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Abstract
This study delves into the complexities of US post-war policies in the context of world politics. We examine the impact of two major theories, the Domino Theory and Liberal Hegemony, on US post-World War II policies. While the Domino Theory has its origins in Cold War politics, post-Cold War politics revolve around ideas of Liberal Hegemony. A critical study is conducted to determine the extent to which these theories have been successful in promoting world peace and security. This investigation is complemented by a series of case studies, each highlighting instances of US intervention and regime change conducted allegedly to limit Communism. Although the US has repeatedly justified its interventionist tactics as a deterrent to Communist expansion, many of these activities went beyond conventional containment. Indeed, they were premeditated endeavours to achieve US worldwide hegemony. Regrettably, this desire for global domination has had far-reaching ramifications for international peace and security, essentially weakening the order of stability.
Keywords: Cold War, Containment, Domino Theory, Liberal Hegemony, Security, US
Introduction
It has been argued that the post-World war policy of the United States was grounded exclusively in the logic of containment1. Proponents of this view argue that after the Second World War, the United States felt threatened by the rise of totalitarian communism as espoused by the Soviet Union, and to counter the hegemonic influence of the Soviet Union, the United States adopted the policy of containment. This so-called containment policy was fully endorsed by the Truman Doctrine, which was adopted by the then US President Harry Truman. The Truman Doctrine laid down the various policies the US intended to adopt to contain the Soviet Union, which also involved providing military and financial aid to countries facing 'internal' or 'external' threats from communism. However, as we shall see, the post-World war policy of the US was not plainly driven by the need to contain the Soviet Union; rather the aim was also to maintain US hegemony over important regions of the World. George Kennan, who is regarded as the main architect of the US policy of containment, appeared to have become disillusioned with the application of his policy, especially after it was used to justify the invasion of Vietnam, which Kennan strongly condemned as an unnecessary...