"Masters of War"- Analyzing Bob Dylan's Rhetorical Message

            “Masters of War,” written by Bob Dylan in 1962-1963, targeted the United States government regarding the Vietnam and Cold Wars. He chastised the leaders of the United States for misleading the American citizens into believing that we, as a nation, could actually win a world war. Additionally, Dylan called out the leaders in Washington, claiming that they constantly pushed for war, as long as they did not have to do the fighting. These politicians “hid behind their desks… fastening the trigger, for others to fire” as they sent unsuspecting, young men into combat.

            When reviewing history, it is obvious that both the Cold War and the Vietnam War actually happened. The Cold War resulted from the tense relationship between the US and USSR regarding communism, eventually leading to a competition in multiple areas, including space travel and weapon build-up. The Cold War raged on, from the end of World War II up until the fall of the Soviet Union, never resulting in actual combat. On the other hand, the United States actually sent soldiers to help the South Vietnam defeat the northern, Communist Viet Minh party and southern Viet Cong regime. The conflict lasted from 1954 up until 1973, with more than three million casualties, half of which were civilian deaths. The United States became involved with the Vietnam War in an attempt to contain Communism and prevent the Viet Minh from gaining control of the entire country.

            In accordance with Dylan’s message, it seems that both the Cold War and Vietnam War did not have any value nor did they improve the quality of life in the United States. In fact, the Cold War led to the Red Scare, which initiated a sense of anxiety throughout the country. Additionally, when

considering the fact that over 500,000 Americans died during Vietnam, it is pretty clear that the conflict had no positive effects. Bob Dylan mentioned his belief that the American government basically wasted lives and money in “Masters of War” through the lyrics, “Let me ask you one question: Is your money that good? Will it buy you forgiveness? Do you think that it could?”

            Although both the Vietnam War and Cold War already happened, we can still learn from our country’s past mistakes. In “Masters of War,” Dylan asserted that we must actively prevent conflicts such as these from ever reoccurring. He stressed this point through the lyrics, “And I’ll watch while you’re lowered, down to your deathbed, and I’ll stand o’er your grave, ’Til I’m sure that you’re dead,” hoping for the death of the violence that plagued our country at that time.