Joined Dec 2009
19,936 Posts | 25+
By strict definition, for its very existence any nation takes away some freedom from any individual.
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Joined Nov 2009
3,765 Posts | 2+
Queensland, Australia
North Vietnam was not the bad guy in the War of Vietnamese Independence. They were communist but they wouldn't have been if Woodrow Wilson and the other Europeans weren't such racists. The US won its independence and had a government with slavery that didn't grant rights to many beyond white land owning men. Even the common white men didn't get to vote for the President until about 50 years after independence.
I've been to Vietnam twice. They use US dollars as a second currency! Cambodia does too. They're totally free market orientated at least at the lower levels of business. Everything is haggling. You can even haggle the price of a taxi ride.
Did you know that some Vietnamese Generals were on board a US aircraft carrier last month? The US and Vietnam are forming a sort of partnership against China. Not alliance. But Vietnam is hedging its bets against its old master China.
I've been to Vietnam twice. They use US dollars as a second currency! Cambodia does too. They're totally free market orientated at least at the lower levels of business. Everything is haggling. You can even haggle the price of a taxi ride.
Did you know that some Vietnamese Generals were on board a US aircraft carrier last month? The US and Vietnam are forming a sort of partnership against China. Not alliance. But Vietnam is hedging its bets against its old master China.
Joined Oct 2007
8,433 Posts | 0+
Borneo~ that big Island in S.E. ASIA
I think it is a badly informed topic, but not stupid. Few Westerners, and most Americans I know, have no idea what modern Vietnam is like. It is a mistake to think only of the past and ignore the present.
Frankly: I find that all of Asia is misunderstood by those who have never been here: I know I had many illusions until I made my home here.
Joined Dec 2009
19,936 Posts | 25+
With all due respect, the OP is actually more naive than stupid.
What all the regimes mentioned above have in common is communism.
If you equate "communism" with "evil" (a point which is necessarily mostly in the eye of the beholder), the answer of the OP would be necessarily positive; period.
Joined Jun 2009
3,692 Posts | 3+
western Terranova
i take offense to this, not because of any vietnamese heritage of my own (im a european mongrel myself), but because my best friend is vietnamese. ill have you know that many socialist states are faring better than the US is these days. so much for capitalism.
exit's on your left. kindly screw off. and take your rings with you.
Equating Communism with killing people isn't totally naive. The communist governments of the 20th century killed more people than any others in history perhaps. I don't know but if not, then they're right up there. Mao and Stalin. Mengitsu in Ethiopia. The Kims in North Korea. And they certainly do repress political freedom. But these days Vietnam has done some reforms and moved toward a freer market. North Korea is tens times worse than Vietnam.
Joined Dec 2006
3,220 Posts | 6+
New Jersey, USA
oshron,
The question may have been naive and poorly worded, but that does not mean it was intended to cause offense. The OP is a high school kid who has probably been taught that "communism is evil", and he came here with an open mind, wanting to know whether that is true or not. Everyone else who responded in this thread seems to have understood that, except you. There is certainly no excuse to tell anyone to "screw off". Three day timeout.
Pericles
Historum Administrator
Why all of you think communist = evil???
I don't know.
Of course, in the past, Vietnam learn from China, learn from Mao and kill people when divide paddy-field for farmer. It's true, my grandfather is the victim of bourgeois agrarian reform.
But after that, Ho Chi Minh president cried and said sorry to all people. Vietnam have carried out the reform in politics. We develop by our way, we don't learn China, Korea way, ok!
Now, Vietnam is the development country, many people from USA, Canada, Republic of Korea, Japan live in there.
Intel, Samsung, Honda... invest alots of money, factory in Vietnam.
My country very peaceful, never have bomb blast like Thailand, Pakistan.
Summer is the time: many foreign tourist visit Vietnam.
So If Communist party of Vietnam is evil like you say, My country will not be the president of ASIAN 2010, not have more than 3 millions foreign tourist.
Joined Jul 2008
5,397 Posts | 1+
Sharkland
I didn't say communist governments = evil. I said that because of Mao, Stalin, and Mengitsu, and Kim Jong Il, communist governments are usually thought of as being evil even if they aren't.
And as I stated before, the Vietnamese and US governments are now forming a military partnership of sorts.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia...en-with-military-exercises-to-China-s-chagrin
I've been to Vietnam. Strangely I liked Hanoi more than Saigon.
Joined Jul 2010
6,851 Posts | 10+
Not sure what it is
oh! I join in some English forums to improve my English.
With a history forum, i see a lots of people have a wrong thinking about Vietnam now. So i must write the true in my country.
Vietnamese is very friendly, hospitable. We live in a good society without terrorist, bomb blash or demonstration to oppose goverment.
Vietnam have 1 party, but we always have democracy.
About human rights, some powerful country invent a funny story about Vietnam. But Vietnam is one of the countries sign human rights law soon after we have the independance. Vietnam is the second country sign childrent rights.
IF you want to travel, Vietnam welcome you, we have many resorts cheaper than Malay or Thailand.
Joined Jul 2009
8,895 Posts | 15+
Bulgaria
In my country many people from Eastern Asia come to work, usually they own shops at one of the districts. And i must say that Asians, nevermind if they are chinese or vietnamese or others, are extremely secretive, rarely do they have friends among the bulgarians or other ethnicites, they live in closed communities, in which they communicate only between each other.mr_phamcong said:
Now im not saying that vietnamese are hostile, or not friendly in general, but at least i have stayed with such an imperssion.
I remamber during the communism in Bulgaria many people know about Vietnam, people spoke about Vietnam in a good manner.
Joined Oct 2007
8,433 Posts | 0+
Borneo~ that big Island in S.E. ASIA
sturm: Being an expat myself, I fully understand how hard it would be for an Asian to not appear "secretive".....Europe is just SO very different than over here.
Oh, living in a strange society is always hard for all people, not only Vietnamese.
My idea is: Vietnamese is hospitable & friendly with foreign tourist, foreign people in Vietnam.
Joined Jul 2009
8,895 Posts | 15+
Bulgaria
Yeah i guess its the cultural differencess and most importantly the language barrier..
Though bulgarians who go abroad actually rarely do keep contact with other bulgarians, in fact they prefer keeping contact with the people from the country they are in.
Though bulgarians who go abroad actually rarely do keep contact with other bulgarians, in fact they prefer keeping contact with the people from the country they are in.
Joined Oct 2007
8,433 Posts | 0+
Borneo~ that big Island in S.E. ASIA
Oh, living in a strange society is always hard for all people, not only Vietnamese.
My idea is: Vietnamese is hospitable & friendly with foreign tourist, foreign people in Vietnam.
OK! Three minds are in unity here!
I once lived in a rooming house in Germany with 2 Vietnamese ....... They spoke no English and very little German, so naturally they seemed shy.
Later I worked very closely with English speaking Vietnamese men and women in our university: they were exceptionally bright and friendly and industrious beyond all other students, and several became close friends, dfining and visiting us at our home.
Joined May 2009
14,691 Posts | 61+
A tiny hamlet in the Carolina Sandhills
Ngo Dinh Diem.
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngo_Dinh_Diem"]Ngo Dinh Diem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Joined May 2009
14,691 Posts | 61+
A tiny hamlet in the Carolina Sandhills
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