The Vietnam War, known as the Vietnam War, was fought for 20 years from 1955 AD, mainly between North Vietnam, which was supported by communist countries such as China and the Soviet Union, and South Vietnam, which was supported by capitalist countries such as the United States.
When I learned this history, I was still in junior high school, and at that time, I couldn't help but think of a similar question in my mind:How can there be a war in Vietnam that also has the business of the United States?It wasn't until I read this book, "The Cruelest Summer: The Vietnam War Through the Eyes of Americans," that I learned not only about the Vietnam War, but also about the essence of war.
The role of the United States as the world's policeman began after World War II, when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began. In recent years, we have seen many examples, such as Iraq or Afghanistan, where as soon as there is a rumor, the US military will immediately hear about it. So why on earth should the United States be so sensitive militarily around the world?This has to start with the geopolitics of the United States.
The United States is located on the North American continent, with vast oceans on both sides, and only a few weak neighbors compared to the United States, such as Mexico or Canada. In this way, the United States simply has the best geopolitical conditions in history, the land is flanked by the sea, it is difficult for other countries to cross the ocean to attack the United States, and the nearby neighbors are not a threat, is there a more suitable place for the establishment of a country than this land?
But as the saying goes, things must be reversed. In fact, such an excellent geopolitical environment also carries a considerable degree of danger, which is equivalent to the Achilles heel of the United States. You see, while it's hard for other countries to cross the ocean to attack the United States, what if a country crosses the ocean?Once a country does cross the ocean, it will land in North America, which means that the conflict will take place directly on the American mainland.
To put it simply, the natural danger of the ocean is too great, so big that the United States has no danger to defend at all. Then the question arises, on such an open coastline, can the United States set up a line of defense in **?
If it's not easy to understand, let me give you an analogy. Imagine having an empty gym and you sleeping alone in the gymnasium**. You know that the gym is safe, but if someone runs in, they can touch your bedside. Isn't that scary?Wouldn't you feel safer sleeping in a room with a sensor door, a building door, a room door, and a bedroom door than sleeping in a gym?
If you do sleep in a place like a gymnasium, you know that there is no one in the gymnasium, and the doors of the gymnasium are locked. But the slightest movement from any corner will make you feel like you're getting up to see if the door is locked. Did you find out?The situation in the United States is very similar to this example, where it is in a safe place, but it has always felt insecure about the uncertain risks outside.
Therefore, some people will use labels such as "hegemonism" or "power politics" to think that the United States is bullying others. But if you can understand it from the perspective of today, then you will find out how the American mindset is cultivated.
To put it bluntly, it is a sense of insecurity, and the so-called high place is unbearable, which is also the underlying logic of the United States in Vietnam.
Life is precious, so no matter what name war is called, it is still full of evil.
Finally, I would like to recommend "The Cruelest Summer-—— Vietnam War in the Eyes of Americans", the details of the battles in this book are clear and frighteningly rich, and every detail is a wound that is difficult to heal on both sides of the war. As long as the United States is involved in a war involving another country, it is natural that someone in that country will suffer as a result. However, if these questions are raised in the explanation or mitigating explanation, it will only involve many moral issues that are difficult to conclude, and even raise moral questions about the United States' intervention in Vietnam's affairs