The subtext of this kind of journalism, which collectively composed much of the reporting from Vietnam, was intensely suggestive. It involved a rather overt reinvigoration of the American hero ideal: an honest and courageous everyman doing good work for a higher purpose. To punctuate this point, hero stories were sometimes peppered with human interest stories regarding the comfort and assistance Americans provided the South Vietnamese, who were often portrayed as helpless victims of the communists. By shifting the focus to the experiences and heroism of soldiers, by relegating "news" to feelings and opinions of Americans, journalism abdicated all responsibility to provide meaningful discussion of policy or strategy. There was no context, there was no broad perspective (with the exception of the relentless references to the "domino theory"), and the fragmentary nature of coverage gave the illusion of progress while avoiding significant discussion of progress. Part of this was a likely result of reporting a war of attrition, a war with no fronts, a war being fought against an "invading" army and an insurgent force that blended with civilians. But the difficulty of reporting Vietnam did not absolve journalism of its responsibilities. Thus, while American pilots were doubtlessly brave and talented, reportage did not meaningfully address civilian casualties, the destruction of homes and property, or the environmental degradation.