I have to take issue with some of what Jacoby writes here. But not only the fall of the Soviet Union scared Vietnamese communism, but also their great famine of the mid-80's which resulted from land redistribution, particularly the latter of which resulted in their
Doi Moi, or economic liberalization policies of the early 90s, which have had entreprenurial repurcussions from Saigon - which is almost a free economic zone - well north into the central provinces, where tourism has become big business.
A populace predomnantly under thirty has given rise to crops of younger leaders who frankly see the old-guard as more a hinderance to progress.
The Vietnamese are a highly resourceful, industrious an innovative peoples who are resenting being left behind the Asian democracies, so I feel somewhat strongly that the more they see of them, the better.
I hate communism, but the Vietnamese are not the Cubans. It's going to be a lot harder for them as a people to keep that genie of their potential in the lamp.
Your estimation of the Vietnamese people is consistent with what I have seen here in Southern California. To this day the local community is industrious, preserves their heritage and proudly flies their flag (but with no disresepct to the American flag.)
I took an accounting course in Long Beach and sat next to a woman who had escaped the Communists with practically nothing. Her husband had been in the Vietnamese Air Force and flew ground attacks up to the very day Saigon fell. I hope the day comes soon when Vietnam is free again.