[ThanhPhero]

Việt Nam is not North Korea. The Vietnamese Communists are not like the Norks or like the Russian reds or the East Germans. They determined way back in the 80s that Việt Nam had to get prosperous to avoid becoming a province of China. The Việt Communists, when they see that something doesn't work, they stop doing it. Those others double down. They got off the farm collectivization kick a bit slow but when they did starvation became rice exports in two years and the antipathy toward Capitalism went away. Việt Nam is, indeed. growing rich. If you want to really learn about Việt Nam I heartily recommend a series of lectures on Vietnamese History on You Tube by Professor Stephen Young of Minnesota U. He is one of the very few Americans who has understood Viêt Nam and its people. He, among other things was a minor diplomat in SEA as was his father and he married a Vietnamese woman and through her is related to some of the historical characters in the 30s and the 50s. He is fluent in the language and, for the benefit of FR readers, a rock solid American Conservative.

[dfwgator]

I read where they interviewed people from across the globe to gauge which countries were the most pro-capitalist in terms of the population. Vietnam was pretty much right there at the top of the list.

[kearnyirish2]

Red China also embraced capitalism; it isn’t the economic views of these places that scares me. It is the political power structure; Hanoi would no more tolerate a Tiananmen Square demonstration than Red China would, and individuals are instruments of the state. I’m sure the Vietnamese people are very happy to see American dollars in their economy, and they can afford to be gracious - they won the war, and granted no concessions for the easing of sanctions/recognition. I’m not suggesting attacking Vietnam - I’d just rather not expose myself the risks of a totalitarian communist state.