Other Applications
Some foreign policy analysts in the United States have referred to the potential spread of both Islamic theocracy and liberal democracy in the Middle East as two different possibilities for a domino theory. During the Iran-Iraq war the United States and other western nations supported Iraq, fearing the spread of Iran's radical theocracy throughout the region. In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, some neoconservatives argued that when a democratic government is implemented, it would then help spread democracy and liberalism across the Middle East, and a war can install a democratic government. This has often been referred to as a "reverse domino theory," to avoid confusion with the communist domino theory because it's based on influence instead of military aid. However, the reverse domino theory did not occur as Iran's influence in Iraq after the war is becoming stronger with each passing year. In effect, the 2003 invasion of Iraq actually caused the domino theory that it was hoping to avoid.
Read more about this topic: Domino Theory