Question

Need to answer the following 3 questions from "The Sixties, AMerican Yawp" (just google, you will find the link)

2a Why the domestic reform known as the Great Society was such an important factor on ending the poverty and racial injustices?

2b What is the Domino Theory?

2c Why the US decided to blocked the Vietnamese's elections?

Answer 1

Ans 2a) The domestic reform known as the Great Society which was launched by Hon'ble President of the United States Mr. Lyndon B. Johnson in the year 1964-1965. It was in the Great Society ( i.e set of domestic reforms) that major issues such as  education, medical care, urban problems, rural poverty, and transportation were addressed and launched .In the Great Society, John F. Kennedy as a teacher had observed the deep seeded roots of poverty, launched an initiative called as "unconditional war on poverty". Under this initiative funds from the federal government were utilized for special educational schemes programmed in slum areas. A statutory legislation called as Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was enacted. Under this legislation an Office of Economic Opportunity was set up whose main objective was to provide various methods through which young people from poor sections of the society could receive job training and higher education. Over the coming two-three years the government extensively spend huge amount of money on giving education to young people and making the acquainted with the relevant skills required in jobs.

However, in 1966 midterm elections, the replublications challenged the initiative of "unconditional war on poverty" on the ground of racial injustice faced by minorities. The republications shifted their primary focus on the less popular initiatives. As a result of the challenge raised during the mid term elections, a coalation government between the Republicans and Southern Democrats was formed. Thereafter in the year 1968, Fair Housing Act was passed which banned racial discrimination.

Thus, the domestic reforms brought about by the Great Society took major steps which affected all the sectors in the United States and helped in curbing the social illness of poverty and racial injustices.

Ans 2b) The domino theory developed in America can be described as a Cold War policy which stated that if one country fell into communisim then other neighbouring countries would also follow the same, each of it forming a complete alinged row of Dominos.This theory was used in South-East Asia, wherein the government of the United States of America used this theory to claim its interferance in the Vietnam War and its help for a non-communist dictator in South Vietnam.

Ans 2c) After the world war II ended, Vietnam was deviced into South Vietnam governed by a communist gobvernment and North Vietnam ruled by Ho Chi Minh. In the year 1954, Ho Chi Minh declared the North Vietnam to be a socialist state. According to the Geneva Agreement Vietnam was granted independence from France and elections were proposed to be held in 1956 to decide upon the subject matter that whether Vietnam would remain reunified or shalll remain as it is divided into North Vietman and South Vietman. Ho Chi Minh’s government of the Northern Vietnam attempted to remain neutral but ended up allying itself with communist China. This move of North Vietnam was a conclusive evidence to United States of America that  North Vietnam was communist state and not socialist. SInce the United States of America beleived and followed the Dominio Therory, it feared that if the country of VIetman fell into communism, other neighbouring countries like South East Asia would also fall into communism. As a result of the conclusive prrof that USA had, the United States of America supported the anti-communist South Vietnamese dictator named Ngo Dinh Diem who after allying with USA refused to hold elections in order to unify the country.

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