History, Used and Abused
Historical events are frequently used erroneously, if not tendentiously, to draw analogies to, and bolster support for, current foreign policies. But sometimes the analogies are correct, as is the case with the invocation of the Vietnam War-era "domino theory" to oppose abandoning the West's efforts in Afghanistan.
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LONDON – In her brilliant book, “The Uses and Abuses of History” the historian Margaret Macmillan tells a story about two Americans discussing the atrocities of September 11, 2001. One draws an analogy with Pearl Harbor, Japan’s attack on the US in 1941. His friend has no idea as to what this means. “You know,” the first man replies, “It was when the Vietnamese bombed the American fleet and started the Vietnam War.”