    One of Mad Mens profoundest political commentary lies within the most controversial happening of the 1960s: the Vietnam War. First, it is noticeable that the characters of Mad Men witness all major historical events through television and radio. This sets an accurate representation of people who really witnessed these events, and also like how we experience them currently as well. Secondly, The events of the Vietnam War are felt by some in the show, such as those who have family enlisted in the army or not at all, like the well-connected upper class). SC&P copywriter Stan Rizzo laments the death of his cousin by donning an army-green coat and bandana, subtly re-enacting several iconic anti-Vietnam War movies such as The Deer Hunter. Meanwhile, Don finds that his neighbor, a doctor, has a son who is about to be arrested for dodging the draft of the Vietnam War. Draper uses his connections to enlist the young man in the Air National Guard. These two opposing stories were based on actual events during the Vietnam War, as many died while the rich and empowered avoided the war. In “Fortunate Son”, an iconic song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, explains that very notion. In the book Bad Moon Rising, the songwriter John Fogarty explains that the song is about “those who would wield their wealth and influence while appealing to the forms of freedom and patriotism, but only so far as their own interests were protected and served”. What both Weiner and Fogarty are both trying to display are the separation of class during the Vietnam; the audience is shown how the middle and lower class are sent off to war while the upper class intends to support the war without actually contributing. Finally, Mad Men remarks on the overall sentiments of Americans towards Vietnam when the ad firm SC&P seeks a deal with Chevrolet. Chevrolet, which was and is currently one of the biggest car companies in America, seems like a nearly impossible task. The firm hires more employees, dedicates more time, and attempts boosts morale to win a losing battle. They agree to send Ken Cosgrove, the most honest and righteous character of the show, to Chevrolet's headquarters in an attempt to persuade the higher-ups. These executives, who are portrayed as reckless and lawless, convince Ken to drink and drive while temporarily covering his vision. Cosgrove is obviously injured after the vent and goes home with a hurt leg, but nobody seems to care. After mending his injuries he is sent back into Detroit, where he accidentally gets shot in the eye during a Chevrolet hunting trip. These ultimately results in Ken going back home to New York. Although Cosgrove finally sees the end his contribution to Chevrolet, he is blinded both physically and emotionally. The effort has injured him to the point where he cannot gauge depth correctly, meaning that aside from vision issues he does not know what is good and bad anymore. The tale of Ken Cosgrove is just one example of how the Vietnam War veterans were treated at the time. Bill Hunt, a Vietnam War veteran and former U.S. Military Advisor, once stated that “Americans acted as though they wanted to blame the soldiers, but couldn't. They adopted a comfortable mindset that somehow Vietnam Veterans were victims of bad government decisions. The opinion that viewers are supposed to see is that Vietnam War veterans were neglected because they reminded Americans about the huge mistake that the war was in the first place. Every aspect of the effect of the Vietnam War in the U.S was shown by Mad Men in the form of the character arcs and story-lines.
