Posted on 03/14/2017 7:50:25 AM PDT by billorites
I believe I mentioned the Korean War, and that was the context for including China as an adversary and now trading partner. Japan and Germany were obviously mentioned in the context of WWII.
I have travelled a lot to Vietnam (mainly the south) for business over the last 10 years. It is developing extremely quickly. There is very strong good-will towards the United States. Many people have friends/relatives who have become Americans, and they see large business opportunity and view the USA positively, and as an open and free country. In the south, it is also surprisingly Christian country - one sees churches everywhere, and on Sundays they are packed and overflowing. I admit I have less exposure to the North, where people are more reserved and have spent a longer time under Communism and bureaucracy.
There are many opportunities for the USA in Vietnam - political, social, strategic.
If having closer relations now with Viet Nam means having more Americans killed, so that Communist Viet Nam is protected from Communist China, I would defer and tell the Vietnamese to start passing out the black pajamas again.
Have you seen Saigon, lately?
No. I would not have recognized it.
I’ve been to Saigon twice, in the early 90s. The second time was about a month after Clinton lifted the embargo. The tallest buildings were the old hotels — ten stories at most.
When you went to a sidewalk cafe, they gave you ancient thermos bottles of hot water to add to the drip coffee, usually rusted through on the bottom. The spoon you used to stir it was tiny and weighed nothing, made of cheap aluminum.
One thing that told me Vietnam was getting richer was when they started selling Vinacafe instant coffee sachets, and they were giving away pretty good quality stirring spoons in each bag.
Vietnam has been an ancient foe of China since it once was “Cochin China.” Vietnam’s oldest ally is India. India and Vietnam would make pretty decent allies...
You think the US would have learned its lesson when it comes to dealing with communist regimes, like china for example.
We need to stop dealing with communists, period.
As a Nam vet I say we should open the door with Vietnam. Better to have allies against China. Especially ones who have kicked the tar out of China.
All commies are not created equal. It was the Vietnamese who curbed the Khmer Rouge, not the oh so superior West.
Let’s wait until the last WWII vet dies before having anything to do with Germany, Japan, and Italy.
Let’s wait until the last Cold War vet dies before having anything to do with Germany, Eastern Europe, or Russia.
Anything sooner is an insult.
I’m with you, Jack. I went back with my daughter in 2000. People in the South still go crazy for Americans. As for the North, we can help them bust up that monstrous Soviet-style blockhouse that houses Uncle Ho’s mummy. They know that we’d be bringing better money than the ruskies.
Vietnam opened up quite a bit from the 90s on, welcoming back their entrepreneurial counterparts abroad...and particularly from America...even young people with no memories of the War, and it has paid off big time.
Saigon is a wide open free enterprise zone where people are making money hand over fist.
About midway up the coast in Danang the reins are held just a bit more tightly, whereas Hanoi is somewhat more stolid.
I met Americans working in both Danang and Hanoi who were really enthusiastic for the future there. That things could only getbetter.
Were I a young guy and single, heck, I’d go.
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