Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site opus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!houxz!houxm!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hao!cires!nbires!opus!rcd From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.misc Subject: Domino theory Message-ID: <560@opus.UUCP> Date: Wed, 27-Jun-84 02:19:56 EDT Article-I.D.: opus.560 Posted: Wed Jun 27 02:19:56 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 07:33:16 EDT References: <279@cepu.UUCP> <1179@rti.UUCP> Organization: NBI, Boulder Lines: 31 I'd like to play devil's advocate on this one: >recall that the original domino theory was that, if we didn't save Viet Nam >from the communists, that Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and on would go next. > >Check who is running Cambodia (kampuchea) and Laos now. >...[other examples of fall of S.E. Asian countries]... >Tell me again that the 'domino theory' isn't valid. Charlie Martin has a point here. Of course, just because the theory says "A leads to B" and you have one instance of A followed by B you haven't proven the theory. I'd like to pose an alternative theory: We didn't prevent the fall of Viet Nam, but we did, in many cases, make our presence felt in rather obnoxious ways, for many years. Recall also that we didn't come in at the start - we sort of took over for the French. They had been battling Ho Chi Minh & Co. for decades but apparently they finally wanted out of the colony business. Thus the Viet Namese were likely more than a little annoyed with Western troops trying to run their show. They might have been happy to get help from anywhere, including Chinese communists. This attitude could easily spill over into adjoining countries. Is it possible that, had we not been there, they would have been pushing the communists out instead of taking their help (and getting swallowed in the bargain)? As I say, I'm mostly posting this to play devil's advocate; I'd like to hear ideas for/against the domino theory and for/against others of the ilk I've suggested. -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...Cerebus for dictator!