Yes, that was also a theory regarding the Korean and Vietnam 'wars'; because neither side actually tried to win through either their on site presence or through their selected proxy puppet. Korea was obviously a proxy war between the United States/NATO and Mainland China/the USSR with the North and South Koreans being the puppets. Vietnam was Mainland China and the United States working through their North and South Vietnamese puppets. Interlaced through both wars was the philosophy of Controlled and Perpetual Proxy War is good for the Main Countries' National Economies. The same things can be argued with Afghanistan and Iraq.