Canada's Role in the Vietnam War Essay Example

While Canada and the United States have long been allies in their beliefs of the importance of democracy and the dangers of Communism, their strategies of maintaining democracy and preventing the spread of Communism sometimes differs. In general, Canada seems to take the more humane approach playing the peacekeeper, while the United States often takes the more aggressive approach sometimes even involving military action. In reality, however, Canada can at times forgo their reputation of humaneness choosing instead to appease the United States. Canada’s involvement in the Vietnam war is a great example of this. As well as welcoming 30,000 draft dodgers into Canada during the war and thousands of refugees after the war, Canada also allowed the Americans to test Agent Orange on Canadian soil, supporting this aggressive action. 

Draft dodgers. This is a subject that remains controversial to this day. Americans still wonder why Canada permitted the immigration of roughly 30,000 draft dodgers to Canada. It is not like the Canadian government itself opposed the war as about 30,000 Canadian men joined America in the fight against Vietnam. While there are still varying opinions about what prompted Canada to make this decision, I believe it was because Canada prides itself on being a free and just country that this decision was made. Canada believes in the freedom of choice. The freedom to have your own morals and live by them openly so long as they do not endanger public safety. It would be hypocritical of them to conflict these beliefs by preventing draft dodgers from seeking refuge in Canada. Canada had a reputation to uphold and was not about to have it damaged. After all, preventing civilians from exercising their freedom of belief was one of the things that Canada was securing in the war in the first place!  To prevent civilians from exercising these freedoms is the basis of Communism!

Canada did not only demonstrate their humanity during the war but also after. Following the end of the Vietnam War, Canada welcomed over 120,000 Vietnamese refugees into the country between 1975 and 1980. Whether this was out of the kindness of Canada’s heart is questionable however. While Canada obviously is not heartless, the number of refugees welcomed into the country proved to be Canada’s greatest humanitarian undertaking up to that point. I certainly believe that Canada would have permitted the landing of Vietnamese refugees on Canadian soil regardless, however it was the pressure of the Canadian population on the government that made them welcome so many refugees into Canada. The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial wars to this date. Many Canadians believed and still believe that this war should never have happened and that Canada certainly shouldn’t have aided the United States in it. Therefore, I believe that Canada participated in such a large humanitarian effort partly to save face and partly as a result of public pressure.

Despite these demonstrations of Canada’s humanity, however, the Canadian government made a big mistake. For a few days in 1966 and 1967, Canada allowed the United States to test their Agent Orange -- a chemical herbicide -- in New Brunswick. During the war, Agent Orange along with other herbicides was used to destroy vast areas of Northern Vietnam's vegetation, ruining forests and crops. The effects of these herbicides remain today.  Many innocent Vietnamese citizens were deeply affected by this act of aggression as many of their crops were ruined leaving them without a source of income. In the years that passed, sicknesses borne from exposure to these herbicides killed citizens as well. It does not matter if Canada did not directly help create this herbicide. The fact that the Canadian Government allowed for it to be tested on Canadian soil makes them involved in this act of cruelty as well. As can be seen above, while Canada tries to cast itself as a just and humane nation, it is not always. I think in the case of Agent Orange, Canada was too afraid of upsetting the United States by refusing to cooperate in their development of Agent Orange to refuse testing on Canadian soil. Being America's ally in this conflict, Canada passively agreed to the demands of America, turning a blind eye to Agent Orange's devastating consequences, not wanting to stir the pot. 

In conclusion, while throughout history Canada had typically taken the stance of the humanitarian during conflicts, it at times gives in to the demands and pressures of their allied countries and can act aggressively or cruelly. This can be seen in the Vietnam war as while Canada welcomed roughly 30,000 draft dodgers into Canada, and permitted the landing of 120,000 Vietnamese refugees to Canada directly after the war, Canada also helped Americans in the testing of Agent Orange. A devastating chemical herbicide that had consequences on Vietnam to this day. There are certainly times when Canada can be, might I say it, a pushover.