In this unit, Execute, of our Humanities class, Policy, we discussed the Executive Branch of the United States and how it can affect the entire culture of the US. We held a debate, about the Vietnam Veteran's memorial in Washington, DC. We discussed the differences and the scandal between Maya Lin's design and Frederick Hart's design, and how they both came to be built. We also learned about the Presidential Cabinet and how each position came to be, and why they were started. For this Action Project, our goal was to research a war and apply the strategies we learned in our first two classes, rhetoric, and argument, to decide if it was a just war or not and try to convince the audience of our point of view.
In the confusing and tumultuous times after the end of WWII, many countries previously occupied by Axis powers found themselves suddenly freed and sometimes split between Allied powers which were meant to be a temporary help to get them back on their feet. After Japan surrendered, marking the end of WWII, Korea was freed and split between the United States and the Soviet Union. Trying to spread democracy, the US helped set up Korea’s first national elections in 1948, which the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which we now know as North Korea, refused to participate in. Supported by the Soviet Union and the newly Communist China, North Korea became communist. And, in late 1949, with the financial support of China and the USSR, North Korea invaded The Republic of Korea, what we know of as South Korea. An emergency meeting of the United Nations was called, asking for countries to financially support South Korea’s military efforts against the North. Before any peace talks were attempted, President Truman ordered General MacArthur, famous for his efforts in the Pacific Theater during WWII, to evacuate any American citizens from Korea and attack. While, publically, Truman announced that this was to protect Democracy around the world and stop the spread of communism, there is a lot of evidence that this was really meant to assert our force on China, the Soviet, and the dozens of other countries in eastern Europe and South Asia that were becoming Communist.
With the start of the Cold War in 1949, when China became communist with support from the Soviet Union, panic surrounding communism and its spread became rampant in the United States, very similar to the Red Scare of the 1920s. After World War II, along with many other countries occupied by Axis powers, Korea was liberated from Japan and split between the United States and the Soviet Union along the 38th parallel. In 1948, Korea held its first election, which established the Republic of Korea. Unfortunately, the north refused to participate, establishing a precedent of separating from the south. In early 1950, when the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (PDRK, North Korea) invaded the Republic of Korea (ROK, South Korea), causing Truman to direct General MacArthur to help evacuate any American citizens from Korea and to assist the ROK in defending itself. Rare at the time, Congress never officially declared war against North Korea, China, or the Soviet Union. After North Korea, with the assistance and funding of the Soviet Union and China, invaded the South, the UN called an emergency summit asking for countries to assist South Korea, resulting in President Truman’s appointment of General MacArthur and Britain’s subsequent sending of 100,000 troops.
Truman followed a close policy of brinkmanship. Established by Eisenhower as the Leader of NATO, it was the strategy to threaten communist countries like the Soviet and China to hopefully stop them from causing any more countries to become communist. His plan was to stop the spread of communism before it was established in many of the smaller south-Asian and eastern-European countries that we saw gaining independence after WWII. This policy was not only enacted overseas, however, with a large rise in the number of home raids, criminal cases, and trials of suspected Communists in the United States. One of the most controversial cases was that of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were put on trial for Communism, and sentenced to death at the electric chair in 1953. Even if they were communist, which was never proved, no person should be put to death for differing political views.
Truman’s 1950 Executive Order 10238, which established the Defense Production Administration, proves his intentions of war before he officially sent General MacArthur as the US’s sign of war. This administration was meant to oversee and support the production of weapons, uniforms, and other necessary supplies during wartime mobilization. 1951’s Supreme Court decision of Denis V. United States stated that Communists’ or suspected Communists’ Freedom of Speech rights could be restricted because “their actions presented a clear and present danger to the government.” One question that ran through many’s minds was: is the president fighting for Korea, or against it? Though publically, the stated reason for the violence was to protect South Korea, the military tactics used were often against citizens of North Korea, not just the military, and there was a lot of friendly fire against South Koreans. In fact, over 1,000,000 South Korean civilians were killed over just the 4 years of fighting. “That's still the evidence to show it was an evil war – it was imperialism … if it was not a war of invasion, why did they bomb our bridge?” said Xiang Chaoshan, a Chinese veteran of the Korean War.
It was very unconstitutional to persecute people of a certain political view. As stated in the First Amendment of the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Though the Espionage Act of 1917 was still in place, and freedom of speech was restricted when the speech could be believed to be a “clear and present danger” to the United States, simply having a differing political view from the government is not a danger to the US, its government, or its people. Also unconstitutional was President Truman’s ordering of General MacArthur and the US military to fight in Korea. As stated in Article I, Section 8, Congress has the power to declare war. Though the president is the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, he only takes control of military operations after a war has been declared. This order by Truman has created a dangerous precedent, one that many presidents have taken advantage of since. Since World War II, not one war has been declared. This means that, technically, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Gulf Wars are not wars, simply military action by the president, which is illegal if the conflict lasted more than 60 days, which all of these did.
The Korean War has had a very intense and lasting effect on, not only North and South Korea but on the world. In fact, just this year, President Moon-Jae In and Leader Kim Jong-Un have brought up the ideas of peace talks, as they have been at odds ever since. North Korea is one of the only countries that are not part of the United Nations, their leaders are dictators and their citizens are mistreated. So, clearly, the war and its killing of over 1,500,000 Korean people did nothing to help North Korea.
Works Cited
Branigan, Tania. “Korean War: 'There's Still the Evidence to Show It Was American Imperialism'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 June 2010.
