United States v. Nixon

The Cover-up

1. Regardless of the outcome, should the President of the United States have a right to privacy in regards to the Oval Office tapes? Explain.
I believe the president of the US should not have a right to privacy in regards to the Oval Office tapes because the tapes were needed as evidence. In normal cases obtaining private information as evidence can be easily done with a warrant but the President felt he was above the Constitution with his executive power. This is not his fault because through the last couple of Presidents it did seem as if the power of the executive branch slowly increased due to certain actions taken by these previous Presidents. Nixon continuously denied having knowledge about the scandal but the question of his intelligence needed to be answered through a reliable source. The tapes would answer the question of "what and when did Nixon know what he admitted to know". Nixon had no right denying the tapes to the judicial branch or the federal government during the investigation especially since it was a national crisis.

2. Was President Nixon justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox? Explain.
President Nixon was not justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox because he was basically abusing his power as President to avoid self-incriminating evidence from being obtained for the case. Nixon offered a summary of the tapes but that is not enough to indict a person for crimes because it is not a reliable source. Archibald Cox wanted the real, hard evidence so the truth can be known to everyone and he vigorously pursued that obtainment of these tapes. Nixon knew there was self-incriminating evidence on the tapes so he refused to issue them to the federal government and asked the Cox be fired because he knew Coz would be persistent in his efforts. In conclusion Cox was fired because Nixon did not want to get caught in his lies. This is unjustified for any person from an average citizen to the President of the US.

3. Was Nixon creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes? Explain.
Nixon was creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes because he was abusing his executive power and broke the law by withholding this evidence in a national court case. Everyone has a right to privacy but some these rights can be denied if it is vital to an ongoing investigation especially since it was a national affair. Through the Watergate scandal revealed that trusted leaders who were supposed to be abiding by the Constitution and taking action in the country's best interest were not doing so. The executive branch had taken on an air of imperial authority over the other branches, making it the most powerful branch or government. Nixon's inner circle also shared his desire for secrecy and the consolidation of power. They believed they were somewhat above the law. It is not possible to be above the law because he Constitution gives everyone equal rights, making no one greater than another, or being above the law allowing them to break the law and not pay consequences. These men believed they could do exactly so but in reality they couldn't and had to be stopped.

Closure

4. Why do you think the American public was so outraged by Watergate?
The American public was so outraged by Watergate because it made the feel as if there trusted leaders were not abiding by the laws as they are supposed. It also made them lose trust for their government because their leaders are supposed to be carrying out actions which are best for the country and setting an example of modesty. They couldn't grasp the idea that their leaders were capable of such things because Nixon abused his executive power and went with what was in his best interest and not the people's.

5. Do you think President Nixon should have resigned? Explain.
I believe President Nixon should've resigned because the tapes clearly proved he was guilty and would be eventually impeached. Even without the tapes the federal government had enough evidence to charge him for crimes such as obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress for refusing to obey congressional subpoena to release the tapes. Nixon clearly violated the law and abused his executive power so he should've resigned without conflict or faced impeachment.

6. Do you think President Nixon should have been prosecuted? Explain.

I believe it would only be just if President Nixon was prosecuted but again it was not in the country's best interest. Nixon's taking part in the scandal already caused great uproar amongst the American public. A trial would be too much to handle. Also because of the scandal the country was in a domestic crisis. If a trial was pursued then it would have caused a global crisis as well. It would ruin the American image, which was already tarnished by the loss in the Vietnam War, to other nations. After the scandal the United States was in a vulnerable position. I believe it was a smart decision to not prosecute Nixon and weaken the country any further.

Watergate: Nixon's Downfall

1. How were the "plumbers" connected to President Nixon?

They were Nixon's inner circle of advisers.

2. Who was the judge? Why did he hand out maximum sentences?
The trial's presiding judge was John Sirica. He handed out maximum sentences because he wanted to prove that no one could be above the law.

