The Domino Theory Redux

Commentary on the McChrystal firing predictably follows the political leanings of the pundit writing it. Cal Thomas notes that since President Obama chose General McChrystal to lead the effort to defeat the Taliban any "errors in judgement" should not be limited to McChrystal. "If the president picked the wrong man, what does that say about his judgement?"

Way to get in a cheap shot, Cal!

Cal bemoans "the severe costs for America" should we "lose in Afghanistan":

"The planning center for 9/11 would be invigorated." Cal apparently forgot that the bad guys managed to plan the London, Madrid, and various attempted airplane bombings perfectly well from somewhere other than an office in downtown Kabul.

"Recruiting for more homicide bombers would be easier." Actually, Cal, that American-born Islamic Warrior guy that we arrested on his way to Pakistan this week seemed more motivated by American armed forces killing Muslims than by some Osama poster saying "I want you."

"Iran's Ahmadininejad would see defeat as proof that his god wants him to proceed with his announced plans to usher in Armageddon by possibly launching a nuclear attack against Israel." Bless your heart, Cal. I thought that no one still remembered the old Domino Theory.

Forty-one years ago, a smooth-talking Major from the Pentagon presented the Domino Theory to myself and my fellow members in Engineer Officer Basic Course 14 at Fort Belvoir, VA. The Major pointed out that if South Viet Nam fell, surely Cambodia and Laos would follow. Thailand wouldn't stand a chance. It might take a while, but look out, Australia! It would then be only a matter of time until monolithic Communism spread to California.

Now, 85 of 110 of us had orders for Viet Nam. As Combat Engineer officers, out main duty would be clearing roads and fields of homemade mines and booby traps. Since those mines and booby traps were predominantly plastic explosives and bamboo, our metal detectors couldn't pick them up. Our instructors took great joy in informing us that we missed 18 of 20 "mines" in our training sweeps and we were all "dead".

Still, it wasn't the dire consequences of the Domino Theory that kept us from avoiding certain death or dismemberment by taking the next flight to Canada or Sweden. In fact, we got a chuckle out of it. Everyone had a different reason for being in the Army then (patriotism, family tradition, an unsympathetic Draft Board), but no one swallowed the Domino Theory.

News Flash to Cal! No one swallows it today either, especially when we open a can of tuna packed in Viet Nam or put on a pair of running shoes manufactured there. All those names on the Viet Nam Memorial died for a lie. Telling it again doesn't make it true.