The Domino Theory Essay Research Paper In — страница 4

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did.” McNamara was in favor of escalating the Vietnam War in 1964, but he realized that what the US was fighting for was not in the best interest of the people of Vietnam. The war was now over and it had resulted in the reunified, Communist Vietnam that Hanoi had desired and the US had fought so hard against. But, Vietnam had not become the agent of Soviet and Chinese Communism that Washington had feared. Communism in Indochina had not toppled the dominoes of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries as predicted. Moreover, the United States lost the war and lives of thousands without realizing the true goals of the war. Tran Quang Co, a former First deputy Foreign Minister in Vietnam, pointed out during McNamara’s visit that “the nature of the struggle was

not to undermine neighboring countries.” Co added, “The US failed to understand the objective of our war. It was for our own national liberation and reunification.” This negates America’s purpose for entering the war and stopping the spread of Communism. The North Vietnamese were fighting for nationalism, not for the sake of the Communist superpowers. In addition, Co pointed out what is now obvious since the demise of the Soviet Union: Vietnam was not a tool of world Communism. The domino theory was a false assumption and taught the United States a great lesson in foreign diplomacy. Vietnam was fighting for the same things the US fought for in the 1770’s. To simplify an issue, people’s basic instincts are to want freedom and independence. In Vietnam, that was all they

wanted. If that was what the people of Vietnam wanted then they should have been able to decide that for themselves. It was not up to the United States or any other country to choose Vietnam’s future for them. This is what the United States did not understand. They also did not understand that an independent Vietnam meant freedom for millions of people, which is what the US should want for all people, not the spread of Communism throughout the world.