policy - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
E. SUMMARY ANALYSIS AND INSIGHTS
The efforts of Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon to produce a
settlement in Vietnam that would be compatible with larger US foreign
policy results, produced a se iies of tragic ironi es for all three of the
presidents. Each of these men sought to ensure domestic political backing
and public support for his policies, but in the and those policies became
the most divisiv
elements w the United States had experienced in this century.
of
Kentnedy had sought in his presidency to reassert the mroal leadership
of the United St,,tes as the leader of the Free Wo,-ld.
He had proclaimed
duringi his campaign that the United States would bear any burden to en-ire
that freedom prevailed against tyranny around the globe.
Tragically, these
lofty goals were extraordinarily diffiz:1t to t realize in the complicated
implicated in
situation Kennedy
acquiescing
found in to Southeast coup Asia, d' etat and that his administration
ended
became
sination of President
in the
Diem
assasof
South Vietnam. Moreover, at the same time
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Kennedy was enunciating noble goals fov US foreign policy, he was attempt- A
ing to "downplay" the size of the commitment he was making in Southeast -
Asia by trying to quiet reporters who attempted to describe what they were
observing in Vietnam.
Johnson also set out in his presidency to realize the enactment of 3
far-reaching and humanitarian legislation. To ensure the passage of that *1
legislation, Johrson sought to cover up the depth of the US involvement in
be candid about either military
the conflict in Southeast Asia. planning In accomplishing or the eccnomic his purpose, costs he
that
could rnot
would•
be entailed in the involvement.
unrave
The result of this obfuscation was a rapid
,ling of Johnson's political position as elýments within his coalition
began to dissent from his policies.
Juhnson had sought to continue
and expand the social welfars programs Kennedy had begun. He also had
sougnt to pursue the economic policies Kennedy had helped design but failed
to enact. Finally Johnson set out to maintain the forceful application of -
US military power that Kennedy had seen as essential to the accomplishment
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