The Vietnam War Song
This song, performed at Woodstock, was in protest to the Vietnam War. While it sarcastically supports the war, the theme is obviously the absurdity of fighting the Vietcong. It catalogs the fact that so many young men are dying for the war effort, the fact that generals don’t want peace because they want to be heroes, the fact Wall Street has huge financial interest in the war, and even the fact that many are being forced to quit educating themselves to take up the war effort.
All of these themes are contrary to the interest of the individual. Like all wars, Vietnam was an unpleasant experience for those that died there. But even those that lived saw no real benefit from it. Certain companies were able to extract great wealth, but for the average person Vietnam marked a gap in their education; as they couldn’t expose themselves to much literature on the front. This song even shows that many who fought in the war were uninterested in the cause of fighting Communism. This meant that the American Systems hatred of Communists didn't apply to everyone. Even if one dislikes the war, they're not immune to the draft.. This is clearly another way in which the American government ignores and puts a stop to rebellious ideas. They do not care whether or not the drafted want to fight. Rebellion is made into a non-option. It matters not whether a soldier cares about the cause of the war.
As movements like Woodstock grew, these people who protested America' policy became more well-known, but they did not become more accepted. A strong movement arose, which put pressure on the reformers to conform instead.
All of these themes are contrary to the interest of the individual. Like all wars, Vietnam was an unpleasant experience for those that died there. But even those that lived saw no real benefit from it. Certain companies were able to extract great wealth, but for the average person Vietnam marked a gap in their education; as they couldn’t expose themselves to much literature on the front. This song even shows that many who fought in the war were uninterested in the cause of fighting Communism. This meant that the American Systems hatred of Communists didn't apply to everyone. Even if one dislikes the war, they're not immune to the draft.. This is clearly another way in which the American government ignores and puts a stop to rebellious ideas. They do not care whether or not the drafted want to fight. Rebellion is made into a non-option. It matters not whether a soldier cares about the cause of the war.
As movements like Woodstock grew, these people who protested America' policy became more well-known, but they did not become more accepted. A strong movement arose, which put pressure on the reformers to conform instead.