Sunset Boulevard Revisited :: Essays Papers

Sunset Boulevard Revisited When the film Sunset Boulevard premiered in Hollywood in 1950, the picture caused a riot in the theatre after the feature finished. Director Billy Wilder commented, â€Å"I’ve never seen so many prominent people at once – the word was out that this was a stunner, you see. After the picture ended there were violent reactions, from excitement to pure horror†(May 570). Wilder did whatever he could to keep the plot of Sunset Boulevard a secret outside of the walls of Paramount Studios because of its controversial subject matter. Today, Sunset Boulevard is hailed as one of the best films in motion picture history, so what was so controversial about it that made Hollywood so scared? The answer is that the film dealt with the truth about Hollywood and its stars. It scared people because it portrayed the life of a faded movie star in a realistic way, making members of Hollywood evaluate their careers and life after stardom. However, it was not only the plo t that terrified Hollywood, but also Wilder’s casting of Gloria Swanson and Erich Von Stroheim in two of the leading roles. Both had been film stars of the silent era back in the roaring twenties, but had fallen on hard times after their careers had fizzled. Therefore, the â€Å"stunner† that Wilder talks about is not the plot of Sunset Boulevard, but the terrifying realism demonstrated by the actor’s lives molding the characters they play in the film. The protagonist of the film is Norma Desmond, a washed-up actress who has delusions about reclaiming her fame again. At the end of the film, her sanity snaps when she loses her lover, Joe Gillis, and realizes that she will never return to the stardom that she once knew in her youth. On casting the role of Norma, Wilder knew that enlisting an actress from the early years of cinema would be ideal for the story he wanted to tell, rather than hiring a popular actress from the current Hollywood roster. Wilder discussed Mae West and Mary Pickford for the role, but finally decided on Gloria Swanson. Gloria Swanson had been very famous in the twenties, acting for such names as Sam Wood and Cecil B.

The Beginnings of the Soviet Union Essay examples -- Soviet Union Euro

The Beginnings of the Soviet Union The United States that we live in makes it very hard for us to fathom what a struggling nation is like to live in. In the United States, we are socialized to believe that America is the most superior of all the countries and our prosperity will continue to grow. We are very fortunate to be born into a relatively high standard of living as a society, thus we cannot comprehend what it is like for countries trying to build societies from the bottom up. John Scott portrays this brilliantly in his book "Behind the Urals" as he examines individual people and their struggles as they worked in Magnitogorsk. These citizens worked in the most inhumane conditions, all with the intention to help their country develop under the new system of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had just gone through an entire turn around in their political, social, and economic spheres as they went from one extreme to another. The old Czarist government was always out to serve the rich landowners, while treating th e peasantry as second-class humans rather than equals. However, when the Russian Revolution came to a head, and the Red Communists or Bolsheviks defeated the White Czarists, Russia was left with an entirely new system of thought in its government. This ideology viewed the working class and peasantry as the main citizens in their society, while the rich landowners were not nearly as powerful as they once were. Thus the workers of Magnitogorsk held a very important position as they had the responsibility to help the Soviet Union take flight as a country that could compete with other powerful countries of the world, all while working under the most inhumane conditions. John Scott moved to the Soviet Union leaving the United States and in his eyes, its unsatisfactory capitalistic way of governing. Scott may have been aided in making his decision as he saw the United States slip into the Great Depression, a time when the conditions in America reached an all time low. He left his roots in the United States to begin a new life in a foreign country simply because he was disgruntled with American governing and was appealed to by the Soviet philosophy of governing. It tool Scott a tremendous amount of will and fortitude to leave behind everything he knew so well, to start a new life on the other side of the world. He showed his courage as he began... ...derwent, he served his sentence with dignity and was respected as one of the best workers there. In the beginnings of the Soviet Union, and more specifically Magnitogorsk, a diversified group of people from various ethnic, religions, and national backgrounds all put forth their individual efforts to develop the new Russia. The grueling environment that these people lived in developed them into strong and proud workers. In looking to our home front, I cannot find one example that even borders similarities to life in the Soviet Union under Stalin's Five Year Plans. We can study the times, even look to experts in the field for information on the topic, but we can never fully grasp the extreme environment that the peoples of Magnitogorsk lived in. They jeopardized and sometimes even sacrificed their own lives to build up a country. Lives were not lost in the battlefields, but instead on the job as workers froze from the climate while working the blast furnaces. The Soviet Union's success is usually given to the Communist ideology or even Stalin, but instead it was the hard workers w ho came from all over the eastern hemisphere to take on and complete the task of developing Russia.

