The US had several means by which it tried to stop Communism. Based on the Marshall Plan, it used funding, either through the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) or the World Bank, to support poor, underdeveloped countries build infrastructure (hospitals, schools, roads, bridges, etc.) and to support local
currencies. In doing so, poor countries who cooperated with the US and its allies often had to commit to fighting Communism, corruption, balancing their
budgets, allowing for foreign (i.e., American) investment, etc.
However, if countries were not cooperative, the US would use other means: coups, assassinations, occupations, and proxy wars to contain the spread of
Communism.
How did the use of CIA-backed coups in countries such as Iran, Guatemala, Brazil, Chile, etc. reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the spread of
Communism? In other words, what did overthrowing a socialist, but democratically-elected government in Guatemala have to do with the Soviet Union?