Long-Term Lessons of The Vietnam War
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20 April 2018
The Vietnam War stirred up plenty of conflicts with both the United States’ government and the country itself. The long term lesson of the Vietnam War was that Presidents are not capable of having the power to declare war. After an alleged attack on a naval destroyer stationed off the coast of Vietnam the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed. August 7, 1964, Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to take all “necessary measures” to repel any attacks against the United States and to prevent the further aggression by the communists government of North Vietnam. This was undemocratic.
The president was much too powerful. Before congress had to approve of the declaration of war. In 1973, congress passed the War Powers Act. It was meant to overturn the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. Even after being vetoed by Nixon, it still passed the two thirds vote in congress. President Johnson’s actions with the Vietnam war were so scandalous, that congress didn’t want it to happen again.