3. How were Mitchell and Dean connected to Nixon?
Mitchell was Nixon's former attorney general and resigned to run Nixon's reelection campaign and was director of the Committee to Reelect the President (CPR). Dean was Nixon's presidential counsel. They were highly trusted by Nixon in that he helped direct White House policy and they played a key role in Nixon's 1968 election victory. They also shared in Nixon's need for secrecy and the consolidation of power.

4. How were Haldeman and Erlichman connected to Nixon?
Haldeman was Nixon's White House chief of staff, while Erlichman was Nixon's chief domestic adviser. They also played key roles in Nixon's 1968 election victory and then helped the president direct White House policy. They also shared in Nixon's need for secrecy and the consolidation of power.

5. What did the following men tell the Senate about Nixon?

a. Dean

In late June, Dean testified that the former White House counsel declared the President Nixon had been deeply involved in the cover-up of the break-in of Watergate. He backed this up by declaring that he himself was involved in a meeting in which the president and several adviser discussed strategies for continuing the deceit.

b. Butterfield

Butterfield was Nixon's presidential aide who revealed the Nixon had taped virtually all of his presidential conversations. He later claimed the the taping system was installed "to help Nixon write his memoirs". The Senate used these tapes for the purpose of revealing what Nixon knew and when he knew.

6. Who was fired or forced to resign in the "massacre"?
In the Saturday Night Massacre, Attorney General, Richardson refused to fire Coz and resigned. Then, the deputy attorney general also refused to fire Cox and was fired himself. Next in line, Solicitor General Robert Bork finally fired Cox.

7. Why weren't investigators satisified with the transcripts?
Nixon released edited transcripts of White House conversations about Watergate. Investigators demanded the unedited tapes.

8. What did the tapes reveal?
The tapes contained many gaps including one which contained an 18 1/2- minute gap which was a conversation between President Nixon and H. R. Haldemen. Supposedly it was accidentally erased by President Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods. More importantly one tape dated six days after the Watergate break-in, contained information revealing that the president had known about the role of members of his administration in the burglary and he agreed to the plan to obstruct the FBI's investigation.

9. Why did Vice President Spiro Agnew resign?
Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned after it was revealed that he accepted bribes from engineering firms while being governor of Maryland.

10. What did the House Judiciary Committee charge President Nixon with?
The House Judiciary Committee charged President Nixon with obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress for refusing to obey congressional subpoena to release the tapes.

11. How did the Watergate scandal create a constitutional crisis?

The Watergate scandal revealed that trusted leaders who were supposed to be abiding by the Constitution and taking action in the country's best interest were not doing so. The executive branch had taken on an air of imperial authority over the other branches, making it the most powerful branch or government. Nixon's inner circle also shared his desire for secrecy and the consolidation of power. They believed they were somewhat above the law. It is not possible to be above the law because he Constitution gives everyone equal rights, making no one greater than another, or being above the law allowing them to break the law and not pay consequences. These men believed they could do exactly so but in reality they couldn't and had to be stopped. This is how the Watergate scandal created a constitutional crisis.

Women Fight for Equality

1. Experiences in the workplace

In the 1950s only on out of three women worked for wages but by 1960 the number increased by 40 percent.Still, certain jobs were considered men's work and were shut out from women. This discrimination was largely ignored until President Kennedy called for a Presidential Commission on the Status of Women to be appointed in 1961. In 1963, it reported that women were paid much less than men even while doing the same jobs. Also women were almost never promoted to higher positions. This was regardless of their education, experience, and ability. These newly founded facts informed women about their unequal status in society.

2. Experiences in social activism

When becoming involved in the civil rights and antiwar movements, women began to feel discriminated. Men who usually led the activities, ignored women's protest to being assigned lesser roles. These experiences led to women organizing their own small groups to discuss their concerns. During these meetings, women shared their lives with each other, discovering their experiences were similar. This caused them to reflect on patterns of sexism.