The Impact of Divorce on a Teenager :: Impact of Divorce on Children

All over the world, parents decide to divorce and this leaves children hurt and confused. The children may lose contact with one parent or they might decide to makes some bad decisions in their life due to the feeling of neglect. Some of the bad choices could be mental health disorders and struggling in academics. There are impacts on teens that could be short term but there are also long term effects too, because most of them look up to their parents as role models. (decent statement of theme) Family clearly impacts teenagers, especially a divorce. [Why this last sentence? This is a â€Å"no duh† comment=you knew it before you started. Maybe it works as a 1st sentence, but not a last one.] In the book The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, the main character, Esperanza, was affected by many external forces, including family. Esperanza is a young teen who just moved to Mango Street, and she doesn’t like her house because it’s ugly, and she dreams of another house that her family has promised one day. â€Å"I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window (Cisneros 11). This was in reference to her great grandmother who didn’t want to marry, but Esperanza’s great grandfather kidnapped her and forced her to marry, where Esperanza’s great grandmother never forgave him and looked out a window for the rest of her life. Esperanza didn’t chose her name, her family did, and she didn’t chose who her family is either. The external force of family is an issue in real life just as it is in this novel, and the teens learn to either love it or hate it. [Whoa! Where’s the divorce here? Why not use the mothers who are single parents? Isn’t that closer to divorce?] Adolescents tend to find ways to let out their emotions and try to escape their problems, and this unfortunately leads them to make poor decisions that hurt them more than they know that it would be. Alcohol actually is a depressant because it slows down the function of the central nervous system and it cause people to lose coordination and not be able to think straight. [Again, whoa! Where’s the divorce here? Why start with drinking? Suggestion: if this is what some teens do when faced with divorce, then maybe this should go as your 2nd or 3rd comment, not your 1st.

An American Childhood Essay

In Annie Dillard’s â€Å"An American Childhood† she takes us the reader back in time. She tells of the activities and games she played as a child, which also draws the reader in to her story more bringing back the same memories from their childhood. She sets the stage around Christmas time on a weekday in late December. Her and her friends were standing in knee deep snow along the road waiting for cars to pass by, an easy target for anyone who could throw a snowball. It was clearly a great day for hitting cars with all the traffic they encountered on Reynolds Street. After some time had passed Annie and her friends decided an ice ball was the way to go. So without further due they spread out and waited for the next victim. Sure enough a black Buick came close and they opened fire. As soon as one snowball struck the windshield something that had never happened before began. The man pulled over and the chase was on. After winding all over town on the chase the man finally caught them. Out of breath the man in a stern voice shouted â€Å"You stupid kids†. For Annie and her friends the thrill of the chase was a glory they wanted to last forever. It was surely a winter none of them will forget. Dillard’s main goal in this story was to show how great her childhood really was. It depicts how most people would describe a traditional American childhood. The great thing about this piece was the descriptiveness of it. Details describing the other characters along with the setting, and elements such as the weather really paint a great picture of the scene of the events on Reynolds Street. Also the verbs Dillard uses to describe the chase and the event in the mans pursuit shows us how terrifying it would have been as a child running from a grown man. Overall it was a great story that could easily relate to any young American child which made reading this piece very simple.

Impact of Applied Agro-Cooperative Credit and Banking on Farmers and Farming

People depend for good introduction in Agro-Farming not only on good seeds, good fertilizers, good irrigation and good Agro-technology; but they need also short-term, medium and long term loans to meet their other demands at farm level in farming. This genuine situational scene has a power to present an impact of applied cooperative credit and banking on farmers in farming from the point of origin of the Indian Cooperative Credit (a facile credit) movement from the period of working of NIDISH in Madras Province in 1882 to 1904 till date. This is a good Genesis of this issue with a scientific periodicity which may be perused in following section. An Iota in the facile cooperative credit scene of madras province Nidish a socio-economic social group were working in very active form like the primary cooperative credit societies at farm level in rural Madras province in 1882-1884. Madras Provinces 1882-1884 :- Fedaric Nicholson’s visit from India to Germany to study the working of The Raiffieson Model Rural Cooperative Credit societies and came back with a finding â€Å"Find Raiffieson† because he found 100% similarities in need of Agro – financing for Rural India, with cultural similarities at great scale in rural India and Rural Germany. In India also there was great exploitation done by private moneylenders by charging 75% rate of interest and in Germany also such high interest was taken by Jews/Nazis from Rural Germany Farmers. The profit motive and usurious practices were similar in India and Germany. In 1882 to 1884 Fedaric Nicholson came back from Germany in Madras Province and recommended to the government to start primary Agro-Cooperative credit and Banking instead of Nidish to protect rural people from great exploitation and usurious practices of private money lender. His report and recommendations were accepted by the Madras provincial government under the control of British government. This was also studied and accepted by the government of Bombay province Maharashtra due to great vitality in his recommendations in public interest. In 1896, the British government appointed Edward committee (sir Edward as chairman) to study the Indian Rural conditions, needs and scope of working of the primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit societies under the control of British government for the people to work with cooperation of the people for the people with democratic management at grass root level. The Edward Committee 1896-1904 surveyed the Indian Rural agro-banking system and passed first cooperative Societies Act 1904 which was accepted and made applicable for greater India (from Kabul to Burma) with democratic centralised cooperative credit banking; viz; from Kabul to Burma, if any primary Agricultural cooperative society was organised, then it was bound to get registration from Delhi only. This was a real scene from 1904-1908. The distance factor was main problem for for mation and registration of Agro-primary Cooperative Credit Societies. In this era cooperative credit was considered as a facile credit and cooperative banking was accepted a means to achieve the desired goal in a desired time. In 1908, Lawd recommended to add cooperative Audit, with cooperative credit and banking by increasing two sections in the cooperative Act of 1904. Thus total sections from 48 to 50 were made in the first cooperative society’s act of 1904 in 1908-1912. This added great strength to Agro-cooperative credit and banking system for Rural India. In 1912, the cooperative society Act was again examined by Sir Malcolm I. C. S and others. They suggested to add three sections more for facilitating cooperative credit, Consumption, and Marketing to the people of Rural India to protect them from exploitation of private traders and took