Monday, May 21st, 2007

Times of Change

A Dubious Crusade

Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?

Dubious: doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt

Crusade: any vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause
Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying? How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study if Vietnam?

Warren is saying that he thinks that we are trying to defend the democrocy in Korea, yet Communism has just taken it over, yet we are going to be doubtful because nobody knows what is going to happen between the USSR and the US.

History

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?

Death - The Chinese and USSR were on one side, the US, French and British were on the other side and it was a war.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

What is the main thesis of the essay?
That the president had lied and said provoked the action of fighting, but had never gone into war.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
It was the incident that had marked the beginning of America's intensive inolvement in the Vietnam War, the sinking of the Maddox.
What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
It was just an act to magnify the congressional support for his plan to send U.S. troops to fight the Viet Cong.
How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?

That the U.S. does has doubts about fighting this war, but is fighting for something that they beleive in.