The War at Home Chapter 22 Section 2. Great Society Suffers

The War at Home

Chapter 22 Section 2

Great Society Suffers

Vietnam war was a costly war.

• Johnson could not fund Great Society programs and the Vietnam War.

• Higher taxes for $6 billion reduction in Great Society.

Explain this statement:

• Vietnam was the first “living room war”.

Living Room War

• The Vietnam War was the first war to be televised and show to Americans in their homes.

• Americans could see what was really happening resulting in credibility gap.• Gap between what the Johnson

administration was happening and what was actually happening.

Opposition Grows

Young Americans did not believe in the war & did not want to go.

Selective Service System- most soldiers were drafted.

• Men tried to find their ways out of the draft.• Very Manipulatable system.

• To be drafted, the men had to meet certain qualifications.• College deferment.

African Americans made up 20% of deaths in Vietnam.

Racial discrimination occurred in platoons while in Vietnam.

1967 a race riot erupted in Long Binh, Vietnam.

What effects will this race riot have on American soldiers efforts in Vietnam?

• How might this look to Vietnam?• Who might take these tensions and

use them to their advantage?