them away from cruel clutches of exploiters by using cooperative organisation of the people for the people. It was accepted by the government in public interest. In 1914-1915, the cooperation was made state sponsored subject to give chance to the state (provincial governments) to frame their own cooperative society Acts on the basis of this model Act of 1904 with due consideration of the interpersonal situations of the concern state in preparation of their own cooperative societies act. It gave good chance to states from Kabul to Burma to register primary Agro-cooperative credit societies for credit and banking activities according to their interpersonal conditions to work and upgrade socio-economic life of rural people by effective working of primary Agro-cooperative credit and banking business. There was a rapid growth of members of primary Agro-cooperative credit and banking business and growth also found in qualities of services from 1912-1915 in cooperative credit movement in India. The first world war of 1915 gave great shock for the growth of Rural Agro-Cooperative banking due to more involvement of rural people in Indian Army. Therefore there was stunted growth of working of Agro-cooperative credit and banking from 1915 to 1925. There was Second World War in 1930-1935. The Burma separated from India in 1920 and Shyam, Rangun and Kabul were also separated in 1937-38 and became independent countries. These newly made countries accepted and used Indian model cooperative society Act of 1912-15 to make their own cooperative acts. In 1939-40 in India, the Vijayraghavacharya committee recommended to start linking of cooperative credit with Agro-production and marketing in Madras provinces in Salem district. It was applied in Salem district only for testing. India became independent country in 1947 from the clutches of britishood separate it. The public finance sub-committee (headed by Dr. D. R. Godgil) in 1946 submitted its report and recommended to allow crop loan systems to Rural people (farmers) to bring new change in farm financing by deciding Maximum Cooperative Credit Limit (M. C. L. ) per farmer, per acre per crop per season to upgrade economic strength of rural borrowers on the one hand by weathering the deep rooted exploitation of private moneylenders which gave a good chance for effective working of rural Agro-cooperative credit and banking on the other. It was again reviewed by Thakurdas Mehta committee in 1948. This committee recommended starting its application from April 1950 in First Five Year Plan. At this time Ready Recknor was not made crop-wise for farmers but Rs. 500 M. C. L. (Maximum Credit Limit) per acre per crop was approved to apply from 1951 to 1954 in the first five year plan for good financing to farmers through primary Agro-Cooperative credit societies. It was brought in real practices. In 1950-54, A. G. Gorwala I. C. S was appointed to do All India Rural Credit Survey to judge the extent of credit distribution by the cooperative credit societies in presence of several moneylenders. He did survey in 75 districts of India, in 400 villages and 127475 farmers families who found 3. 5% farm financing and banking was done since 1904 to 1954 by cooperative credit societies and 96. 5% was done by non-cooperative agencies. The extent of linking of cooperative credit with farm production and cooperative marketing was found 1 % only. There was major failure of cooperative credit and banking role in rural India in socio-economic upgradation process for farming community. The AIRCS committee 1954 gave remark, â€Å"Cooperative have failed but must succeed. † The AIRCS committee recommended starting CCR (controlled credit recovery) scheme under integrated Approach, viz: linking of cooperative credit with farm production and cooperative marketing to upgrade socio-economic life of farmers on the one hand and quality of services of cooperative credit and banking on the other. This recommendation was applied in second five year plan from 1955 to 1960. It was found that linking of cooperative credit and marketing increased from 1% to 11% and extent of cooperative credit distribution was increased from 3. 5% to 30% and maximum credit limit (MCL) increased from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1200 per crop per acre per year. This gradual growth gave great encouragement to cooperative credit and banking system in farm financing at a great length. This had motivated for a reliable and very valid effective approach through cooperative credit and banking for rural reorientation as well as upgradation of socio-economic change of rural people in rural India. This indicated a good desired shifting of cooperative credit business and gave a motivation to cooperative sector to face challenge for a desired change at farm level in the system of farming with Agro-technology. If we examine socio-economic changes from 1950 to 2012 or from first five year plan to 11th five year plan through applied cooperative credit and banking, the desired changes are found based on multiple variables with varieties of risks (challenges for changes). This scene is inviting attention of planners, surveyors, researchers and the governments to identify factors or obstacles affecting in achieving the desired results. Nobody has made any attempt on this issue at a great length till date to identify the factors affecting the quality of socio-economic change operation of cooperative credit and rural banking practices. There is urgent need and demand of the rural people, primary Agro-cooperative credit societies and applied cooperative banking to identify the problem raising factors and discover reliable and valid solutions to achieve the desired goal in the desired time. Therefore, an attempt is needed to make on this issue. The present study aims to work on this issue at a great length. Objectives of the study Broadly speaking, this study has main following objectives:- 1. To identify/ analyse the reliable and valid factors affecting the working of applied cooperative credit and banking at grassroots level and also to identify socio-economic changes at farm level and; 2. To explore practical possible solutions as remedial measures to solve the problems at grass root levels, to do socio-economic upgradation of farmers and their farming with help of modern Agro-technology and rational farm financing. Research Design The present study is going to do Exploratory-cum-Descriptive research work. It is a systematic and purposeful empirical enquiry; it includes surveys and fact-findings enquiries of different kinds. The main characteristics of this method are that the researcher has no control over the variables. It only reports what has happened or what is happening. In which the researcher does not have direct control over independent variables either what has happened or what is happening. But in this solution by the research an attempt has to make to search reliable and valid factors to discover a good solution for solving the problems. Location of the Universe/ Population B. R. College Agra of the Agra University as centre for the study and district Mewat Haryana has been selected by the purposive sampling method as definite universe of the study. Sampling design:- Sample selected by multistage stratified disproportionate random sampling. Total number of farmers members involved in CCR scheme in Agro-cooperative credit and banking are 380. Their size group and covered credit operation is given as under:- Size groupSize group of farmersTotal Farmers membersTotal Land covered by members in acresSample fractionTotal farmers A0-2. acres14028020%700 B2. 5-5. 0 acres12036020%600 C5. 0-7. 5 acres10060020%500 D7. 5-above acres2012020%100 Total members380126020%1900 Data Collection: – Research instruments:- Schedule-cum-questionnaire has been used for data collection. The Complete participant observation method and interview technique has been used for data collection. We have done pretesting at small scale to judge the effectiveness of the research ins truments. It has been found very correct and useful for the work.