3. "Consciousness raising"
These were sessions when women shared their lives with each other and discovered that their experiences were not unique. This was reflected upon and resulted in the large pattern of sexism.

4. Feminism

The belief that women should have economic, political. and social equality with men. The idea gained momentum in the mid-1800s and in 1920 women won the right to vote. The movement declined in but in the 1960s it was started up again by the political activism of the times.

5. Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique
She helped create the National Organization for Women (NOW) to pursue women's goals. The Feminine Mystique captured the very discontent that many women were feeling. It quickly became a bestseller and helped galvanize women across the country.

6. Civil Rights Act of 1964

This act prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and gender. It also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to handle discrimination claims.

7. National Organization for Women (NOW)
The National Organization for Women pursued women's goals when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would not. NOW members pushed for the creations of child-care facilities helping mothers pursue jobs and education. NoW also pressured the EEOC to enforce better the ban on gender discrimination, prompting them to declare gender segregated job ads illegal and to issue guidelines to employers not allowing them to refuse to hire women. Their membership grew to 1750,000 members.

8. Gloria Steinem and Ms. Magazine
She was a journalist, political activist, and supporter of the women's liberation movement, who made her voice heard on the subjects of feminism and equality. Steinem inherited her passion and conviction from her grandmother who served as president of Ohio Woman's Suffrage Association from 1908-1911. In 1971 Steinem helped to find the National Women's Political Caucus, a group which encouraged women to seek political offices. By 1972 she, with the help of other women, designed a magazine called Ms., created to treat contemporary issues from a feminist perspective.

9. Congress
In 1972 Congress passed a ban on gender discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. This was a part of the Higher Education Act. Also Congress had passed the ERA and by 1983, 24 seats were held by women in Congress

10. Supreme Court

In the case of Rove v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that women have the right to choose an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy.

11. The Equal rights Amendment would have guaranteed equal rights under the law, regardless of gender. Who opposed this amendment? Why?

Conservative Religious Groups, political organizations, and many anti-feminists felt that the ERA would lead to horrible things such as the drafting of women, the end of laws protecting house makers, the end of husband's responsibility to provide for his family, and same-sex marriage.

Why did the USA lose the Vietnam War?

1. US military tactics in Vietnam
The US lost the war in Vietnam because their military tactics were not very efficient. The US military used bombing and the method of search and destroy. The chemical weapons not only hurt soldiers but civilians. Bombing alone couldn't defeat a guerilla army so a policy if search and destroy was created.This policy had many flaws. First raids were often based on inadequate information which easily allowed innocent villages to be mistaken for Viet Cong strongholds. Casualties were extremely high in the raids especially amongst civilians and unexperienced US troops who walked into traps. Finally a major downturn to the tactic of search and destroy was it made US and South Vietnamese troops very disliked by the local people, pushing them towards support for the Viet Cong. Also the military constantly kept replacing experienced soldiers with new ones. This made rookies have to face experienced guerilla fighters on their own soil. (Source 41-44)

2. The unpopularity of the South Vietnamese regime

The South Vietnamese regime quickly began losing support after the war began. Before the war even started Diem's regime, supported by the U.S., was already disliked for their ways. Diem did not respect the Buddhist religion, which most Vietnamese peasants followed. Diem's regime was also very corrupt in that he appointed family or other supporters into powerful positions.He also refused to hold elections. Even though all this occurred, still the US supported him. Even after Diem was thrown out of power and the government which took over was equally corrupt, the US still supported them. Soon the South Vietnamese peasants formed the Viet Cong to rebel. (Source 33, 34)

3. The experience of the Viet Cong and the inexperience of the American soldiers

Viet Cong troops grew up in the area and became well aware of their environment. When the war started they new their surroundings and fought constantly to gain experience. They did not stop fighting unless they had to due to an injury or were killed. American soldiers were constantly being replaced after one year. So once the soldier finally began becoming experienced and could do his job well enough, he was sent home and replaced by fresh meat. Especially because of the US military tactic of search and destroy, inexperienced US troops often walked into traps. (Source 43)

