Gulf of Tonkin
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Feb 20, 2024
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Gulf of Tonkin
Did the Gulf of Tonkin Incidents incite U.S. escalation?
The Gulf of Tonkin occurrence was an unprovoked attack on the destroyer USS Maddox by the North Vietnamese military. The incident took place on August 2, 1964 (Herring). President Johnson used the incident to acquire backing for America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. It is highly unlikely that the situation incited the escalation. The president utilized information from the destroyer and the Gulf as an excuse to push American influence in the region (Paterson). There were a lot of discrepancies in the information given; hence, it can be noted that the escalation was not incited but rather a justification for America’s presence.
Were U.S. officials looking for a pretense to escalate? Explain in many detailed
paragraphs
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There is no conclusive response to whether U.S. officials were searching for a pretense, but evidence highlights that they were looking for an excuse to escalate issues. The destroyer had
been sent too close to the North Vietnamese coast for a certain mission, which was a provocative
move from the American side. This shows that the American government made that move while knowing North Vietnamese forces would retaliate. Another important piece of information is that
once the incident was reported, the president used it to acquire backing for America’s involvement, highlighting the need to protect Americans forced abroad (Herring). President
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Johnson highlighted the need to correct a perceived wrong, which furthers the escalation agenda. Were it that the North Vietnamese force had attacked the destroyer provocatively, President Johnson would have consulted the United Nations to condemn the incident. From this occurrence, Johnson’s government passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. The resolution permits American forces to be insusceptible from Geneva treaties concerning the Vietnam War.
Once the evidence concerning the incidents was available, what steps should the
President, Congress, and people of the United States have taken, if any?
There are several steps that the various stakeholders could have taken once the information on the occurrence was available. The first step should have been to conduct a thorough investigation. The president should have ordered a thorough investigation of the incident, the second incident, casualties and minute-by-minute breakdown of before and after the
occurrence. Through the information acquired, the president could have been certain whether the second incident had occurred. After acquiring the information, the next step should be discussing
with international bodies. The president and Congress should have involved the United Nations and other relevant bodies to guarantee that consequences for the attack were meted out to the North Vietnamese if they had intentionally attacked the Navy Destroyer USS Maddox. Next, the Congress should have held forums to develop a way forward. Congress should have ensured that the decision made was good for America. Suppose they had agreed on America’s involvement; they should have explained why they made the move of full participation in the Vietnam War. The last step is to allow the citizens to offer their perspectives, enabling them to hold the elected representatives accountable. By doing so, the citizens would ensure that the decision is best for America, and they keep the government in check.
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Works Cited
Herring, George C. America’s Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975
. McGraw-Hill Education, 2020. Paterson, Pat. “The Truth about Tonkin.” U.S. Naval Institute
, Feb. 2008, www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/february/truth-about-tonkin
.
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