My Family Essay

Ever heard the saying, â€Å"blood is thicker than water†? If yes, you know it means no bond is tighter than your family. In our families we love, serve, teach, and learn from each other. We share our joys and our sorrows. Family ties may bring us difficult challenges, but they also give us strength and some of our greatest happiness. Through my own personal perspective, if you don’t have family, you don’t have anything. Thinking to yourself, you have it all, each time you see them cross your path. Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family. Families are so important because we are born into them, marry into them, and even create them among the people we love. They come large and extended or small and eventually grow out into a huge bunch. But whatever their size or wherever they live, strong families give us the nurturance and strength we need in order to survive. I cannot express how blessed to have been born into the family I have. Of course no Brady bunch is perfect but one thing is for sure, everything WE do, we try to do it right. Throughout our lives, most of us find ourselves living in two types of families, our family of orientation and our family of procreation. I bet your face expression is awkwardly confused, but let me break it down real simple for you. Our family of orientation is the family in which we were born into. We had no choice as to who our parents would be, and most definitely had no clue what genes we would inherit. We had no say in our early intellectual stimulation, or in how our emotional or survival needs would be met. I guess you can say, it is all a matter of destiny and who god imself wanted to place you with in regards to the life he has planned for you. Our family of orientation, however, is the institution that hopefully gave us the sense of stability and protection that we all need. We had to rely on our family of orientation to provide the nutrition, shelter, and assistance in learning how to walk, talk, and eat. When at our best, the family teaches the finest things human beings can learn from one another such as, generosity and love. But, it is all too often where we learn nasty things such as hate, rage and shame. My family falls deeply into the good traits, my parents are soft and gentle, but can also be cold as ice when it comes to messing with their kids and family members. One thing in my family that you simply do not do, is mess with myself or my younger siblings. I inherited both of their traits equally, I can be as sweet as a fine sliced piece of cake, or as cold as walking out on below 0? floor, barefoot. Moving on to your family of procreation, once you enter into adulthood, you then find yourself in your family of procreation. The difference between the two is important. The choices which led up to this family of procreation are only yours. When you marry, you have to choose the one you marry. Factors included with that individual’s looks, personality, abilities, knowledge and interests. Sometimes you even get what I call, a â€Å"combo deal†. Pretty self explanatory, your partner may bring along his relatives and sometimes even children. Into what you ask? Into your marriage, that’s what. Of course we always hope and pray, that individual did not bring with him baggage from his family of orientation or previous relationships, but rather positive experiences from one of the other or both. O ne important subject I’d love to get a little more in depth with is the true values of a happy family are. As I previously stated, my family is nowhere near perfect but we try to do whatever it takes to keep our heads held high. Although being Mexican-American can pretty much sum up to why we are stuck together like glue at all times. Our culture is really big on staying together, and doing whatever it takes to get to the top as a whole. Growing up my parents taught me a couple of unique values to always carry at hand. They mean a lot to me and as a whole, they are the foundation I grew up from into who I am today. In our home family values are rules or ideals that, as a family, we agree to live by and stay true to. Having strong well defined family values helps set the foundation for a strong, tight knit family. When educated long enough this closeness provides a soft place to fall when life doesn’t go according to plan. Strong and consistent family values are important in building trust and confidence in each family member. I just want to explain a couple that are important to me and my household, although I’m sure you will obviously relate. We are a very close family, one thing about us, we all want to feel wanted. Come on, who doesn’t want to feel like they belong? It is important that each member of my family feel that they are loved, that they belong and that they matter. Being a united family could mean that you spend every spare minute together doing family activities but keep in mind that everyone is different. Creating a strong family is great, but each person should be allowed the space and freedom to explore the activities they think they may enjoy. People are braver and more willing to take chances if they know they have a safe place to come back to when things don’t quite work out.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Family is not an important thing. It’s everything. † I’m all for order, schedules and structure in my family to help maintain some level of reason. But too much structure and the unwillingness to give a little can result in a lot of unhappiness and dislike. The more flexibility you have in decision making, for example, the happier your family will be for it. I know I personally love having a say in everything, sometimes even having the last word is all it takes for me to be happy. Imagine one member of the family always thinking they are right and enforcing their way of doing things. Flexibility in the family will certainly ease of a little less unhappiness off and bring out the happiness within. * 2 of my favorite and most important family values are respect and honesty. I swear I cannot stress enough how crazy important these factors are to my parents and although these two are a bit more difficult to define because they hit a ittle more into the heart than others. For my family, to respect each other is to take feelings, thoughts, needs, and preferences in to account when making decisions. It also means acknowledging and valuing everyone’s thoughts, feelings and contributions to the family as a whole. Respect is indeed earned and there is a very fine line between it and fear. The only way to earn and keep someone’s respect is to first show them respect yourself. That is the most important