Domino theory wasn't just an abstract concept that artificially created conflict. Every country involved in the domino theory (Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, and India) experienced conflict due to the massive shift in political power after WW2 when the former colonial powers started to withdraw.
It's too simplistic to assume that any western involvement in these countries was purely at the behest of Wall Street or due to the perceived threat of communism and had nothing to do with the internal conflicts created by years of colonial rule. The ruling class in nearly every one of these countries was more than happy to have continued military and economic support from the west as they fought their own civil wars.
Communism was also not a benign form of government - millions died due to purges and famine caused by communist theories of central management etc. Again, it is far too simplistic to assume that the motivation of western nations were purely economic.
To be clear, I'm not suggesting that economic interests were not a critical component of why the west was involved but I do think it is far too easy to ignore the complexity of these conflicts for the sake of a convenient "the west is only involved to make money" narrative.
> Communism was also not a benign form of government - millions died due to purges and famine caused by communist theories of central management etc. Again, it is far too simplistic to assume that the motivation of western nations were purely economic.
This is dangerously naive, "communism" had almost nothing to do with the genocide(s) that Stalin purposefully perpetrated for political and economic reasons.
Just your daily reminder that communism is not a form of government, Soviet Russia did not have the requisite indicators of a communist society (many would argue it wasn't even socialist), and that the only ideology Stalin believed in was Russian nationalism.
> This is dangerously naive, "communism" had almost nothing to do with the genocide(s) that Stalin purposefully perpetrated for political and economic reasons.
"The Three Years of Difficulty or Great Leap Forward Famine, was a period in the People's Republic of China between the years 1959 and 1961 characterized by widespread famine. Drought, poor weather, and the policies of the Communist Party of China contributed to the famine, although the relative weights of the contributions are disputed due to the Great Leap Forward."
"The reasons for the famine are a subject of scholarly and political debate. Some scholars suggest that the man-made famine was a consequence of the economic problems associated with changes implemented during the period of Soviet industrialisation. Collectivisation also contributed to famine in 1932. "
Domino theory wasn't just an abstract concept that artificially created conflict. Every country involved in the domino theory (Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, and India) experienced conflict due to the massive shift in political power after WW2 when the former colonial powers started to withdraw.
It's too simplistic to assume that any western involvement in these countries was purely at the behest of Wall Street or due to the perceived threat of communism and had nothing to do with the internal conflicts created by years of colonial rule. The ruling class in nearly every one of these countries was more than happy to have continued military and economic support from the west as they fought their own civil wars.
Communism was also not a benign form of government - millions died due to purges and famine caused by communist theories of central management etc. Again, it is far too simplistic to assume that the motivation of western nations were purely economic.
To be clear, I'm not suggesting that economic interests were not a critical component of why the west was involved but I do think it is far too easy to ignore the complexity of these conflicts for the sake of a convenient "the west is only involved to make money" narrative.