Posted on 02/27/2018 7:15:57 PM PST by cba123
The U.S. Navy is sending an aircraft carrier to Vietnam for the first time since the Vietnam War more than forty years ago. The reason for this courtship is an attempt to woo one of China’s neighbors and rivals to counter rising Chinese military influence in the region.
(see article link, for full story)
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As a Yank living in Ho Chi Minh City, you may be surprised by things here now.
I was. It does not have the nightlife of Bangkok or Phnom Penh, but I like it. Quite a bit, actually.
55,000 Americans died trying to help the Vietnamese people.
The Chinese are relocating their factories to Vietnam because they work so cheap.
We could have saved 55,000 lives by giving the Communists some limousines and their own Palace.
A Vietnam general said virtually the same thing, i.e. that thousands would die and the end would be the same.
Let’s send McCain back, he can reconnect with his old Viet Cong buddies.
There's a high bar to clear.
Why did we go in the first place?
Look at Japan.
Look at South Korea.
Look at Germany.
Look at Malaysia.
Then, look at Vietnam.
Rich homosexuals go to Vietnam to buy their boys.
The only thing that’s changed is the people in the government limousines and some nice resorts for foreigners.
The Vietnam war was a long, long, long, long, long time ago now.
Nobody here, is paying any attention to it anymore. Sure there were two countries, then there was one. I get that was ugly, but it was a lot of things. Vietnam is one country. They are VERY welcoming of foreigners, and quite open to us (Americans). In a year and a half, I don’t think I have met more than one or two Vietnamese who are the least bit racist. I am completely serious.
(I mean that)
This is a place, unlike every other country I have been to.
It is an exceptional little country. They are very welcoming of foreigners here. Americans, especially, can get a one-year visa to visit here. They are also, most certainly not following China. Nope. There are people here who are Chinese, and some speak both languages. But really, it is very much an independent place here.
The Vietnam war was a huge long time ago now. Please forget it. Reset what you know. Come and visit, maybe.
It is hectic. It is very, very energetic. The traffic is nuts. It is a poor country, but they are very proud, and they like Americans quite a lot.
Maybe it is not a place you would like. I think you either love it, or hate it. It is not like it was. This is not like Bangkok. It is not like Phnom Penh.
But it is a nice place, in my view.
Take another look, Americans.
To keep Vietnam from becoming like Venezuela.
Eventually, the Vietnamese people will figure out that the Communist leaders are living high on the hog while all they are getting is the squeal.
They like American money.
I’ll go there when they pay us reparations for killing 55,000 Americans who were trying to help them.
My son is serving aboard that carrier.
A whole he** of a lot more Vietnamese were killed during the war.
A MASSIVE amount.
Forget the war. The Vietnamese have, in large part. If they can, we should try to, also.
No. Ancient Rome maybe.
No, America wasn’t trying to help them. It was sticking its nose into something that wasn’t any of its business, and doing quite a poor job of that.
You want to blame someone for the American dead, look at R. Strange McNamara and LBJ.
Because LBJ refused to listen to all the Joint Chiefs.
I think there is a different view here.
Here, the entire country moved on. I just do not see the war talked about here, and more.
Granted, I am a foreigner. So I wouldn’t, in part. But they really have moved on here. I think it is time for us as Americans, to also recognize, the world is much different now.
Big opportunity here, maybe. Maybe not. I don’t know. But we should at very least, pay attention to the place once again.
This is absolutely, not China.
Even though, the people see similar here. There is a historical link, but Vietnam is not China. Not at all.
That is worth keeping in mind.
I don’t know whether that will continue. But it seems to me, that the Vietnamese have a genuine interest in other countries, and especially America.
This is a possible opportunity. Maybe.
Just keep your eyes open. That is all I am saying.
The Vietnam war was a very, very long time ago now.
I was there years ago and found the same thing then—communist, yes I guess, but even in Hanoi, very pro-American, very welcoming. The war is over.
“No, America wasn’t trying to help them. It was sticking its nose into something that wasn’t any of its business, and doing quite a poor job of that.”
Yeah right. Like we weren’t trying to help Korea.
Millions are free in Korea now and a vibrant economic nation exists because of that lack of care.
This is driven by Chinese aggression and expansion. Everyone in the region is looking for allies against the Chinese threat.
There is a solidifying military alliance called the Quad, consisting of the USA, Japan, India and Australia; that is already pretty far down the road of preparing to cooperate militarily to contain/restrain Chinese aggression.
Vietnam is right on the front line with China. They had a shooting war in 1979, because of Vietnam overthrowing China’s Khmer Rouge allies in Cambodia. Its been tense ever since, and now China is trying to claim Vietnam’s waters off the coast.
China has been driving everyone into a coalition against China.
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