The Making of A Quagmire - Essay Example

The government will not hesitate to invent a story to hide their cruel actions. I cite the example tendered by the author about “Thich Quang Duc who had come to the square as part of Buddhist procession had been doused in sharp contrast to walking people around him” (113). The dubious version of the Government read thus: “…. .that Quang duc’s fellow priest had set him on fire, and that he had been unable to feel any pain because he had been heavily dosed with morphine” (113-14) The real issue was the religious revolution in Vietnam.

But for the press taking up the issue, America would have considered it as an act of terrorism. Politicians have just one agenda—selfishness and plans for aggrandizement of wealth and they will go to any extent to achieve their nefarious objectives. The citizens of a country therefore have a great responsibility. They need to remain ever vigilant and analyze the information with a correct perspective and take independent decisions. The published statements of the politicians may not be always authentic. 2. Madame Nhu is the important personality in the book, and this refers to the negative aspect of her personality.

She stands apart from majority of the traditional Vietnamese women. She was crazy to be in the limelight and considered herself as the potential leader and was power-hungry. God had blessed her with beauty, wisdom, and power. The author writes, “Madame Nhu was strikingly beautiful woman, and she was well aware of it; yet she looked too perfectly manicured, too much like someone who had just stepped out of a beauty shop, to be leading a country at war”(24). She was able to exert tremendous influence in Vietnam and NGO family.

She was responsible for the oppression and death of many monks and her anti-Buddhist outbursts were famous. With her quixotic statements, she was able to exert great influence on Diem. Her hatred to Buddhism was open and intense. She commented upon the self-immolation of the Buddhist monk as a very normal “barbecue.” The author writes, “To Madame Nhu this event was simply a barbecue and an affront” (113). She was so cruel against the Buddhists that she expressed her views that she was willing to clap at such burning incidents.

American President Robert Kennedy did not like her actions and in Vietnam, there was lots of internal discontent. American policy turned hostile towards Diem government and ultimately led to the coup of Duong Van Minh’s. 3. As for the Vietnam War, dual perspectives prevailed in America. The press was mostly on loggerheads with the Government on this issue. The press had no vested interest and I strongly feel that the Press was right. The correspondents were reporting from the actual battlefronts, with great danger to their personal safety and they were interested in reporting the truth about the war and its gruesome aspects.

The American tax-payer was entitled to know the truth about the Vietnam War and the reality reports were forthcoming from the Press. On the other hand, the Government was giving only one side of the total picture that was convenient from their point of view. For instance relating to the battle of Ap Bac, America was hiding the vital information relating to American losses to suppress the anti-war sentiments of the American citizens, as would be read from the comments from Admiral Harry, as reported by the author: “Yes, that's right.

It was a Vietnamese victory. It certainly was”