Summary Of The Ugly American

After the end of the World War II, United States faced a strong enemy the communist. It was not the first time that United States fought against communist, but it was stronger than ever before. The war against it was different than anything United States had faced before, and it is called the Cold War. The Cold War was a scientific, social, and armed competition between United States and the Soviet Union. One important region for this war was southeast Asia which both countries, the United States, and the Soviet Union, tried to take control. The book the Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick narrates the situation in southeast Asia specifically in Vietnam and Sharkan, an imaginary country which is deciding between a communist

In the book the Ugly American the authors concentrate in Sharkan, and Vietnam where the United States and the Soviet Union compete helping the countries to gain control of them. American help goes directly to the government, or they usually make big projects like dams or roads. Citizens of the region did not like them very much because many times it is not what they need. In the other hand Soviets learn from the culture and the society of the people to find a better way to help them. In the book United States government do not care about the people of the region, they only want a good image in the global press. People in the region realize the true intentions of both the United States and the Soviet Union. Instead to help any side, the citizens want soviets and Americans out of their

Eisenhower and many experts thought that the fall of a country like Vietnam or Burma would lead to a “domino effect,” and every country in the region would become communist. To prevent it, United States started to reinforce many countries of southeast Asia. In a press conference president Eisenhower explain the principal reasons to protect south east Asia. The “specific reason” as he called it was the natural resources that the region produce like tin, tungsten, and rubber. And the “general reason” was that United States would not allow more loses of people to the communism. He also explained that the importance of this location which is military and economically important for countries like Japan, and the Philippines, but it was not the whole true. The demand of the natural resources produced in the area was not as high as in times of war, but the location was perfect for the plans of the pentagon. After the war, United states place many military bases through the world to have tactical flexibility for a possible war with Soviets or China, and southeast Asia was crucial for United States’ naval and air offensive. Consequently, United States send all the help that the countries needed, and this strategy worked very well. at this point United States had advantage over the enemy until the soviets understood what they were doing