The Domino theory was a bit of Cold War thinking that suggested that if we didn't stop communism in South East Asia(meaning invade and occupy South Vietnam) communism would spread and take over the world. Believing that "Boris and Natasha" were defeated years ago I hadn't really given the Domino theory much thought until just recently when I caught the President's lecture on history from the scene of the conflict he so wisely avoided.
According to Mr Bush(http://www.cnn.com/...) the lesson to be learned from the Vietnam war is that we will succeed unless we quit. As well as being ungracious, it struck me as a remarkably obtuse remark. The lesson to be learned from the Vietnam war is, as Vizzini says, "never get involved in a land war in Asia", something Mr Bush has apparently forgotten. On Countdown, Keith Olberman's Special Comment was a reply to the President's miunderstanding of history.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/... which led to the following reply from the blogosphere courtesy of Josh Trevino at the Claremont Institute(for the criminally insane?)http://www.claremont.org/... Olberman's comment missed the mark because the Domino theory was correct! The world is turning communist all around us. Laos, Cambodia, Angola, Ethiopia, ,,,,, Nicarauga and Grenada. The combined Grenadine and Nicaraugan armed forces are apparently readying the invasion boats while we stuff our faces with turkey and cranberry sauce. The fall of Laos and Cambodia were tragic events to be sure but caused more by years of western colonialism and exploitation than a pullout of American forces from neighboring Vietnam. Communism is a failure with a limited appeal to those in desparate situations, Czarist Russia, post colonial China and the numerous obscure nations mentioned by Trevino as if they pose a real threat to American security. The fall of the Soviet Union and the shifting to free market economies by those remaining "Communist countries" mark the end of a "Communist" threat. This is not to say there aren't very real threats to American peace and prosperity. The threat of terrorism is real and current but the 9/11 attacks had nothing to do with Iraq. Our invasion of and current occupation of that country had and have absolutely nothing to do with the terror attacks of that awful day in September. The attempted conflation of the two events is just an attempt by the administration and their apologists to justify their folly. The Domino theory was incorrect years ago and is still incorrect today. We left Vietnam and didn't have to fight the Viet Cong in San Diego. We will leave Iraq and not have to fight the Iraqis in Florida. Terrorism is still a threat but staying in Iraq is only exacerbating things.