Nixon's "Algeria"-Doctrine and Disengagement in Indochina

A T TIMES OF CRISIS in Western democracies, it often takes a Right-wing politician to carry out the Left-wing policies required. Thus, Eisenhower's campaign pledge to bring peace in Korea, Macmillan's artful backing down from the Suez adventure, and de Gaulle's agreement to Algeria's independence. It calls for a skilful combination of measures and men. The personality of the leader counts for conservatives, while the issues in themselves gain the support of the reformers. Yet the process is not without hazards. To move too fast, and too obviously, risks antagonising the Right; too slowly and too circumspectly may alienate the Left. Above all the Right must be shielded from perceiving the consequences of the groping steps in pursuit of an unpalatable, but necessary, new policy. Therefore old forms are retained-indeed old formulas are never so much in evidence-to mask, until the appropriate moment has arrived, the disturbing reality of change. Does President Nixon's announced visit to China denote just such a transformation of attitude toward the Indochina commitment? Certainly an American rapproachement with Peking has implications far beyond Southeast Asia. It looks, if not to the stabilisation, at least to the easing of tensions on the Pacific front, leaving the United States freer to concentrate on vital areas of contest or coexistence with the Soviet Union: nuclear strategy, European security, the Middle East.' China has similar reasons for altering its approach: better the lesser evil of permitting a certain level of accommodation with the United States so as to cope with the more fundamental threat from Russia (and, potentially, from Japan). To achieve what is in the overall interest both of China and America would seem worth a compromise on such specific issues of contention as Taiwan (which time will solve) and Indochina

Ancient history · Disengagement theory · Doctrine · Political science · History · Law · Medicine · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies · Gerontology

• South Vietnam and the Politics of Self-Support

  Allan E Goodman, Randolph Harris et al.•Asian Survey•1971

  Añadir item