President Lyndon B Johnson

Discussion Post 7

President Lyndon B Johnson was a visionary leader. After the assassination of President J.F Kennedy, he swore to see through the work that JFK has already started. He envisioned a Great Society free from illiteracy, discrimination, and poverty. President Johnson’s made most of his achievements during the 89th Congress. The Congress was seen as one of the productive in the American history since it managed to change about 200 laws. Liberalism was high in his era. He managed to launch Medicare and Medicaid that was meant to offset health care costs for the elderlies; civil rights protection such as the Voting Right Act banning discriminatory practices that denied African Americans right to vote; Elementary and Secondary Act which offered funding to American public schools; Immigration Act that saw the end of the whites-only immigration policy; food stamps; consumer safety; urban renewal; Wilderness Protection Act to save forest land from human encroachment; National Endowment Act that offered funding to community action groups such as artists; and the prime one being the Economic Opportunity Act that was aimed at eliminating poverty in America.

These Acts among others flourished well since President Johnson had good connections in the Congress in additional to his forceful personality that he used to pass most of his agendas. However, Johnson diverted his commitment to Vietnam. The events in Vietnam overshadowed the Great Society he had envisioned. Johnson started directing funds that were meant for domestic achievements to the war in Vietnam. He spent many funds on the Vietnam War and achieving the dreams of a Great Society was already doomed. As a result, he found himself entangled between the liberals and the conservatives for engaging in the Vietnam War and his domestic policies. He was forced to withdraw from the Vietnam War unwillingly. Additionally, he faced the accusation that he had saddled America with massive debts.