4. Domestic opposition to the war in the U.S.
Media played a large role in the Vietnam War to gain American sympathizers against war. Through pictures and radio and televised broadcasts, people back home could see exactly what was going on. The media depicted the effects of the use of chemical weapons and bombings. They also showed the brutality of the South Vietnamese to innocents civilians. This began affecting Americans at home. Those drafted decided to dodge it and hundreds of students began demonstrations at universities all over the country. Some were deadly like the one at Kent State University. The My Lai Massacre only gained more American sympathy for civilians and caused Americans to become vigorously fighting against further warfare. (Source 47, 49, 50)

5. Chinese and Soviet support for the Viet Cong
The Chinese and Soviets supplied the Viet Cong with an ample amount of weapons. Geographically China surrounds all of Vietnam so the only way for the US to reach North Vietnam was through Vietnam or from the coast. The USSR had nuclear weapons so it wouldn't have been a smart move for the U.S. to attack using nuclear missiles.

6. 'But did they really lose?' Summarize the argument put forward in Source 57, and your view on it.
Source 57 suggests that the American did not really lose in Vietnam. First the US forces did not actually lose any battles and the Tet Offensive was considered to be a major victory. The next argument is that the South Vietnamese lost the war in Vietnam an not the US. The US fought to an agreed stalemate then left the country. The fall of South VIetnam happened two years after the American military left. Also when the fall of South Vietnam occurred it was civilians and Vietnamese military fleeing for their lives and not the American military.

Vietnam War Opposition

1. Note all of the reasons why you feel the war in Vietnam is wrong.

• waste or American money and resources (Tet Offense)
• destruction of ancient cities
• deaths of numerous civilians
• not effective in stopping Domino Theory if we lose

2. Note what you are trying to achieve with this poster. (e.g. to convince people to write to their Congressmen to get the troops out.)

• trying to convince people to NOT support the war

3. List possible images for your poster. Think about: background (e.g. destroyed villages); the central image (e.g. picture of a young soldier); whether you will need words to explain your image.

• Buddhist priests burning themselves
• destroyed communities due to bombings
• pictures from My Lai Massacre
• pictures from the results of the Tet Offensive

4. List some possible slogans for your poster.

• stay calm forget about Vietnam
• war is bad, war makes everyone sad
• don't waste money. war costs millions. think about not only the money but the civilians.

Vietnam War Turning Points

1.

Why was the Tet Offensive a turning

point? Explain your answer.

The Tet Offensive was a turning point because the event raised many questions in America. The US was spending $20 billion dollars a year in the war and put nearly 500,000 troops in Vietnam. This usually would quell opposing forces but the Tet Offensive proved the opposite. This is because the Communists had been able to launch a major offensive that took the US forces by surprise. The Americans began wondering why their effort put into the war was not working. Also the US and South Vietnamese forces were able to quickly regain control of the towns but it required enormous amounts of gun power and air support. In the process it killed many civilians and the ancient city of Hue was destroyed. The Americans began wondering if all this destruction was righteous and worth it.

2.

Are Sources 51 and 52 making the

same point about the My Lai Massacre?

Yes both sources talk about how what happened was what was not intended. Source 51 states that the US soldiers went to Vietnam to do something courageous and not slaughter a whole village of women and children. The source goes on to compare the massacre as something the Nazis would do and states that no one went to Vietnam to be like Nazis. Source 52 clearly states that the US forces were not in My Lai to kill humans. They were there to destroy the idea that these people carried which was Communism.

3. Why do you think it took 12 months for

anyone to do anything about the

massacre?

