Frankly, because two examples (Rhodesia and South Africa) don't make for a well-substantiated pattern... [...] American opposition to communism does make for a much more obvious, simple, and clear-cut example...
A well-substantiated more general pattern is that in U.S. foreign relations, anti-colonialism trumped anti-communism solidly. Besides Rhodesia and South Africa, some other major examples are the Katanga Crisis and the Suez Crisis. In the latter, the U.S. effectively joined forces with the Soviet Union to support Nasser against the British and the French.
Moreover, in some cases the U.S. "support" for anti-communists was of the "with friends like that, who needs enemies" variety, sometimes with major elements within the U.S. government effectively favoring the communists. China is the most notable example. Not to mention the cases where the U.S. supported communists who fought under a flimsy and transparent pretense of being non-communists, like Castro in Cuba.
So, on the whole, I wouldn't say the pattern of U.S. Cold War anti-communism is so consistent and clear-cut.
Besides Rhodesia and South Africa, some other major examples are the Katanga Crisis and the Suez Crisis.
Are Nasser and Mobutu supposed to be communists in your model of history? They are not in mine.
In the latter, the U.S. effectively joined forces with the Soviet Union to support Nasser against the British and the French.
Nasser opposed communism. Sure, both American and the Soviet Union preferred a non-Europe-controlled Egypt, because they respectively preferred an America-controllled and a Soviet-controlled Egypt. What does that have to do with a...
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