As America today finds itself in the “war on terror,” one can easily find a number of similarities between the current situation and the Vietnam War. As the Taliban gradually loses control and power over Afghanistan, it becomes extremely important to discuss possible replacement governments. Afghanistan is, like Vietnam in the 1950s and 1960s, a very unstable country, populated by people speaking different dialects and practicing different religions. It is therefore very important that the installed government is able to maintain some type of control or authority over its diverse population. On July 7, 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem came to power as Prime Minister of South Vietnam. (Fish 107). Diem was supported by the United States as the best man to prevent communism in South Vietnam. The problem is that although "all foreign powers wishing to intervene in Vietnam eventually attempted to install a group of Vietnamese figures to prevent a communist victory", many of them failed to take into account that in installing a government that continued to exploit and alienate its people, they drove the population further toward communism because at least it seemed to be a government for the people (Gettleman 134). Likewise, the United States was preoccupied with its own interests and unfortunately neglected the interests of the Vietnamese. During the first five or six years of Diem's ​​reign, the United States was very happy with its choice of Diem. Diem's ​​supporters praised him as a defender of human rights and working to maintain a democracy. Others, who were not as blatant in their approval, simply stated that he was the best man among the limited choices, given that he was strongly anti-communist. Many, including... middle of paper... generals who don't even command a company. He lives in an ivory tower surrounded by his family” (Derrière 150). Diem also allegedly gave Catholic refugees “preferential treatment in land redistribution, relief and assistance, trade and export-import licenses, government employment, and other GVN largesse” (Buddhist 217 ). The United States constantly pressured Diem to initiate land reform. in order to gain some support from the peasants because, as his American advisors recognized, “an exploited and impoverished peasantry provides fertile ground for communism, as in China; therefore, intelligent land reform, preserving private property and simultaneously creating a new middle class of farmers, is a necessity for the goals of the “free world”” (Behind 142). This idea ties in with the aforementioned assertion that America has focused too much on its own interests. (