Political, Social, and Economic Issues of 1968

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Political, Social, and Economic Issues of 1968 The United States seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown and going full swing into the Revolution. Assassinations, riots, protests, and war were tearing at the fabric of our society. (Weekend America) Events were crashing against the American population faster and faster causing a year of rage. In 1968, the United States was marred by political warfare, civil rights injustice, and an expanding economy that would not quit. Political warfare was definitely a burden on the United States in 1968. The Vietnam War’s Battle of Saigon added to the animosity. “The communists launched the Tet Offensive, attacking South Vietnam from all sides, largely by undercover Vietcong guerrillas. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA), and VC launched 35 battalions at Saigon. The local forces attacked the Presidential Palace, the National Radio Station, the U.S. embassy and other principal targets. When the Communist’s high command realized that the military objectives were not being met, they halted further attacks. Sporadic fighting continued in Saigon until March 8. Some sections of the city were left badly damaged by the combat and U.S. retaliatory air and artillery strikes. The Chinese district of Cholon suffered with hundreds of civilians killed in the American counter attacks.” (First Battle) “On March 16, 1968, U.S. Army forces conducted a mass murder of hundreds of unarmed citizens in South Vietnam. Lieutenant William Calley Jr., a platoon leader in Charlie Company of Task Force Barker, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering 22 villagers. His company herded hundreds of unarmed villagers into a ditch and shot them to death.” (Miller 65) When the My Lai Massacre became public knowledge, it reduced U.S. support at home for the Vietnam War and created an anti-war movement. The anti-war movement became

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