the exception of a few. It is almost the most available and unique brand all over the world currently. Coca-cola has more than one billion consumers per day. Nearly half of all soft drinks sold in the world are a product of Coca-cola. It’s most important soft drinks brands include Fanta, Coke, Sprite, Lilt, and Diet coke. Dr. John Styth Pemberton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia conceived Coca-cola in the year 1886. He produced the syrup used in the carbonated drink in a brass pot in his backyard. Superintendent Alex Samuelson, born in Sweden collected design ideas revolving around the contents of the drink. He researched and created designs which he then passed on to The Root Glass Company’s supervisor, Earl Dean who approved the shape of the bottle in 1916. The design was exclusive and thus an icon was created. The design was distinctive and thus could not be imitated as it was a copyright. Pepsi-Cola was founded in the summer of 1898 in New Bern, North Carolina by a youthful pharmacist named Caleb Bradham. Caleb drew customers to his drugstore by providing them with this refreshing drink that he created himself. He made major sales which led him to forming a company and to market the product globally. In 1902, Caleb launched Pepsi-Cola Company and received a government grant in the US on June 16, 1903. Two years later, he contracted two people to bottle the product to