The Historical Status of the Vietnam and Afghanistan Wars - Literature review Example

Ewrt2 Research Paper Insert Introduction A lot of emphasis is laid on the two wars despite the presence of other wars that involved many counties and states. The effects of both wars shaped the globally shape of military complements and planning regardless of the places that the wars had occurred earlier for instance Iraq, Bosnia, Somalia and Kuwait to mention. The research paper is aimed at comparing the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan Why focus on the Vietnam and Afghanistan The warring situations that people come across are often compared with the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan that included heavy artillery and explosives which rocked the world. The Vietnam War is still far much beyond the Afghanistan War, the effects of the explosives determine a lot in gauging the country against another. Since the end of Vietnam War, it took long before the world regained standardized health status (Alexievich 12). The effects of the poisonous explosives that were launched in Vietnam affected the unborn babies who got challenged physically. This was meant to wipe out human races so that the Viet Cong and Tet would expand their territory. This was worse compared to the Afghanistan War that mostly consisted of normal bombs and explosives which only hurts the people in contact with (Marshall 15). Considering the state of technological advancement, I would like to take into account the situations that innocent civilians and the political leaders underwent during the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars, economically the global economy suffered high rates of inflation that dates till then. The global community should embrace peace to enhance humane understanding and sympathy to the poor civilian population. Deception from those in power Most of the leaders and politicians are the main source of disagreement with the different governments. However, they are able to strategise in order to gain supremacy of property. The long term affects impacts on the common man and the poor children, youths and women. Both the cases in Vietnam and Afghanistan, the affected individuals requires a lot of counseling as this may help the desperate personalities determine their way back (Alexievich 08). Once the government is through with the war, leaders are aworded heavy positions while the poor continue to starve to their graves which are also sources of income. Being psychic, most of the people who were involved in the wars live to regret their experience and consequent illnesses at the expense of the countries they represented (Noddings 73). To the American soldier, a situation that would have faced an individual was worth resigning so that you go back to your home country alive (McNamara 22). The rate at which men and women who were involved in the fight against their opponents suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) increased drastically with lack of government cover and consideration in both the Vietnam and Afghanistan respectively (Myers 61). As civilian, I can deduce that there is no need that we get furious embracing enmity within the communities especially from and within the same country in war. We should be able to tell off our political leaders not to create tension due to political affiliations at the expense of the poor citizens who are the most affected during war. Political influence The Afghanistan war is comparable to the Vietnam War due to the involvement of the US Army in both the wars. The wars involved political affiliation, the case in Vietnam involved the Communists who were referred to as the northern Vietnamese who fought against the Southern Vietnamese which composed of the Democrats. However, in both wars we realize that there were not only political affiliations but also the religion factor. The war in Vietnam involved the Buddhists who clouded with the Communists to fight against the Democrats in the Southern part of Vietnam to take over their territory (Marshall 19). However, the Vietnam War seemingly had many causes of which separation of Vietnam to form two countries, the Northern and the Southern Vietnam among the reasons as to why the war erupted. If separated, each state was to have no leader until a general election which was scheduled for 1956 which the Vietnamese were not able to embrace at all (McNamara 34). Another cause of Vietnam war arose from civil strife between the Southern and the northern factions of Vietnam. This was accelerated by the differences between the two factions being that the Southern Vietnam was a democratic state while the Northern state was a communist state (Alexievich 10). This brought about a lot of misunderstanding between the two states with each state demanding that their rules be followed by the governing body. Despite the differences between the Northern and Southern Vietnam, the communists in the Northern Vietnam initiated communist activities in the South by 1957 which led to the Un intervention as it was a form of infringement of the rights of the southern Vietnamese rights (Myers 72). Despite the differences between politicians based on manifesto, the citizens should call for voter education so that they may recognize the laws governing their perception on which side to