His ambition to contain Chinese influence and suppress communist rebellions in Asia led him to make a series of dramatically hawkish public statements that pledged American prestige in Asia, and from which neither he nor his successors could easily walk away. By resorting to nuclear brinkmanship and constantly speaking about falling dominoes, Eisenhower narrowed his options for dealing with future crises. At some point America would have to make the terrible choice between living up to its promises or skulking away.
