Changing perspective on the war

Vietnam has a history of conflict. For hundreds of years or more, Vietnam fought to stand independently as its own nation, and unification of the country has been something that it seems all Vietnamese have desired. But there has been a lot of interference, primarily with China who treated Vietnam as a vassal state for centuries. When Europeans began searching for riches in the East, Vietnam was used for political gain as Portugal, Spain, France, the Dutch, and England all sought to gain power and leverage over each other. Seeking to free the country from Chinese control, the Nguyen (pronounced like the english word "win") Emperor asked the French for military assistance against China. Out of the frying pan, into the fire! So from about 1860 until about 1950, the French supplanted China as the country holding Vietnam under its thumb.

What many people in the US don't realize is that before what the Vietnamese refer to as the American War, Vietnam was engaged in the French War. The issues for most of the Vietnamese was the desire to rule their own country, to have a voice as more than a puppet to a larger country. The French War didn't go well for the French, and it is a little surprising that the Americans didn't see the parallels. When the French left, they divided the country between north and south, going against one of the outcomes that the Vietnamese people wanted: a unified Vietnam. They also set up a government in the south that essentially was a puppet government. This betrayed another vital outcome that the Vietnamese people wanted: an independent Vietnam.

The rulers in the south weren't very sympathetic rulers. Think of Marie Antoinette and how the French people viewed her, and you may begin to appreciate some of the feelings about these rulers.

In the US, the war has been painted as a war against communism. The more time I have spent here and the more I've talked to people, the more I believe it was less about political ideology for the Vietnamese. The communists seemed to be the only group who were fighting for liberation, independence, and unification. When the US came in to support the South Vietnam government, they were also placing themselves as against some of these very compelling national goals. The American War was just the next war in a long line of conflicts for Vietnam. The North Vietnam sympathizers were probably fighting more for nationalism than for communism.

Maybe that is why the country doesn't feel very communist. They don't have socialized medicine, for example. I've not seen any sign of communism (other than political posters with hammer and sickle) but I have seen lots of people who are entrepreneurs: shop keepers, small business owners, street vendors. This country feels like a capitalist country and all the people behave like it is a free-market economy. BUT, it has an authoritarian government. There are lots of examples of countries like that, who are just as authoritarian, but lack the "Communist" label, and they are given a certain leniency in our scrutiny because of the politically correct label of the type of government they have. It is probably just an illusion, our perception shaped by meaningless labels when functionally the governments behave the same (or very similarly).

I'm just sayin'...

Traffic, traffic laws, and safety

One of the first things that you would notice if you came to Vietnam is the traffic. It would be very unnerving for you, especially if you are uncomfortable with ambiguity. A red light may not mean stop, but just yield. But not everywhere. Crossing into oncoming traffic and driving in their lane may also be okay if you are planning on turning left, or are passing someone, or if you feel like it. If you are on a scooter, turning quickly in front of large tourist buses, narrowly missing being smashed to a pulp is encouraged. Scooters may also drive on the sidewalks. Honking indiscriminately appears to be a sort of national sport, a game that everyone plays and enjoys except foreigners who don't yet know the rules.



Crossing the street can be daunting, too. In fact, it may be as dangerous as driving, perhaps because you aren't wearing a helmet. The rule is only move forward, don't make sudden movements (you need to remain predictable so they can drive around you with no surprises), and keep moving, don't stop. Amazingly, the drivers just drive around you, sometimes surprisingly close.

This is an excerpt from the US State Dept. on traffic in Vietnam. If you want to visit the US State Dept. web page on Vietnam, Click Here)

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in Vietnam, you may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Vietnam is provided for general reference only and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Traffic in Vietnam is chaotic. Traffic accidents occur frequently. The most common victims are motorbike riders and pedestrians. At least 30 people die each day from transportation-related injuries and many more are injured, often with traumatic head injuries. Traffic accident injuries are the leading cause of death, severe injury, and emergency evacuation of foreigners in Vietnam. Traffic accidents, including those involving a pedestrian and a motorized vehicle, are the single greatest health and safety risk you will face in Vietnam.

