Communism Bad, Freedom Good
- Let's begin with some patriotic talk of peace, shall we? Tonkin Gulf Resolution begins with the assertion that America wants international peace.
- Right now, it's focusing on Southeast Asia.
- The second paragraph tells us about the threat to that peace. Communist Vietnam (that'd be the North part) has "deliberately and repeatedly" (2) fired upon U.S. ships.
- Oh, and by the way, those ships they fired at? They were there legally.
- Paragraph three puts this attack into perspective in the larger picture. North Vietnam, Congress claims, is waging a "campaign of aggression" (3) against other nations in the region.
- Next, how the U.S. fits into this picture.
- America has been attacked, and America wants to protect non-communist countries. So paragraph four says that the U.S. will support countries against North Vietnam and wants to create peace.
- Important Note Alert: the Resolution says specifically that the United States is not after land or political gain. No ulterior motives, in other words.
- Here's the big part, the key point, the "blank check."
- The whole Congress, Senate and House of Representatives, agree with and support the president to do whatever it takes "to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression" (5).
- Put simply, Congress gives the President permission to wage war.