Word: might
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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China would be relieved that a massive U.S. military presence so close to its borders had retreated, and would doubtless gloat over the defeat of what it likes to call the "paper tiger." Part of the considerable aid that China has been giving to Viet Nam might be shifted to domestic projects or to insurgents who are making trouble for other Asian nations. Possibly, China would heat up the pressure again on Taiwan. But most signs are that China, with all its domestic troubles, would not be likely to indulge in foreign adventures. For the time being at least...
...home, after the first shock?and relief?reaction would depend to a large extent on what the victorious Communists did. If they followed their takeover with a bloodbath and then began to infiltrate neighboring countries like Thailand and Malaysia, the U.S. mood might quickly turn ugly. There would be cries of "Who lost Southeast Asia?" as there once were of "Who lost China?" And, more bitter than the China question (for the U.S. did not fight there): "Who betrayed our boys?" The forces that had argued for withdrawal might well be the victims of harsh political attacks...
...same time, a mood of disillusionment might overtake the country and prompt a "Fortress America" spirit of isolationism. That prospect worries the non-Communist nations of Asia more than lingering "domino" fears. It is a moot question whether discord and bitterness over withdrawal would be greater than over continued war?and what true presidential leadership could do to soften the inevitable shocks of either course...
...careful U.S. withdrawal from Viet Nam might well stimulate Asian nations to take some belated measures to shore up their own defenses. Because of Britain's announcement that it would withdraw most of its forces from Southeast Asia in 1971, Singapore and Malaysia were inspired to end their political feuding and cooperate on joint air defense. Similarly, Malaysia and Indonesia, which almost came to war over territory in Borneo, have combined their forces to fight Communist insurgents in that same area. The Malaysians are also working with the Thais to root out the terrorists on both sides of their common...
...Asia welcome U.S. military aid to combat subversion, they also want U.S. help in building up such regional organizations as the Asian Development Bank and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In their view, one lesson of Viet Nam is that political stability is guaranteed not solely by military might but by economic and political progress as well. Says Indonesian Foreign Minister Adam Malik: "I look at half a million troops in Viet Nam with all that modern equipment, and still you could not stop the Communists. The answer for us is to reshape our societies and introduce...