Traffic moves on the right, although drivers frequently cross to the left to pass or turn, and motorcycles and bicycles often travel (illegally) against the flow of traffic. Drivers honk their horns constantly, often for no apparent reason. Streets in major cities are choked with motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians, and cyclos. Outside the cities, livestock compete with vehicles for road space. Sudden stops by motorcycles and bicycles make driving particularly hazardous. Nationwide, drivers do not follow basic traffic principles, vehicles do not yield right of way, and there is little adherence to traffic laws or enforcement by traffic police. The number of traffic lights in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is increasing, but red lights are often not obeyed. Most Vietnamese ride motorcycles; often an entire family rides on one motorcyle. The urban speed limit ranges from 30 to 40 km/h (or 19-25 miles/h). The rural speed limit ranges from 40 to 60 km/h (or 25 – 37 miles/h). Both speed limits are routinely ignored.

If you are walking, you should be careful, as sidewalks are extremely uneven and congested, and drivers of bicycles, motorcycles and other vehicles routinely ignore traffic signals and traffic flows, and even drive on sidewalks. For safety, you should always look carefully in both directions before crossing streets, even when using a marked crosswalk with a green "walk" light illuminated.

Road conditions are poor nationwide. Numerous accidents occur due to poor road conditions. U.S. citizen travelers have lost their lives on the roads while traveling in northern provinces during the rainy season due to landslides. You should exercise extra caution in the countryside, as road conditions are particularly poor in rural areas.

Driving at night is especially dangerous, and you should exercise extreme caution. Roads are poorly lit, and there are few road signs. Buses and trucks often travel at high speed with bright lights that they rarely dim. Some motor vehicles don’t use any lights, and vehicles of all types often stop in areas of the road that have no illumination. Livestock are often in the road.

A Great Film...

We watched an incredible documentary on Thursday, "Daughter from Da Nang."
I copied some information from the official website (which can be visited by clicking here).

"A heartbreaking documentary that upsets your expectations of happily-ever-afters, Daughter from Danang is a riveting emotional drama of longing, identity, and the personal legacy of war. To all outward appearances, Heidi is the proverbial “all-American girl”, hailing from small town Pulaski, Tenn. But her birth name was Mai Thi Hiep. Born in Danang, Vietnam in 1968, she’s the mixed-race daughter of an American serviceman and a Vietnamese woman. Fearing for her daughter’s safety at the war’s end, Hiep’s mother sent her to the U.S. on “Operation Babylift”, a Ford administration plan to relocate orphans and mixed-race children to the U.S. for adoption before they fell victim to a frighteningly uncertain future in Vietnam after the Americans pulled out. Mother and daughter would know nothing about each other for 22 years."

"Now, as if by a miracle, they are reunited in Danang. But what seems like the cue for a happy ending is anything but. Heidi and her Vietnamese relatives find themselves caught in a confusing clash of cultures and at the mercy of conflicting emotions that will change their lives forever. Through intimate and sometimes excruciating moments, Daughter from Danang profoundly shows how wide the chasms of cultural difference and how deep the wounds of war can run--even within one family."

RUNNING TIME:
81 Minutes
U.S.A. 2002

Watching this film was like watching a train wreck: you want to turn away but can't. It was hard to see such misunderstanding between the two sides, and to realize that each one probably would have done things so much differently if they could go back and do it over again. I was surprised that Heidi didn't seek any counseling before (or after) her trip... She carried a lot of luggage with her on this trip, and most of it was emotional baggage.

It reminds me how import people's expectations are to how they feel about an experience. Each of these groups had different expectations, and it created a lot of friction. The same situation with different expectations would have changed everything...

We were very fortunate to have dinner prepared for us by Mrs. Kim, Heidi's natural mother. I'll post pics later when I have access to my camera. Mrs. Kim lives in a middle t upper-middle class neighborhood in Vietnam. None of you in the US would consider it middle class, but standards are very different here. I will tell you that the food was wonderful, and Mrs. Kim talks about her daughter in the US with a stubborn denial of the breach between them. She is warm and affectionate, hugging us all, touching our arms while she spoke to us. She obviously went to great lengths to host our dinner, and it was delightful.

You can (and should) watch the film, which is available on Netflix, or check local PBS showings.

