> > We could have them out of power at the drop of a hat.
>
> Great idea. One little word: Vietnam.

I wondered how long until someone brought this up. Vietnam is used rather unfairly as a reason why the US should never involve itself in removing any political power from a foriegn government. Yet, the problem is that Vietnam is not a good example of a country suddenly seized by a dictatorship.

The whole problem with Vietnam was that the Viet Kong had rather wide popular support. And why not? They were far more representative of the people than the French, who had held the territory before the revolution. IMO, the problem with Vietnam began *FAR* before we ever intervened. You can look at the way in which we refused to listen to their cause during the negotiations at Versailles after WWI. Or when we essentially sacrficed their independance on the altar of NATO in order to get France to join after WW2.

If you look at a dictatorship like Iraq, Hussein does *not* have the support of the people and took over in a pretty classic military coup. My understanding is that the situation with the Taliban in Afghanistan is similar. My point is that Vietnam won't repeat itself if we attempt to follow the will of the people in the country.

Stephen