Title: How did the Vietnam War affect America? - The Vietnam War
Headings: How did the Vietnam War affect America?
How did the Vietnam War affect America?
Damage the Economy
Spur Policy Changes
The Right to Vote at Age 18
The End of the Draft
An All-Volunteer Force
Mistrust the Government
“Vietnam Syndrome”
No More “Quagmires”
The Continuing Effect
Sharing is Caring
Show us some Love

Content: The military, in particular, was discredited for years after the conflict. “Vietnam Syndrome”
More than 58,000 men made the final sacrifices; hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the conflict in an attempt to “contain” Communism, yet the U.S. had failed abjectly. The defeat in Vietnam was a humiliating experience for the U.S. It undermined American confidence in U.S. superiority, both moral and military, and most importantly, U.S. commitment to internationalism. After Vietnam, American leaders became more wary of intruding in another country’s problems. They were afraid of getting stuck in “another Vietnam” which would cost American lives and destroy American prestige. President Jimmy Carter, who took office in 1977, was the first U.S. President hamstrung by what is known as “the Vietnam Effect” or “the Vietnam Syndrome”, which describes America’s reluctance to commit troops oversea unless it is absolutely necessary to protect the national interests or when there is a strong public support with a high probability of a relatively quick and inexpensive victory. Carter’s failure to stop the Russians from invading Afghanistan in 1979 and his clumsy attempt at handling the Iran hostages crisis, which resulted in the death of 8 American servicemen, exemplified how reluctant the U.S. was after the conflict. No More “Quagmires”
During the 1980s, the U.S. continued to be cautious about getting involved anywhere else in the world. Although the defense budget rose dramatically under President Ronald Reagan when he escalated the Cold War, his military actions were mainly small, covert or obtained by proxy.