War is hypocritical because men of “honor” tend to act out in unhonorable ways

War is hypocritical because men of “honor” tend to act out in unhonorable ways. The US military is supposed to be fighting in the Vietnam war to protect South Vietnam from communism. It is hypocritical that the US is in Saigon to protect them since their doing just the opposite. In the jungle they are defending the people of South Vietnam, while in the streets these men are violating the people they are supposed to be protecting. In the painting above right in the center is a figure of a woman who has the phrase “innocent virgin” written across her chest. At a closer look her hands are tied together because she feels trapped in this war. Attached to her on each side of the photo are two women, one that says “her mother”, and one that says “her sister”. Each of those women are tied and pinned to trees as well. There was no way out of the war since it had emerged from the jungle and into the town. Many innocent citizens were upset by the way war had affected them and their families. While these women are being raped, the troops committing the felony are enjoying a nice bottle of coke and listening to some music. The men don’t see the significance in what they are doing to these women. It is extremely deceptive because it shows how these men who are well respected and looked up upon are doing some of the most appalling things. In the bottom left corner there are words written that say, “white boys torturing and raping the people of saigon”, and in the bottom right corner it states, “high class version”. When Peter Saul includes these two phrases in his painting I feel he is suggesting that the white people feel superior to the vietnamese because they are from the high class. The white men being people of the military. Since they are from a higher class they believe that they have the ability to torture and rape women like it is no big deal. These were real women, not guns or weapons that are meant to be used and taken advantage of, these were real women.

"Saigon." Whitney Museum of American Art: Peter Saul:. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.