"Dream of Being a Worker"

One of the dirty little consequences of all the free-market growth in Vietnam is that exploitation also seems to be growing. We watched and discussed a documentary on a thriving industry in Vietnam: temporary employment agencies who entice young, naive women to pay large sums of money to obtain jobs in the big city, earning much more than what they could earn in the country. Unfortunately, the jobs are rarely what was promised and are often very short duration. Sometimes, employment doesn't even last long enough to cover the fees paid to the employment agencies. They do not receive benefits. They work 7 days a week. If they take a day off, they are docked two day's pay, or fired. They are treated poorly by the foremen, verbally and sometimes physically abused.

It seems to be a cozy arrangement between the temp agencies, who make money for each new girl regardless of how long she lasts. They obviously pay the human resources manager to hire these girls. I would assume that the HR manager pays the foremen to be abusive to encourage the girls to quit or get fired. That allows the agency to place a new girl, earning more money and paying more to the HR manager, who probably pays a small amount to the foremen. Everyone makes money in this deal except the women and their families (who helped provide the large payments upfront in anticipation of some of the higher wages being sent back to the family).

I posted recently about corruption, and this is another example. The large multinational firms who have these factories are exercising willful blindness, and the government is more concerned about employment than worker conditions.

Watching the documentary, I was reminded of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. I might need to re-read that book...

Ryan Darley's Blog on our trip

Ryan is a fellow Trinity student on the trip, and like me is blogging about the trip. His blog gives a bit of a different perspective, so you should check it out... (Click Here to go to Ryan's blog)

Da Nang

Da Nang played a huge role in the Vietnam War. It was the site where US Marines first landed, and where a large airbase was established. At one point of the war, the Da Nang airport was the busiest airport in the world, with about 3,000 flights a day.

Here is a video of the original Marine landing...
(I added the music, which is The Planets, Op. 32: I. Mars, the Bringer of War. I thought it appropriate.)



And here is a video highlighting Da Nang's importance to the US during the war...




Modern Da Nang
Today, Da Nang has an almost split personality. It is home to a deep water port, so it has over 6,000 business licenses in effect, many dealing with exporting. So there is a lot of industrial development. On the other hand, it is the home of China Beach, and there is a lot of development to capitalize on the tourism opportunities. We saw a lot of resorts in the process of being built, and the city has a lot of hotels located close to the beaches. By the way, the government changed the name of China Beach.

The city reminded me of Ft. Lauderdale or Panama City. It just had a "beach town" feel to it...

Corruption in Vietnam

One night in Ho Chi Minh City, our bus was picking us up outside of the restaurant where we had dinner. As with every other time, the bus stopped by the side of the road to allow us to load. What was different this time was the arrival of some traffic cops.

I've already said something about the scooters, and I'll just mention here that it was two traffic cops, but they were on one motorcycle. Just a little unexpected, and therefore worth noting.

Apparently, it is illegal to park on the side of the road for loading and unloading. We could do it at the hotel because it seems that the hotel paid the local traffic cops for the right. Obviously, this restaurant did not.

The driver looked serious as he stepped away from the bus and approached the officers. He returned to the bus and pulled all sorts of documents, then returned to the officers, handing the papers over. More and more time passed, and I noticed a little more tension in the body language of the driver, our tour guide, and in Nhu.

There was a lot at stake. If the driver was given a ticket, it would cost about $40 in fines (a very large amount in this country), but maybe more importantly, his license to drive would be suspended for a month. That would deny him an opportunity to earn money as a driver for a significant amount of time.

But the problem could be solved. If the driver would pay the police $10 now, he could avoid the hassle of going to the court, paying the fine and losing his license. A win-win situation for everyone!

Except that it isn't. It was a classic shake-down. The cops knew the problems the driver would have and the choice was really no choice at all. And this type of thing goes on all across the country. A few years ago, Japan suspended its financial aid package to the country because too much of the money was being siphoned off by government officials. It is widely accepted that corruption lowers GDP, hurts foreign investment, and creates difficulty for businesses. On the Corruption Perception Index, Vietnam ranks 116 in the world, an improvement from previous levels, but still well below the levels most highly-functioning economies enjoy...

Here is a link to a recent article in VietNews titled "Vietnam makes minor advance in corruption index."