rule in our household. Respect is an important family value will extend out of the home and into school, work or other social settings. Honesty is something I learned the hard way, so many problems entered my life thanks to lack of honesty. This is the foundation of any relationships that are meant to last. Mother-daughter, husband-wife, sister-brother. You name it. Without honesty a deeper connection will not form and certainly won’t last. Encourage honesty by practicing understanding and respect when someone tells you of their wrong doings. If we lose it and get angry when we’re told what has happened the other person will be more likely to hide it from you next time simply to avoid the disrespect. * My parents always taught me to be humble no matter what. Giving without thinking â€Å"what’s in it for me† is an important value for anyone wanting to be a responsible, contributing member to society. Through generosity we build empathy since we tend to think more about what people want or need. Being generous doesn’t mean simply handing over money to someone in need. It can also include giving your time, love, attention or even some of your possessions. Being generous is the same as being humble with other people around you. Respect your elders, always forgive, take responsibility, and give! To gain respect, you must first earn it, in order to earn it, give it! Values are essential to living a happy and meaningful life. It is family members who come to your rescue in the need of hour and stand by you when you feel lonely. They give you mental as well as financial support. You can share your problems if you have any with your family members. So it is family which is more important than anything. So take care of your family, they are all you truly have. A close bond with your family now is a bond that will get stronger as you go. I would never trade my family for anything or anyone in the world. Where ever I go, I’ll make sure they tag along with me.

The Anti-Vietnam War Movement Was A Testament For American Nationalism

The Allied Forces won the Second World War. Democracy was restored. Peace soon reigned worldwide. But the victory became short-lived. Another ideology surfaced. A former ally, the Soviet Union spearheaded the campaign of communism globally. â€Å"In 1946 President Harry Truman gave voice to the new geopolitical position of the United States by stating that America would, â€Å"assist all free peoples against threats of revolution and attack from without† (Wiest, 2003). The Soviet menace continued. Russian troops gradually gobbled most countries in Eastern Europe into submission.The United States government fortified its military capability. The Soviet nation did the same. And the Cold War began. Communism spread like fire. Although the main focus of the threat was in Europe, destabilization plots escalated among some nations in South East Asia. Prior to the Second World War, France dominated most of the continent. Its colonies included Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. When Japan e ntered the war, the French government lost its hold and influence. When events settled down, France wanted to regain the lands it formerly occupied.With the Japanese threat out of the picture, French exerted its influence all over again. Vietnam, being a former colony, came on the French list first. The colonizers controlled the Third World country before the Second World War. They thought that it would be easy to put Vietnam back under their fold. It was a different story this time. THE ROAD TO WAR Vietnam surprised the French effort to subdue and control them. A charismatic leader named Ho Chi Minh led the revolution against the foreign conquerors. Given a small chance of winning their independence, the Vietnamese guerilla group retreated to the jungles to regroup.The firepower of the French troops proved to be too much against the ill-equipped and ill-trained forces of Ho Chi Minh. Refusing to engage the enemy head on, the Vietnamese looked forward to a long harassing war that wo uld soon exhaust and later discourage their foes to simply fold up. The confrontation escalated and surprised the foreign legion about the strong determination of a small band of resistance. Significant events began to unravel in 1949. Mao Che-tung challenged the rule of democracy in China. The North Koreans battled the South for supremacy over the peninsula.â€Å"President Dwight Eisenhower put the new position of the United States into words in his inaugural address in 1952 when he remarked that, â€Å"the French in Vietnam are fighting the same war we are in Korea† (Wiest, 2003). The United States felt the need to stretch its hands to prevent a communist takeover over the rest of the world. The uprising within the region inspired Ho Chi Minh and his followers. They fought back and inflicted serious casualties on the French side. Reeling from defeat after defeat, France loosened it hold on the colony. The situation divided Vietnam.The communist supporters rallied around th e North while the South directed its efforts to strengthen its grip on democracy. As communism gained momentum, Ho Chi Minh directed an attack against South Vietnam with the purpose of uniting the country once and for all. When France decided to give up its position in the war-torn nation, the United States Administration assumed the role of driving back the communist threat. â€Å"The United States first became directly involved in Vietnam in 1950 when President Harry Truman started to underwrite the costs of France's war against the Viet Minh† (http://www.cyberessays. com/History/168. htm). In the beginning, the communist leader of Vietnam never intended to draw the Americans into a bloody engagement. But the involvement of the U. S. simply left Vietnam with no choice but to defend itself. As American troops gradually increased its number in the South, the Vietcong from the North instituted yet again a guerilla tactic to tire out the enemy. The U. S. government reasoned out that the main reason why it participated in the Vietnam debacle was to stave off the ideological threat of communism.With the withdrawal of the French forces after a series of stinging defeats, America had no choice but to intervene for the sake of democracy. AMERICAN INTERVENTION The Vietnam War was another thorn on the America’s pathway. At around that period, the government dealt with the instability brought about by racism, bigotry and equality. Upholding the human rights became the battle cry among the citizens throughout the country. Despite all the internal problems hounding the nation, the U. S. government solidified its stand in checking the communist threat.America knew