Rainer Zitelmann's book, How Nations Escape Poverty, is particularly interesting for American veterans who served as G.I.s in Vietnam or for those who may have lost their fathers or family members in the conflict.
The irony of history is that the communists initially won — however, upon establishing their socialist regime across Vietnam, they came to realize what a huge mistake they had made. Today, young Vietnamese in particular admire the USA and capitalism, as Zitelmann’s book shows. He asked the Vietnamese which economic systems they admire and which they reject. According to the survey data, people in Vietnam have a strong preference for the economic systems in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, while hardly anyone approves of North Korea. And among the younger generation in Vietnam, the USA is in second place.
-WiscoDave
I've come to believe that both the US and Viet Nam are going to have to get over the war somehow while still recognizing and honoring all those who served and those who paid the ultimate price. As unbelievable as it seems they could actually be an ally in the region. What if we actually salvaged something from that awful war? It wouldn't be the first time we turned things around. Look at Japan and Germany. Of course it ain't gonna happen with the jackass we have in the White House right now. It's going to take someone with some balls.
ReplyDeleteThat's already occurring. Vietnam has special squads who are aiding the US in finding and returning bodies and other evidence of the dead.
DeleteAnd they are a major supplier of finished goods.
It would be nice to get over this lost war. Many hard feelings about it still abound around this country. A few ideas for relief would be the ending of hanoi jane and john kerry. That would help some.
DeleteShould be a long line to piss on old jane's grave when the time comes.
Heltau
Balls are in very short supply in our government as a whole.
ReplyDeleteExpect the U.S. to drop from #2 as those in the U.S. professing they're here to "save their democracy" continue to expose themselves as totalitarians.
ReplyDeleteOnly @ 1/3 rd of us that served in Viet Nam were GI's. Everybody else went into an office and asked for a job. My special invitation came from Tricky Dick.
ReplyDeleteThe article plays too dumb that it's still a Communist dictatorship with caveats and deviations from its more devout northern neighbors. Its mostly benign to business making money, but still locked down hard if you challenge the power of the party. I'm still in the fuck'em camp.
ReplyDeleteI live in the UK. I was born in 1958, just 13 years after WWII. Growing up I don't recall anyone bearing any ill will towards Germany, the whole thing was considered to be in the past and over and done with by everyone I knew. In 1985 I got a job at the UK branch of a German company and worked there for 30 years. So really, after 50 odd years, it is surely time to normalise relations, especially as the commies ultimately lost.
ReplyDeleteStonyground.
Communism came to America but that was during WW2
ReplyDeleteJD