associate with. This will reduce cases of violence within the countries. Religious affiliation The Afghanistan war involved the Muslim community who were perceived to be affiliates of the al Qaeda who operated from the mountain sanctuary along the Pakistani border. The Muslim community was radical and could accept to die with others in a Jihad “the Holy war”, through terrorism the Afghanistan especially the Muslims actively participated in terrorism against the Americans which later on led to the demise of their Group Leader Osama Bin Laden after an American attack on his hideout in the neighboring Pakistan (Alexievich 05). In Vietnam, the American Army fought against the communists who were collaborating with the Buddhists to overpower the democrats who were fighting for their own land and sovereignty. The case in Afghanistan also involved the Northern Alliance which consisted of the al Qaeda fighter who trained the youths referred to as the mujahedeen (Marshall 21). As a Christian, I would like a situation where Christians and other religious groups embrace and preach peace to the world especially to t he troubled countries but not siding with politicians. International security assistance The Vietnam War involved the communists from neighboring countries who were supporting the Northern Vietnam army. This did not mean that the Americas had communists’ enemies but the involvement of the Americans into the Vietnam War had no basis instead they never wanted the Communists to control Vietnam. Most of the countries which supported the Americans at first withdrew their support on realizing that America was not to initiate peace but to act as the global supper power (McNamara 40). The same situation happened in Afghanistan though countries like Britain supported the US in the fight against terror. Most of the leaders and civilians in Afghanistan were thought to be colluding with their fellow Muslims to carryout terror on countries which were against the Muslim religion. Unlike the Vietnam issues where America had to fight it with the support of South Vietnamese army, most of the European countries backed the US in the quest to clear al Qaeda and their affiliates like the Taliban and Al- Shabaab who are also close associates of the Islamic religion (Yermakov 47). Their supporters supplied the with profound artillery which includes but not limited to weaponry and both heavy and sophisticated ammunition; however, from the interview with the former soldier, it was evident that the opponents never had external sources of both weapons and humanitarian assistance to aid the victims leading to high mortality rates involving both the soldiers and the civilians. Through the dire need of assistance, the UN bodies that deal with humanitarian assistance for instance UNHCR and WHO had to intervene to salvage the inhumane situation experienced during the war in both Vietnam and Afghanistan (Yermakov 53). The UN bodies should be vigil so that they could assist countries when humanitarian assistance is required and also consult with the various regional leaders to assist in stopping the battles through embracing dialogue. The Source of finance While comparing the source of financial support that was utilized during the two wars differed with the basis of operation and economic level of the country and affiliates. However, due to baseless argument of the involvement of the US in Vietnam War, the army obtained cash information from their affiliates who were not happy with the US involvement in the army hence vowing that the war must be worn against the US will (Marshall 24). The Vietnamese Northern alliance army received their food and financial donation s from five continents that were in their favor. Considering the Afghanistan situation, it was tough for the soldiers fighting against the US to receive support. This would have been the same but, most people in the world do not embrace terrorism hence they could not gain enough support as the affiliate countries remained anonymous (McNamara 48). The financial support aimed at assisting the locals who are affected during wars should be channeled through the government but be monitored by the donors so that the intended beneficiaries receive their dues and humanitarian assistance as indicated. The casualties The war in Vietnam lest many American soldiers and servicemen dead, the number of Americans who died in the war were higher than the number of the Vietnamese who perished in the war within their own country. This showed that the Americans did not achieve their mission in Vietnam War. Comparing the casualties in Vietnam to the Afghanistan situation, it is evidence that the Americans died in large including female and male servicemen (Alexievich 21). The number of American soldiers who died was large but could only estimated specifically depend on the criteria used in determining the exact number of casualties. Many of the American soldiers were ferried back to the US while others would have been buried in the debris from the bomb explosions which resulted from both the American missiles and the terror bombs from the Afghan terrorists (Marshall 29). Through the retaliatory attacks, the Northern Vietnamese launched a different war tactics which what they would be able no other option rather than facing off in the war that was meant to distinctively realize