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The Vietnam Syndrome and Its Effects on the U.S. Public and Foreign and Domestic Policy Decisions During the Post-Vietnam Era Between 1975- 1991

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The Vietnam Syndrome and Its Effects on the U.S. Public and Foreign and Domestic Policy Decisions During the Post-Vietnam Era Between 1975- 1991 THE VIETNAM SYNDROME AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE U.S. PUBLIC AND FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC POLICY DECISIONS DURING THE POST-VIETNAM ERA BETWEEN 1975-1991 by Kyle Giovannini A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in History Boise State University May 2020 © 2020 Kyle Giovannini ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COLLEGE DEFENSE COMMITTEE AND FINAL READING APPROVALS of the thesis submitted by Kyle Giovannini Thesis Title: The Vietnam Syndrome and Its Effects on the U.S. Public and Foreign and Domestic Policy Decisions During the Post-Vietnam Era Between 1975- 1991 Date of Final Oral Examination: 11 March 2020 The following individuals read and discussed the thesis submitted by student Kyle Giovannini and they evaluated their presentation and response to questions during the final oral examination. They found that the student passed the final oral examination. David Walker, Ph.D. Chair, Supervisory Committee Jill Gill, Ph.D. Member, Supervisory Committee Nick Miller, Ph.D. Member, Supervisory Committee The final reading approval of the thesis was granted by David Walker, Ph.D., Chair of the Supervisory Committee. The thesis was approved by the Graduate College. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would first like to give my upmost thanks and appreciation to Boise State University and more specifically the Boise State History Department for allowing me to use their services and institution while writing this thesis. Next, I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Jill Gill and Dr. Nick Miller, for their support, mentorship, and constructive criticisms that helped sculpt this thesis. I would also like to give a special thank you to my committee chair, Dr. David Walker, for the past two years of his personal dedication to this thesis consisting of endless meetings, revisions, and debate - without your guidance, this thesis would have been severely lacking. Lastly, I would like to thank my lovely and talented wife, Juliana, not only for her support and encouragement through this difficult process, but also for her role as my editor. I cannot thank you all enough for supporting me through this process. Without any of you, this thesis would not have been possible. iv ABSTRACT First, the Vietnam Syndrome had a significant cultural impact on the American public which altered the U.S. public’s collective cultural view of war from an interventionist to an anti-interventionist stance. Naturally, this shift in public perception influenced U.S. presidents’ foreign and domestic policy decisions from President Gerald Ford to President George H.W. Bush. Second, the Vietnam Syndrome’s anti- interventionist effect challenged the established security of containment policy through military intervention, forcing presidents and their administrations to implement different rhetorical approaches and messages to unshackle, in their view, America from the anti- interventionist effects of the Vietnam Syndrome on foreign policy decisions. Third, as a means to defeat the lasting impacts of the Vietnam Syndrome, the Bush administration and the U.S. military enhanced U.S. domestic policy through a multi-stage propaganda and media censorship campaign to rally public, congressional, and international support for the Persian Gulf War; which, upon America’s victory in the war, established the New World Order and re-established America’s security abroad. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT.................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 Historiography .........................................................................................................6 CHAPTER ONE: THE CREATION OF THE VIETNAM SYNDROME AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE U.S. PUBLIC ....................................................................................15 Polling Data: Establishing The U.S. Public’s Altered Cultural View Of War ......15 Factors That Created the Vietnam Syndrome ........................................................21 The Vietnam Syndrome and the U.S. Public’s Cultural Shift Towards War ........27 Interest Groups and the U.S. Public ...........................................................38 The Vietnam Syndrome And Popular Culture: Rewriting The Script Of The Vietnam War ..........................................................................................................40 Realist Narrative ........................................................................................42 Revisionist Narrative .................................................................................47 President Ronald Reagan and the U.S. Public: An Anti-Communist Hollywood .51 Chapter One Conclusion ........................................................................................55 CHAPTER TWO: PRESIDENTS, THEIR RHETORIC, AND CHALLENGING THE ANTI-INTERVENTIONIST EFFECTS OF THE VIETNAM SYNDROME ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS .....................................................................................57 President Gerald Ford: The Tale of Two Narratives .............................................59 vi President Ford: Rhetoric In Action ............................................................64 President Jimmy Carter: The Humanitarian Peace Broker ....................................67 President Carter: Rhetoric In Action..........................................................74 President Ronald Reagan: Revitalization Of Interventionist Rhetoric ..................76 President Reagan: Rhetoric In Action........................................................81 Chapter Two Conclusion .....................................................................................100 CHAPTER THREE: KICKING THE VIETNAM SYNDROME ...................................102 President George H.W. Bush: New World Order Rhetoric .................................103 Using The ‘Just’ War Narrative: President H.W. Bush’s Propaganda Campaign To Form A Congressional Consensus..................................................................108 Enhancing Domestic Policy: U.S. Military Censorship Through Media Pooling .................................................................................................................115 Addressing Additional Mistakes From The Vietnam War: The Powell Doctrine And Bush’s Clear-Cut Objectives ........................................................................121 Realtering The Cultural Shift Of War And The Yellow Ribbion Movement......126 Chapter Three Conclusion ...................................................................................132 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................133 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................142 Primary .................................................................................................................142 Secondary .............................................................................................................148 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1.0 Term List .................................................................................................... ix Table 1.1 Polling Data .............................................................................................. 19 Table 1.2 Events That Widened The Credibility Gap ............................................... 25 viii Table 1.0 Term List Term Definition American Dualist Exposure of the cognitive dissonance within the American Perspective public, where on one hand, Americans believe in the ideological principles of Wilsonianism, but on the other, are confronted with America’s realpolitik enactment of foreign policy. Cold War Perceived the Soviet Union as an expansionist power that, under Internationalists the guise of peaceful coexistence or détente is lulling the U.S. into policies that bear a disturbing resemblance to those of Britain and France during the 1930s. Containment A Cold War foreign policy of the United States and its allies to Policy prevent the spread of communism after the end of World War II. Credibility Gap Any "gap" between an actual situation and what politicians and government agencies say about it. Describes public skepticism of administration’s statements and policy. Culture of War A “culture of war” is an interlocking system of national meanings, beliefs, behaviors, institutions, and identities that consider violence and war necessary and justifiable in the pursuit of U.S. hegemonic global interests. Détente Peaceful coexistence where communications focus on the de- escalation of tensions through diplomacy and policy. A popular foreign policy strategy for post-Vietnam-era presidents due to the anti-interventionist effects of the Vietnam Syndrome. Interventionist Favoring intervention, especially by a government in its domestic economy or by one country in the affairs of another. Military When the U.S. military is ordered by the sitting U.S. president Intervention to deploy to a region in conflict, either direct or indirectly with the U.S. Post-Cold War Perceive
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