[Norse]

Truman did what he had to to in order to CONTAIN communism and prevent it from spreading too far. Halting communism altogether at that point had NOTHING to do with American security interests. It's like saying that the U.S. should invade Africa and start it all over.

The only point where he SHOULD have destroyed communism altogether was directly after World War II, when the U.S. military could have gone straight to Moscow.

Otherwise, he knew full well that communism would collapse on his own.

[Enterprise]

"Truman did what he had to to in order to CONTAIN communism and prevent it from spreading too far."

What a great sense of humor you have!

[7thson]

To put it bluntly, you sound so stupid. Pick up Coulter's book and start it again. Check the references. I read both her book and Halbestroms Truman. Most of what Coulter states about Truman can be found in the laters bio. Coulter has a chapter in her book about people like you, that Truman knew the Soviets would collapse. Take a look at the countries the Soviets swallowed while the Dems were on watch. Concerning your second paragraph, that is also stupid. Why? Because the State Department at the end of WW II were overrun with Soviet spies - re Venona Transcripts - and advised against it. FDR and Truman handed eastern Europe to Stalin on a platter and Truman even called Stalin a good guy. Crack a book open and learn some history!

[Doctor Stochastic]

An examination of the destruction of the Japanese Army in Manchuria by the Russians in 1945 doesn't make it seem that the US could have gone straight to Moscow. The Germans lost about 2,000,000 military dead against the Soviets when the Soviets were unprepared. It's not at all clear that the US could have done better when Russia was on a war-footing.