It can be agreed upon that in every war throughout history many people were opposed to a war from the get go; however, under certain circumstances war is inevitable. In Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” a negative perspective of the Vietnam war is shown through the eyes of an American Vietnam war veteran. The short story shows the mental tolls war takes on an individual and how war negatively effects his mental health. While negative consequences of going to war are inevitable, often times the negative ramifications of not going to war outweigh those possibilities.  George Black’s article “The Lethal Legacy of the Vietnam War” challenges this idea along with Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” while Zachary Shore’s “Provoking America” justifies Americas involvement in the war and brings this idea into light. 

The war known as the Vietnam War to Americans pitted communist North Vietnam against democratic South Vietnam and its allies the United States. In Vietnam, however, the war is known as the American War. The Communists of North Vietnam desired to unite Vietnam under a Communist government, while South Vietnam desired to be united under a democratic government. The war began in 1954 with the defeat of the French government by Vietnam and ended in 1975 when North Vietnam fully invaded and took over South Vietnam. 

The war had treacherous effects on all the parties involved and left millions in total dead. Most of these casualties coming from the Vietnamese. Along with large numbers in human deaths the country’s land also saw huge detriments as a result of large scale bombings by the United States. The vast amounts of bombing left cities destroyed along with much of the arable land no longer tillable. Another lasting effect was the sheet of unexploded bombs and artillery shells that scattered the countryside in Vietnam. These unexploded bombs continue to be a threat to the citizens in Vietnam still today. 

George Black’s article “The Lethal Legacy of the Vietnam War” discusses another perspective of an American Vietnam Veteran with a negative outlook on the Vietnam war. Black’s article illuminates the ideas presented by Tim O’Brien in “The Things They Carried” by presenting many illegitimate practices used by the United States during the Vietnam war and their effect on Vietnam presently.  Black first brings to our attention the cruel and absurd amounts of bombings used by the United States during the war. Along with these unreasonable amounts of bombing there was also an outrageous supply of chemicals such as Agent Orange that were used as herbicides. Vast amounts of napalm were also used against the Vietnamese. These vast amounts of chemicals that were used and the large scale use of napalm left the landside in Vietnam stripped and barren. Black stresses how America’s war strategy was inappropriate and has led to many adverse conditions in Vietnam nowadays. Along with the land being stripped of its nutrients due to large scale chemical use many babies are being born in Vietnam with birth defects. However, this cannot fully be proven to be a result of the United States vast chemical use as the US will not recognize these chemicals as factors that will lead to certain birth defects, however, it’s obvious this is the cause. Due to these irrational and sadistic American war practices Vietnam is now exposed to many unexploded bombs, left with a sterile landscape and many of the babies being born there have birth defects. 

Black further presses the idea presented by Tim O’Brien that the Vietnam war was not conducted in a sufficient or appropriate way by the United States. However, Black has a different reason for addressing the problem. While Tim O’Brien focuses on the negative effects the war took on American Troops; Black focuses more on the negative results of the war experienced by the Vietnam. Black speaks on the topic specifically and is looking to bring attention to the Vietnam war and its tragedies specifically. On the other hand, O’Brien seems to be making a more general claim in “The Things They Carried.” O’Brien is speaking on war in general and the emotional toll it can have on soldiers. The two have a common outlook on the Vietnam war, however, what results of the war they believe are important are not quite as similar. 

Zachary Shore’s article “Provoking America” justifies Americas involvement in the Vietnam War despite the negative effects the war caused. Shore’s unlike George Black and Tim O’Brien is in full support of Americas involvement in the Vietnam War. Shore’s instead of just paying attention the negative results caused by the Vietnam war, like Black and O’Brien did he looks into what was going on prior to America’s involvement in the war. Shore’s brings to notice that the Vietnamese were not so innocent and brought a lot of what happened to them on themselves. Shore’s brings to our attention just in his title that it may not be our fault as to what happened during the Vietnam war, rather the Vietnam who “provoked” America into doing what they had to do out of defense. 

Shore’s directly contradicts O’Brien’s ideas in his article “Provoking America” by insuring America’s actions in the Vietnam war. Shore’s provides reasoning as to why soldiers were needed in Vietnam. O’Brien argues how unnecessary it was and the negative toll it took on the soldier’s mental health in “The Things They Carried.” Shore’s illuminates the idea that going to war is worth the negative consequences because avoiding war would result in worse consequences. In doing this Shores contradicts both Tim O’Brien’s and George Black’s ideas directly. 

With any decision made by a specific country there will be those that oppose what is being done or what is decided. Some issues are more controversial than others, for example war. When a country decides to declare war many people will often instantly disapprove of their country entering war. People become immediately anti-war due to the hardships that are brought on by war. Tim O’Brien in “The Things They Carried” and George Black in his article “The Lethal Legacy of the Vietnam War” argue against the Vietnam war due to adverse effects it had on soldiers involved and the lasting negative effects it has on Vietnam and the Vietnamese citizens. However, they choose to ignore what led to the war in the first place and what could have happened if the United States were not to have gotten involved. Zachary Shores in his article “Provoking America” considers the causes of the Vietnam war and contradicts both Tim O’Brien and George Black directly. Shores provides evidence and reasoning as to why America had to get involved with the war. Shores takes the negative results of not going to war into consideration and justifies the United States involvement in the war as it would have been a worse situation to ignore Vietnam and allow them to do whatever they want. Shores has the more thought out and reasonable outlook on war in general. He understands that war in certain times is inevitable if the consequences of not going to war are worse than the conditions of war. 