[LZ_Bayonet]

"More important still are the “animal spirits” of the place. Adam Smith—or Jane Jacobs for that matter—would enjoy the very un-socialistic frenzy as motorcyclists barrel down the streets like possessed demons, with little regard to walking lanes or lights. Everyone not on the government payroll seems to be hustling something, or looking to."

This is NOT new. This was the way it was in 1967. When I remembered this "spirit" I always doubted that the Commies would be able to repress it. And, I believe the non-colonial based effort of the US and interaction with the American GI only served to reinforce that spirit. I'm still not absolutely sure we "lost" that war. Give it another 25 years.

[oh8eleven]

I'm still not absolutely sure we "lost" that war.
The only ones convinced we lost are the loony left.
They do it so they can claim their scumbag anti-war protesters were right, plus they can continue to denigrate our military.
In fact, many a North Vietnamese general and Pol have stated that they knew they lost the war after TET, but kept on fighting only because of the US protesters.

[BuffaloJack]

> I’m still not absolutely sure we “lost” that war. Give it another 25 years.

I gotta agree with you.
The commies marched South, occupied Saigon and the war was over. They put their puppets in place and the local poulation basically ignored them and continued with their own special Vietnamese version of free enterprise. The individual commies watched all this happening, wanted the prosperity that it brought and that they’d never had before and joined the system. Vietnam is commie on paper and free enterprise in practice. In another 25 years, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.