Have there ever been instances where domino theory has actually worked?

[La_Serpiente]

The people who supported the Vietnam war claimed that it was to stop the communist expansion into South East Asia. They felt that if Vietnam fell to the Soviets, the rest of the countries in the region would fall in line and there would be a Communist South East Asia. This idea was known as domino theory.

Now, PNAC claims that taking over Iraq and making it a model Arab Democracy would make the region overall a better place. One could also argue that this is a domino theory as well.

I think PNAC is just a greedy bunch of oil corrupt bastards hellbent on an American imperial empire. But looking at the proposals of PNAC at face value, what I stated above is what they are advocating.

Are there any instances where domino theory has actually been proved as a useful tool? I can't recall any time it has.

[Gore1FL]

1. You mean other than when playing Dominos?

n/t

[rman]

2. doesn't the domino theory require other domino pieces..

..in position ready to fall when the one piece you'r manipulating goes?

PNAC's focus seems to be on the one piece they'r now manipulating, they don't make a case for the presence of other piece ready to fall.

Moreover, PNAC actually does talk about also manipulating the other pieces (Syria, Iran) - apparently they want to directly cause these other pieces to fall, not as a result of toppling the one 'trigger' piece.

Appart from the question whether or not the domino theory can work at all, it doesn't look like the theory applies in case of PNAC's ME policy.

[Matilda]

7. I think that's right on the mark.

Eastern Europe falling to the Soviets doesn't really count, because
they had no choice, they were simply over-run at a time when they
were exhausted by the war. But Russia was an example for Mao in
China, because they were in a similar situation.

I think Latin America is interesting - there were a number of
countries moving to Socialism in the 70s and 80s, but of course
we know what happened to them. But I'm wondering whether the time
might be right once again, as so many have fallen victim to WTO
and IMF policies, and there is the example of Chavez, who while he
isn't a socialist, is very nationalistic. If he manages to hang
in there and not get assassinated, it will be interesting to see
whether other countries will follow the example of Venezuela. They
are all in a bad way economically, and tied hand and foot by huge
debt, and I think this is an instance of how the domino theory
could work. Right now they're running scared of the U.S., but if
Chavez succeeds in what he's trying to do, who knows?

[slor]

3. Excellent question...

and with a quick look back at history the answer is...no. It makes an effective argument to jingoistic types however.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[Lexingtonian]

5. yes

The fall of the Nixon White House, of course.

Oh, wait, you were talking geopolitics. No, I don't think so, unless as a result, often long term, of military conquest & colonialization. E.g. Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union, post-colonial Central Africa, post-Bolivar South America.

[dudeness]

6. the domino theory

is but a useful propagandists tool..certainly in vogue pre vietnam war and throughout parts of south and central america (nicaragua comes to mind)..reagan was the last to invoke its magic appeal i believe..the latest version is to expand democratic values throughout the ME under the same guise..