that if the new found ideology remained unchecked, the world would be in peril. With no other country willing to challenge the Soviet aggression, the U. S. found enough reason to assume the responsibility in protecting democracy. Nations with strong and direct links with the United States reluctantl y supported the drive against communism. However, their involvement came in a variety of ways. Many countries pledged their support in ways other than committing combat troops. America contended itself with the medical and engineering battalions from cooperative nations to back its cause in Vietnam.As the United States went deep in its mission to prevent a communist takeover in the South, the number of troops it brought to the worsening war increased. Public outcry blasted the American policy in handling the situation in Vietnam. . â€Å"Starting with teach-ins during the spring of 1965, the massive antiwar efforts centered on the colleges, with the students playing leading roles† (http://www. cyberessays. com/History/168. htm). PUBLIC SENTIMENT In the beginning, the public were inspired by democratic ideals to defend freedom in every part of the globe. Support came rushing all over the states.American sentiments, limited primarily inside the corners of the homes of its citiz ens, eventually spilled out in the streets. Rallies and demonstrations soon became a common sight on the newspapers and the television. The media did a good job in motivating a public outcry. U. S. involvement in Vietnam inspired a spirit of nationalism on two fronts. Setting aside its internal racial discourse, the Americans worked together in its bid to eliminate the communist ideology in Asia once and for all. However, things became uneventful and the U. S. took on a new meaning for the word nationalism.Never since the attack on Pearl Harbor did the United States found itself rallying around the flag in its involvement in Vietnam. The government fueled talks about America’s new role in shaping the events and situations around the world. It went on to say that the U. S. Armed Forces had a duty and responsibility to fulfill not merely to the American people but to the entire humanity in general. Being the most sophisticated and most advanced nation globally, America must loo k at the bigger picture. No country wanted to fill in the shoes of promoting and maintaining peace and progress on earth.Most regimes simply wanted to reinforce its hold on power than do anything of significance and value. Americans took pride in uplifting their potentials and ideals to a level of unmatched ability. People valued their freedom too much. Because of this, they willed to do anything against the rule of oppression. These individuals believed in enforcing order all throughout the society. Only through a nation under control would growth and development materialize. The United States always looked ahead of its time. The future remained to be a distant goal.The citizens were willing to risk anything to fulfill its vision of a free and united country. When the Vietnam War erupted, many critics downplayed its significance to the star-spangled nation. But its modern role to promote global stability was too big to ignore. The spread of communism risked freedom to be conquered. Due to this grave danger, America was compelled to fight an external conflict. The citizens understood this, at least primarily, and supported the move in disarming the communist threat. The American people believed in its supremacy.It believed that the entire nation could achieve whatever there was out there to achieve. The government promised the citizens that the country was fighting a war far larger than it was widely perceived. It could never be denied that a victory of a communist regime would be a big blow to democracy. Being the leading staunch supporter of democratic ideals, the United States must assert its claim in proclaiming the freedom that the nation stood for. Every direction that the country steered itself into reflected the united front instilled among the Americans.It would be unfair if communism remained nullified and misunderstood in its concept. The ideology believed in the equal distribution of wealth and resources in the community. This vision of equal parta ke of the pie would be a welcome development if only it could be applied. Communism was patterned from the Socialist manifesto coined by Karl Marx. There was a preconceived notion that a communist rule would be progressive. Since the government controlled everything, its citizens were poised to be given equal rights and equal chances to shine in the society.But the truth was that a nation thrived not because of government intervention. No matter how good the governance of a country was, it would be difficult to subdivide opportunities equally. The growth and development of people relied on hard work. Government intervention maybe vital but prosperity resided in the ability of the citizens to make things happen. Freedom had no substitute. Unless suppressed, individuals have that capability to realize their dreams. America believed so much in their dreams. Its freedom was the vital factor in their progress as a nation.The ability to move around and weigh their options was what kept th e nation going. The law of the state shattered down all boundaries and borders which inhibit democratic ideals to pull through. Democracy valued the individual no end. The citizen was considered instrumental in making the wheels the freedom rolling. Regulations were enacted around the individual to allow a free reign of ideas to materialize. The American public openly supported its fight against communism. But as the Vietnam War drag on, the people saw that the situation was getting out of hand.The number of body bags which were coming home had increased. Americans felt that resources were being wasted in a foreign situation without the end in sight. Numerous draftees left for Vietnam and few would eventually make it back home. ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT The American people supported their government’s involvement in Vietnam. They were motivated to help a nation contain the repression of freedom. But somewhere along the line, more and more young American soldiers were killed. Many gro ups and organizations felt the need to review the superpower nation’s objective in winning the war in Vietnam.But the government hardly came up with a good explanation. The situation had gone bad to worst. And the public was looking at a war gone awry. The U. S. Administration could not address the different problems involved in the situation. Much more, it cannot give direct answers to the questions and concerns of the citizens. Numerous and contrasting groups around the United States rallied and gathered together each with causes of their own. Anti-government movements surfaced with the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy when nuclear programs proliferated at the start of the Cold War.But the most aggressive campaigns against government regulations began with the rise of the radical Student Peace Union in 1959 although it went out of contention five years later. A more active group, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) continued upholding the cause. The orga nization was meant to assist the laborers, the intellectuals and the oppressed people. SDS later was taken over by student radicals during the 1950s. Sensing the disorientation and listless significance of life among Americans, the group voiced out its concern against the government. It actively pursued in valuing human rights in the society.It supported Lyndon Johnson in its bid for the presidency against Barry Goldwater in 1964. Social reforms were the main concern of the SDS. As the Vietnam War escalated, more and more young people were drafted from the Southern part of the country. The government also pulled out numerous individuals out from schools for a tour of duty in Vietnam. Civil Rights rallies continued to flourish. The public saw the gradual increase of enlisted men in the U. S. Armed Forces which revealed that American involvement in South East Asia was getting serious. Casualties began to pile up and replacements were seriously considered.It was 1965. The anti-war move ment which initially was limited inside the campus gained wide recognition throughout the country. â€Å"The history of that movement is not only one of demonstrations, teach-ins, rallies and hundreds of other actions. It was also a history of internal debate over how and for what purpose to mobilize mass sentiment against the war† (Lorimer, 1991). When the bombing in North Vietnam began, demonstrations increased and anti-government activities moved on swiftly. Rallies and anti-war sorties gained prominence on every avenue of the United States.Faculty members joined the movement and immediately made an impact. A series of seminars were held to educate the public about the political, military and social effects of the Vietnam War. The march towards the capital city slowly gained numerous members. On April 1965, about 25, 000 people gathered in Washington D. C. to protest American involvement in Vietnam. Inspired by the turnout of events, campus editors formed a nationwide netw ork of media organizations that would circulate and educate various information and activities in connection with the anti-war movement.Pressure mounted on the Pentagon especially on Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to end the war. The campaign gained more support from the religious community which sent out letters expressing their opinions and reactions about the turmoil in Vietnam. In 1966, the movement penetrated military branch and draft evasion became a major issue. Almost all sectors in the community had a hand one way or the other in keeping the youth out of the draft. Many individuals sought refuge in nearby countries such as Canada and Sweden to elude a trip to Vietnam.â€Å"In a January 1967 article written for the Chicago Defender, Martin Luther King, Jr. openly expressed support for the antiwar movement on moral grounds. Reverend King expanded on his views in April at the Riverside Church in New York, asserting that the war was draining much-needed resources from do mestic programs† (Barringer, 1999). His views were not limited to religious matters alone. He tackled the moral effects of the ongoing war. As the number of recruits from the South increased in number, King voiced out his concern about the plight of the African-Americans in the United States.He assailed the government’s action to prolong the war by risking a huge chunk of the taxpayers’ money. The Johnson administration began feeling the pressure internally. McNamara was fired shortly after questioning the real objectives of the conflict. George Ball the Secretary of State handed out unsolicited advice to the president. The Vietnam War was taking too long. Cabinet members and government officials reviewed the political stance of the country. It was 1968. Election was on its way. Presidential candidates capitalized on the confusion of the current administration. The U. S.government turned out to be divided in its opinion and decision about the Vietnam situation. W ith no end in sight for the Vietnam offensive, the Tet American public opinion revealed that majority of the population now opposed the conflict. The Johnson presidency continued drafting young citizens for a tour of duty in South East Asia. Its policies about the war remained unchanged. The situation infuriated the anti-war movement across the American nation. â€Å"The peace movement was often militant, and many on the campuses came to reject non-violence and fought heroically against the police† (http://www. chss.montclair. edu/english/furr/Vietnam/riseandfall. html). Student activists clashed with police. The once peaceful rallies turned violent and blood spilled over. Protesters bloodied the streets and stormed the draft centers in different cities throughout the United States. President’s Johnson’s advisers reversed the administration’s position on the Vietnamese issue and the presidency bowed out of contention. Anti-war dissidents grew bolder in it s actions. Fights soon erupted during public demonstrations. Protests continued and an estimated 500,000 people participated on the citizen’s second march to Washington.Active members rose from the ranks and went to the frontlines to lead the movement. However, the new frontrunners in the anti-war campaign gained little recognition from the American society. It was an age of expression. Majority of the general public declined its support due to the unacceptable and disturbing behavior of the protesters. The anti-war movement introduced a lifestyle which bannered the Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ roll theme. The situation turned complicated because of behavioral concerns. The protesters disrespected soldiers returning from Vietnam. American support for the movement faded a bit.Just when things subsided, an immediate turn of events angered the entire nation. Richard Nixon the newly-elected president planned the withdrawal of troops in 1970. But the war suddenly went ugly with a few shocking events. There was a public discomfort when news reported the involvement of American troops in the My Lai massacre. In addition, the United States entered a new trail in its