“Britain's Forgotten War.” BBC News, BBC, 20 Apr. 2001.
“Korean War Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 May 2018.
Millett, Allan R. “Korean War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 May 2018.
“Red Scare.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010.
“The 1950s.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010.
In the confusing and tumultuous times after the end of WWII, many countries previously occupied by Axis powers found themselves suddenly freed and sometimes split between Allied powers which were meant to be a temporary help to get them back on their feet. After Japan surrendered, marking the end of WWII, Korea was freed and split between the United States and the Soviet Union. Trying to spread democracy, the US helped set up Korea’s first national elections in 1948, which the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which we now know as North Korea, refused to participate in. Supported by the Soviet Union and the newly Communist China, North Korea became communist. And, in late 1949, with the financial support of China and the USSR, North Korea invaded The Republic of Korea, what we know of as South Korea. An emergency meeting of the United Nations was called, asking for countries to financially support South Korea’s military efforts against the North. Before any peace talks were attempted, President Truman ordered General MacArthur, famous for his efforts in the Pacific Theater during WWII, to evacuate any American citizens from Korea and attack. While, publically, Truman announced that this was to protect Democracy around the world and stop the spread of communism, there is a lot of evidence that this was really meant to assert our force on China, the Soviet, and the dozens of other countries in eastern Europe and South Asia that were becoming Communist.
With the start of the Cold War in 1949, when China became communist with support from the Soviet Union, panic surrounding communism and its spread became rampant in the United States, very similar to the Red Scare of the 1920s. After World War II, along with many other countries occupied by Axis powers, Korea was liberated from Japan and split between the United States and the Soviet Union along the 38th parallel. In 1948, Korea held its first election, which established the Republic of Korea. Unfortunately, the north refused to participate, establishing a precedent of separating from the south. In early 1950, when the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (PDRK, North Korea) invaded the Republic of Korea (ROK, South Korea), causing Truman to direct General MacArthur to help evacuate any American citizens from Korea and to assist the ROK in defending itself. Rare at the time, Congress never officially declared war against North Korea, China, or the Soviet Union. After North Korea, with the assistance and funding of the Soviet Union and China, invaded the South, the UN called an emergency summit asking for countries to assist South Korea, resulting in President Truman’s appointment of General MacArthur and Britain’s subsequent sending of 100,000 troops.
Truman followed a close policy of brinkmanship. Established by Eisenhower as the Leader of NATO, it was the strategy to threaten communist countries like the Soviet and China to hopefully stop them from causing any more countries to become communist. His plan was to stop the spread of communism before it was established in many of the smaller south-Asian and eastern-European countries that we saw gaining independence after WWII. This policy was not only enacted overseas, however, with a large rise in the number of home raids, criminal cases, and trials of suspected Communists in the United States. One of the most controversial cases was that of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were put on trial for Communism, and sentenced to death at the electric chair in 1953. Even if they were communist, which was never proved, no person should be put to death for differing political views.
Truman’s 1950 Executive Order 10238, which established the Defense Production Administration, proves his intentions of war before he officially sent General MacArthur as the US’s sign of war. This administration was meant to oversee and support the production of weapons, uniforms, and other necessary supplies during wartime mobilization. 1951’s Supreme Court decision of Denis V. United States stated that Communists’ or suspected Communists’ Freedom of Speech rights could be restricted because “their actions presented a clear and present danger to the government.” One question that ran through many’s minds was: is the president fighting for Korea, or against it? Though publically, the stated reason for the violence was to protect South Korea, the military tactics used were often against citizens of North Korea, not just the military, and there was a lot of friendly fire against South Koreans. In fact, over 1,000,000 South Korean civilians were killed over just the 4 years of fighting. “That's still the evidence to show it was an evil war – it was imperialism … if it was not a war of invasion, why did they bomb our bridge?” said Xiang Chaoshan, a Chinese veteran of the Korean War.
It was very unconstitutional to persecute people of a certain political view. As stated in the First Amendment of the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Though the Espionage Act of 1917 was still in place, and freedom of speech was restricted when the speech could be believed to be a “clear and present danger” to the United States, simply having a differing political view from the government is not a danger to the US, its government, or its people. Also unconstitutional was President Truman’s ordering of General MacArthur and the US military to fight in Korea. As stated in Article I, Section 8, Congress has the power to declare war. Though the president is the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, he only takes control of military operations after a war has been declared. This order by Truman has created a dangerous precedent, one that many presidents have taken advantage of since. Since World War II, not one war has been declared. This means that, technically, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Gulf Wars are not wars, simply military action by the president, which is illegal if the conflict lasted more than 60 days, which all of these did.
The Korean War has had a very intense and lasting effect on, not only North and South Korea but on the world. In fact, just this year, President Moon-Jae In and Leader Kim Jong-Un have brought up the ideas of peace talks, as they have been at odds ever since. North Korea is one of the only countries that are not part of the United Nations, their leaders are dictators and their citizens are mistreated. So, clearly, the war and its killing of over 1,500,000 Korean people did nothing to help North Korea.
 |
| Korean War Refugee, RV Spencer, Haengju, Korea (1951) |
Works Cited
Branigan, Tania. “Korean War: 'There's Still the Evidence to Show It Was American Imperialism'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 June 2010.
“Britain's Forgotten War.” BBC News, BBC, 20 Apr. 2001.
“Korean War Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 May 2018.
Millett, Allan R. “Korean War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 May 2018.
“Red Scare.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010.
“The 1950s.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010.
Comments
Post a Comment