It took 12 months for

anyone to do anything about the

massacre because the army treated the operation as a success. The initial report stated that only 20 non-combatant, opposed to the real 300 to 400 civilians, were killed by accident and the rest were Viet Cong. The people involved were praised but the soldiers really knew what happened and kept it a secret until 12 months later. 12 months later Ronald Ridenhour claimed he had evidence about what really happened and insisted the government investigate.

4. Why was the massacre so shocking to the American public?

The massacre was so shocking to the American public because it was clear evidence that the war had gone wrong.

The U.S. struggles against the Communist in Vietnam

Stage 2: Thinking it through

Step 3: in each row of column 3, draw some scales to show which way the balance falls for this quality. Did the USA or the Viet Cong have the advantage? The USA

Now think about the overall picture - how the strengths and weaknesses work together.

1a) Were the armies finely balanced or was the balance strongly weighted to one side or the other?
The US with the help of the South Vietnamese greatly outnumbered the Viet Cong forces of 170,000 soldiers.

1b) Which quality was most important in determining who won the war? Was one feature so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter?

Whichever side remained majorly popular amongst the Vietnamese won the war because once the war was over the people would choose a leader who represented a particular form of government, such as a Democracy or Communism. They would choose whichever leader they liked better thus making it a win or loss for Communism. Yes one feature was so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter. This feature was the fact that the Viet Cong used guerilla warfare. Guerilla tactics always kept the US soldiers in constant fear of being ambushed or booby trapped. After an attack the Viet Cong would simply blend in with the local population or go back to their complex tunnel system in the jungles. This made it difficult for US soldiers to pursue and capture them.

Stage 3: Explaining your conclusions
The failure of the U.S. army to beat the Communist in Vietnam was the result of its own weaknesses and Viet Cong strengths.

2. Now write up your answer. Use this structure:
a. The U.S. weaknesses were: limited knowledge of the area, guerilla tactics used against them, search and destroy made them unpopular amongst peasants, continuous replacement of experienced soldiers with unexperienced soldiers

b. At the same time, the Communist strengths were: well supplied the Viet Cong, guerilla tactics, well developed knowledge of area, courteous and respectful of Vietnamese people (gain support)

c. The U.S. forces did have some successes. For example: heavily outnumbered and outgunned Viet Cong, search and destroy, chemical weapons, bombing

d. However, there were some major failures as well. Examples of these were: the My Lai massacre, backlash from bombings (loss of American support), backlash from search and destroy (loss of support from Vietnamese peasants)

e. The Viet Cong had some major successes, such as: Tet Offensive (Enormous amounts of artillery and airpower were used by US), guerilla tactics

f. However, they also suffered defeats, for example: Tet Offensive (Viet Cong lost around 10,000 experienced fighters and were badly weakened by it)

g. If I had to identify one major American weakness, it would be [not knowing how to respond to the Viet Cong's guerilla warfare] because: all responses to the Viet Cong's attacks ended up having some sort of backlash which did not help the Americans cause in gaining support in fighting against Communism. The American used guerilla tactics to a degree but could not use them properly because they could not blend in with the population. Next the Americans used search and destroy but frequently innocent villages were mistaken for Viet Cong strongholds, civilian casualties were high, and these tactics made US and South Vietnamese forces very unpopular with peasants. Bombing were also used but they only slowed down the Communists not defeat them. The final straw was the My Lai massacre which was supposed to be a search and destroy mission that claimed to kill 200 Viet Cong soldiers but in reality it killed 300 to 400 civilians and discovered only 3 weapons.

h. The key Viet Cong strength was [the use of guerilla tactics] because: they surprised Americans who had little knowledge of the area. The US soldiers were always in fear of ambushes or booby traps. The Viet Cong blended in well with the local population and could easily escape into their tunnels in the jungle. The Viet Cong's use of guerilla tactics forced the Americans to use bombs, chemical weapons, and search and destroy. All three of these tactics helped to lose American and Vietnamese support for the US cause in Vietnam.