The Failure of the Vietnam War essays

The Failure of the Vietnam War essays The struggle in Vietnam failed for many reasons. Many historians agree on the fact that many of the troubles began in Washington for lack of a clear plan of action. The war became more problematic when American troops were not prepared for the tactics and the determination of the North Vietnamese. In addition, as the war dragged on without any success or end in sight, the American public reacted with a fury that could not be As with all wars, the intention for an American presence in South Vietnam was to prevent the spread of Communism. While many believed the war was wrong in that it promoted imperialism, others believed that the war was an opportunity to restore law and order. While many things were unclear about the war, the one thing that did seem clear was the fact that America could not keep the war at arm's length any longer. Support and aid were not going to be enough and when the American presence was felt, things Things in Washington became worse when Johnson's Secretary of Defense, John McNamara became uncomfortable with how things were unfolding in Vietnam. The president halted bombing for a short period of time in 1968 but those efforts were practically useless. The public was becoming outraged at the worsening situation while Johnson's advisors were urging him to send more troops to the area. He was torn with no clear answer. As a result, his popularity fell. Karnow claims, "The country's trust in his authority had evaporated. His credibilitythe key to a president's capacity to governwas gone" (Cooper 546). Johnson was not just facing a negative reaction from the public, he was facing failure in Vietnam, which ultimately meant failure in the next election. The pressure was so heavy that Johnson decided not to run for reelection. The bombing of North Vietnam was not nearly as successful as many had ...

Horseshoe Crabs, Ancient Arthropods That Saves Lives

Horseshoe Crabs, Ancient Arthropods That Saves Lives Horseshoe crabs are often called living fossils. These primitive arthropods have lived on earth for 360 million years, largely in the same form as they appear today. Despite their long history, the horseshoe crabs existence is now threatened by human activities, including harvesting for medical research. How Horseshoe Crabs Save Lives Any time a foreign object or substance enters the human body, theres a risk of introducing infection. If youve had a vaccination, an intravenous treatment, a surgery of any kind, or had a medical device implanted in your body, you owe your very survival to the horseshoe crab. Horseshoe crabs have copper-rich blood that appears to be striking blue in color. Proteins in the horseshoe crabs blood cells are released in response to even the smallest amount of bacterial endotoxin, such as E. coli. The presence of bacteria causes horseshoe crab blood to clot or gel, part of its hypersensitive immune response system. In the 1960s, two researchers, Frederick Bang and Jack Levin, developed a method of using these coagulation factors to test for contamination of medical devices. By the 1970s, their Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test was being used commercially to make sure everything from scalpels to artificial hips is safe for introduction in the human body. While such testing is crucial to safe medical treatments, the practice takes a toll on horseshoe crab populations. Horseshoe crab blood is in high demand, and the medical testing industry catches as many as 500,000 horseshoe crabs each year to drain them of their blood. The crabs arent killed outright in the process; theyre caught, bled, and released. But biologists suspect the stress results in a percentage of the released horseshoe crabs dying once back in the water. The International Union on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources lists the Atlantic horseshoe crab as vulnerable, just one category below endangered in the extinction risk scale. Fortunately, management practices are in place now to protect the species. Is a Horseshoe Crab Really a Crab? Horseshoe crabs are marine arthropods, but they arent crustaceans. Theyre more closely related to spiders and ticks than they are to true crabs. Horseshoe crabs belong to the Chelicerata, along with arachnids (spiders, scorpions, and ticks) and sea spiders. These arthropods all possess special appendages near their mouthparts called chelicerae.  Horseshoe crabs use their chelicerae to put food in their mouths. Within the animal kingdom, horseshoe crabs are classified as follows: Kingdom – Animalia (animals)Phylum – Arthropoda (arthropods)Subphylum – Chelicerata (chelicerates)Class – XiphosuraOrder – XiphosuridaFamily – Limulidae (horseshoe crabs) There are four living species in the horseshoe crab family. Three species, Tachypleus tridentatus, Tachypleus gigas, and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, live only in Asia. The Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) lives in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of North America. What Do Horseshoe Crabs Look Like? The Atlantic horseshoe crab is named for its horseshoe-shaped shell, which helps protect it from predators. Horseshoe crabs are brown in color, and grow as large as 24 inches long at maturity. Females are considerably larger than males. Like all arthropods, horseshoe crabs grow by molting their exoskeletons. People often believe the horseshoe crabs spine-like tail is a stinger, but its actually no such thing. The tail functions as a rudder, helping the horseshoe crab navigate the bottom. If a wave washes the horseshoe crab ashore on its back, it will use its tail to right itself. Never lift a horseshoe crab by its tail. The tail is attached by a joint that works similar to a human hip socket. When dangled by its tail, the weight of the horseshoe crabs body can cause the tail to become dislocated, leaving the crab helpless the next time its overturned. On the underside of the shell, horseshoe crabs have a pair of chelicerae and five pairs of legs. In males, the first pair of legs is modified as claspers, for holding the female during mating. Horseshoe crabs breathe using book gills. Why Are Horseshoe Crabs Important? In addition to their value in medical research, horseshoe crabs fill important ecological roles. Their smooth, wide shells provide the perfect substrate for many other marine organisms to live on. As it moves along the oceans bottom, a horseshoe crab may be carrying mussels, barnacles, tube worms, sea lettuce, sponges, and even oysters. Horseshoe crabs deposit their eggs by the thousands along sandy shorelines, and many migratory shorebirds, including red knots, rely on these eggs as a source of fuel during their long flights. Sources: Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus), University of Rhode Island, Environmental Data Center. Accessed online July 26, 2017.The Horseshoe Crab and Public Health, The Horseshoe Crab website, Ecological Research Development Group (ERDG). Accessed online July 26, 2017.Limulus polyphemus, IUCN Red List. Accessed online July 26, 2017.Project Limulus, Sacred Heart University website. Accessed online July 26, 2017.The Blood of the Crab, by Caren Chesler, Popular Mechanics, April 13, 2017. essed online July 26, 2017.