By 1965, after the U.S. has been fighting a covert war, president Lyndon B. Johnson attempts to explain to his fellow Americans why America needs to go to war. He claims that it is somehow the U.S.'s duty to ensure world peace. He even admits to communism being the real enemy here. He states in his speech in 1965 that:
"The confused nature of this conflict cannot mask the fact that it is the new face of an old enemy."
President Johnson goes on to explain that because the U.S. went ahead and involved ourselves in Vietnam's dispute with the French, that we somehow had an obligation to South Vietnam.
"Why are we in south Vietnam? We are there because we have a promise to keep. Since 1954 every American president has offered support to the people of South Viet-Nam. We have helped to build , and we have helped to defend. Thus, over many years, we have made a national pledge to help South Viet-Nam defend It's independence."
To the American people the U.S. was acting bravely and selflessly. In actuality, the U.S. were sticking their nose where it didn't belong for both economic incentives and political dominance over weak nations. By this point the U.S. seemed to pose a bigger threat of expansion than the communism in many ways.
But was the threat of communism really so severe ? Or was it blown out of proportion in order to gain support from the American people?