bloody campaign when it invaded Vietnam’s neighboring country Cambodia. American sentiment across the nation was high. Academic institutions, Union groups and even some government agencies like the State department called for an end to hostilities.Violence went full gear when the National Guardsmen in Ohio killed a number of protesters at Kent State University. The public outcry was further driven out of proportion when true stories and coverage about American troop activities were revealed in the New York Times. Incompetence, disorganization, neglect, cruelty and abuses were directly associated with the behavior of the American military contingent. It was hardly the news all American citizens wanted to hear. The Nixon administration was quick to grasp the impending doom of prolonging the co nflict.On January 1973, the president announced the official statement which ended the American involvement in the Vietnam War. The anti-war movement was not without resistance. It was during President Johnson’s presidency that protests and demonstrations rose to the public consciousness. The government conducted suppressive methods against the dissidents. Intelligence groups monitored the movements and activities of many protesters. The Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation tracked down numerous figures involved with the demonstrations.Investigations even came to the point that conspiracy theories were framed by the communist groups to promote turmoil in America as a means of confusing and disorganizing the government’s focus on the war. But none of the framed stories were actually true. When America got itself involved in the Vietnam situation, a huge number of the population supported the government’s decision to intervene. Two y ears later, the public’s backing percentage was down to around 30%. A surprising development soon emerged in the middle of the Vietnam conflict.Many Americans denounced the activities of the anti-war movement. However, due to the opposition to the war, most of the citizens joined the demonstrators in pressuring the government to end the escalating engagement. It was the image of the marchers and dissidents which the American public never liked. Drugs, alcohol and rock n’ roll were too much to handle especially in supporting a serious matter like the Vietnam War. â€Å"The antiwar movement reached its zenith under President Richard M. Nixon. In October 1969, more than 2 million people participated in Vietnam Moratorium protests across the country.The following month, over 500,000 demonstrated in Washington and 150,000 in San Francisco† (Barringer, 1999). The Kent State shootings and the invasion of Cambodia fueled one of the biggest protests in recent history. St udents from most universities and colleges joined hands with White House officials and blue collar workers to pressure the Nixon administration in ending the Vietnam War. Numerous arrests were made. Different groups came out in the open to lend their support. The complicated situation in the U. S. was coupled by the worsening American troop situation in Vietnam. Discipline vanished. Drugs became rampant.The morale was down. The way the Americans dealt the communist situation in the South East Asian region turned out to be disastrous. Never did it occur to them that a rag-tag band of guerrillas would take chances with superior firepower of the United States. As more and more troops came back home, demonstrations and protests gradually subsided. Troop withdrawal began in 1971. It was almost completed in 1975. The remaining anti-Vietnam War crowd continued to hound the government about other issues related to the war. The after effects of the bombing in Vietnam, the situation of the Vi etnamese civilians and the mismanagement of the U. S.funding for the conflict were some of the arguments used by the activists in continuing their marches. CONCLUSION â€Å"The American movement against the Vietnam War was the most successful antiwar movement in U. S. history† (Barringer, 1999). The conflict became a modern test of character for its people. Although it wasn’t the United States’s finest hour, victory could still be claimed. It showed the strength of the American public. In times of turmoil and disorder, no matter what circumstances or events were there, as long the interest of the nation was at stake, individuals gathered together to show unity and support for the Motherland.People owe so much to the land of their birth. It gave them life and liberty. Individuals from all corners settled their differences to unite and engage a common enemy. Americans portrayed a spirit of nationalism on two fronts. Primarily, citizens rallied around the flag righ t away when American involvement in Vietnam was announced. It was interesting to note how persons with different backgrounds could come together and work as one to achieve a specific objective. Americans held hands to fight for a cause. Citizens were instrumental in making the war possible.It sacrificed thousands of young American soldiers to battle an ideological threat. Moreover, the American people were also a vital factor in ending the war. As the war took longer than expected, the individuals behind the anti-Vietnam War movement reversed its previous decision to go on fighting. With numerous lives at stake, a united American front retrieved its troops from Vietnam and ended the conflict right there and then. Nationalism valued every American soldier. The interest of the nation was what drives the citizens to excel.No matter what was at stake, unity kept a country progressive and protected amidst the threat of external conflicts like the Vietnam War. â€Å"The outpouring of str ong feelings and the tense atmosphere generated by the crisis make it easy to lose sight of some important aspects of this war–and all wars–which need to be dealt with on a personal and on a social level† (Stew, 1991). BIBLIOGRAPHY Barringer, M.. The Anti-war Movement in the United States. Oxford UP. 1999. 4 November 2007. http://www. english. uiuc. edu/maps/vietnam/antiwar. html Lorimer, D.. Lessons of the Anti-Vietnam War Movement.New Course Publications. 1991. 4 November 2007. http://www. dsp. org. au/dsp/resist/r9viet. html Stew, C. The U. S. Soldier and the Anti-Vietnam War Movement. International Anarchism. 1991. 4 November 2007. http://flag. blackened. net/revolt/inter/seattle/vietnam. html Wiest, A.. The Vietnam War, 1956-1975. New York: Routledge. 2003. The Rise and Fall of the Anti-War Movement in the U. S.. 4 November 2007. http://www. chss. montclair. edu/english/furr/Vietnam/riseandfall. html Anti-Vietnam Movement in the U. S. 4 November 2007. http:/ /www. cyberessays. com/History/168. htm