Does anyone here have a problem with the idea of stopping the spread of communism?

With Marshall Plan? No. Otherwise, see Bitt's response.

But it doesn't work. It encourages each cog in the communist machine to do the minimum amount to get by, and the government will take care of them just as if they had tried harder. It encourages mediocrity.

Then why it has to be fought from outside?

Seriously, I think that US brought more Communist dictatorships into existence than brought down. For example:

If Batista was not supported, Castro would have harder times comming to power. Without isolation, he would have harder time staying on power, and would less depend on Soviets (do you think he liked being their puppet?)

Without atmosphere of siege brought to you by Ollie North and his Contra friends, Sandinistas would have harder time eliminating everybody else from their rulling coalition. Withour supporting (Somosa ? - or was he in some other briliiant democracy?), Sandinistas would not come to power in the first place.

If the coup was not engineered against Prince Norodom Sihanouk (sp?), we would not have Khmere Rouge uprising against US puppet Lon Nol (?), leading to their subsequent rule of terror.

Even in Vietnam, the more US meddled, the more dependent on Soviets Vietnamese were (again, progression was from wide pro-independence coalition Vietminh that kicked French out, to Moscow's puppets).