Summary
Alternative Name(s): Button
This badge was made circa 1969 - 1970 and used in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1969 - 1973. It was worn by donor during anti-Vietnam war and anti-conscription rallies. The raised fist has been an enduring symbol of unity and solidarity. However, the New Left movement of the 1960s, specifically in America, is credited with giving it this new treatment: it appears stylised, isolated, simple, on a plain background. The slogan conveys the the idea that the Vietnam War was motivated by an American desire to build a vast empire.The phrase itself was a ubiquitous one in the anti-Vietnam campaign, but has since been adopted by other movements that criticise American foreign policy. The fact that Laos and Cambodia are mentioned alongside Vietnam refers to the fact that the conflict crossed national borders and the U.S. forces bombed these territories as well when the war peaked in 1968. The donor assembled the collection this badge is part of during his days of student activism at Monash University.
Physical Description
Red badge with black fist in centre and black text at top and bottom perimeters.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
Public Life & Institutions, Clothing & Textiles, Politics & Society
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Mr Ken Norling, 16 Jul 1991
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Place & Date Made
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Place & Date Used
Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1969-1973
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Collector
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Inscriptions
Printed black ink: SMASH U$ IMPERIALISM/Cambodia Laos Vietnam.
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
3.8 cm (Length), 0.5 cm (Height)
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References
Grey, Jeffrey and Doyle, Jeff (1991) "Australia and the Vietnam War: A Select Bibliography," Vietnam Generation: Vol. 3 : No. 2 , Article 11. Available at: [Link 1] Edwards, Peter (2014) Australia and the Vietnam War. Sydney, NewSouth Publishing.
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Keywords
Anti-Conscription Campaigns, Cambodian Civil War, 1967-1975, Conscription, Laotian Civil War, 1953-1975, Vietnam Moratorium, Vietnam War, 1959-1975, Wars & Conflicts, Activism, Political Protests, American Military Forces