the dreams and goals that were left pending (McNamara 61). However, most of deaths occurred in the Southern Afghanistan just like in the Vietnam case. The forces tried to drove the Taliban away from the place they considered to be holly “Kandahar.” During the drive most of the servicemen who perished were from the US army which led to the perception that Americans are no longer the super powers reflecting back the cases in Vietnam where worse casualties were evidenced oblivious of their criticism while on mission to both the two countries (Alexievich 24). Unlike Vietnam War, the Afghanistan war is related to the National security considering the 9/11 bombs that exploded in the US. Which did not only interfered with the lives of US residence only but also the global community. This is because some of the people who faced the tragedy were from other countries on their visit to the United States (Marshall 33). The American army sided with one side of the warring groups within each country in both cases, however, the Americans only managed to rule Afghanistan which never had strong opposition like in the Vietnam where the Viet Cong and the Tet provided strong opposition against the Americans to win t he war between the Northern Vietnam and their Southern part which was under the democratic governance (Myers 39). The only difference between the Northern Vietnamese forces and the corresponding Taliban forces that were against the US in Afghanistan is that the Taliban never had the expertise to remotely attack the US like the Northern Vietnam. This was to the advantage of Americans who had anticipated week opponents oblivious of the situation that took place in Vietnam War (Noddings 79). Due to perception and misunderstanding between persons of high integrity, I concluded that the Vietnamese decided to use the misunderstanding and rift between them to test their biochemical weapons to Launch is that they could avoid revealing the weapon secure to t he global world. However, the global community should also criticize the countries involved in long term wars and increase the penalties on the leadership o such countries to act as example to the global leadership. The return home The American soldiers who participated both in the Vietnam and Afghanistan war could not believe coming back home in just few days from the battle field. This followed the fear that Americans could be attacked further by the militia who were not certain that the war was coming to an end. When America is defeated they are able to secretly operate without any delay. Having worked in a battling field, the commanders and generals who were responsible for the US operations declined to hold celebrations and parades in both the Vietnam and Afghanistan, a lot of tricks were deployed to embrace unity and platoon integrity (Marshall 38). Nobody was supposed to issue any statement on the departure of the American troops from both sides. Instead they were rumors that the American casualties are ferried back for treatment which was not the case in both sides. This was a strategy to surrender the wars, which would have ashamed the Americans who are perceived to be the super powers. A more serious scenario was witnessed in Afghanistan where the American servicemen were flown halfway provided they vacated the country (Yermakov 53). Their efforts to board trains were thwarted when the train conductors kicked them out and shouted at them. This was ethically in humane and would wish that such situations never come by. The situations that people underwent for the sake of wars in the two countries would live to be remembered by the generations to come (McNamara 54). The conflict that occurred in Afghanistan could only be compare to the Vietnam War which was the longest war ever fought in the American history. However, the contrast or comparison between the two wars depends on individual opinions; the perception differs with individuals (Alexievich 89). Generally from the issues experienced in both Vietnam and Afghanistan, I condemn the leadership of the two countries; however, the global community and governance should not anticipate such wars any longer, peace should prevail global so that global economic development may be achieved. Conclusion The status on Vietnam and Afghanistan wars were both sympathetic and empathetic depending on the individual role played by individuals. However, the wars affected both the non combatants and the combatants. Both government and individuals should learn from the wars and to support issues that would save lives. Religious leaders and the Non Governmental bodies should work together to assist in both dialogue and humanitarian situations. Work Cited Alexievich, Svetlana. Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War. Translated by Julia and Robin Whitby. Norton, 1992. Marshall, Kathryn. In the Combat Zone: An Oral History of American Women in Vietnam, 1966 -1975. Little Brown, 1987. McNamara, Robert S. In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam. Times Books, 1995. Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. Scholastic Books, 1988. Noddings, Nel. "A Morally Defensible Mission for Schools in the 21st Century." Phi Delta Kappan, 76, 1995, pp. 365-68. Yermakov, Oleg. Afghan Tales: Stories from Russias Vietnam. Translated by Marc Romano. William Morrow, 1993. Read More