It wasn’t just Vietnam. The domino theory held sway at the time.
Vietnam itself was of little importance (other than as a domestic political issue, i.e., JFK and LBJ were afraid of a “who lost Vietnam” controversy such as “who lost China” hurt the Democrats a decade before.)
The big prize was Indonesia. And the pro-western Suharto perhaps would not have dared to overthrow the pro-leftist Sukarno in 1965, if it hadn’t been for the US stand in Vietnam. I’m not justifying it; the bloodbath in the 1965 coup in Indonesia was horrendous.
But that was the thinking.
Vietnam itself was of little importance (other than as a domestic political issue, i.e., JFK and LBJ were afraid of a “who lost Vietnam” controversy such as “who lost China” hurt the Democrats a decade before.)
The big prize was Indonesia. And the pro-western Suharto perhaps would not have dared to overthrow the pro-leftist Sukarno in 1965, if it hadn’t been for the US stand in Vietnam. I’m not justifying it; the bloodbath in the 1965 coup in Indonesia was horrendous.
But that was the thinking.
I know that was the thinking, and I even understand it. At the time I even agreed with it, even though I was just a very young man, and didn't know anything, really.
As I said in my post, in hindsight; I understand the power of the "domino theory."
My point was that it was the received wisdom of the advisors of to the President, like Dean Acheson, and Allen Dulles, and McGeorge Bundy, and Robert McNamara, that Communism was stronger, that Communism would prevail in the long run.
Today, with the benefit of hindsight we can see that Communism is not stronger, is not more efficient, and will not prevail over the long run.