事实上，在此期间，美国常常无法捍卫它的利益：苏联拥有了核武器；共产党在中国、古巴和半个越南建立了政权；朝鲜战争以僵局收场；匈牙利和捷克斯洛伐克起义被镇压。
Indeed, during this period, the US often could not defend its interests: the Soviet Union acquired nuclear weapons; communist takeovers occurred in China, Cuba, and half of Vietnam; the Korean War ended in a stalemate; and revolts in Hungary and Czechoslovakia were repressed.