09 Nov social justice
1. Considering the relevant course materials above, how do mythologies of exceptionalism in US history create a foundation of inequality and hierarchy, especially in foreign policy and how it is reflected domestically? Why did the US escalate the Viet Nam War (as part of the Cold War against the USSR)? What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident and why does this matter not just for the past, but for the present? Continuing…let’s explore some of the challenges associated with the Vietnam War. President Lyndon Johnson’s "Guns and Butter" approach was to address civil rights matters (including racial disparity, poverty, and gender inequity) at the same time the US fought "communism" abroad. Johnson realized it was not feasible to do both successfully, which in part led to him not running for a second term in 1968. Around that same time, how did activists like MLK connect the dots regarding the war at home and abroad regarding civil rights and social justice matters? Do you see any parallels to then and the situation now in Iraq or Afghanistan? How does Solomon connect the Gold of Tonkin to the Weapons of Mass Destruction claims and the exhalation of these wars? Explain. Be specific throughout.
Remember to see the documentary based on the book of the same name by journalist Norman Solomon- War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death
