The Viet Cong won the war, so they get to decorate their country however they want.
Let’s try to be supportive.
The government sees fit to erect these inspirational shrines to the Vietnamese people and their leadership seemingly on every street corner — and definitely outside any governmental office of import.
Universally, they depict smiling Vietnamese faces, fully satisfied with their present lot in life and hopeful that the state will avail them even greater future joy.
Although these stirring images don’t do anything for me, I will say that, ideology of the regime aside, the Vietnamese appear to have a strong sense of nationalistic pride and social cohesion that is missing from the West, probably due to a lot of factors not at work on Vietnam.
It’s probably not all George Soros’ fault that we can’t have that same kind of unity in Western nation-states — but he is emblematic of the rot in the ruling elite.
Say whatever you like about Vietnamese politics; their society is intact, cohesive, and vibrant in a way that the West hasn’t been in many decades. You can see and feel it in the streets, not just in the propaganda décor.
Related: Converted Pagan Headhunters and the Shining City on a Hill
Is this stuff weird?
Yes.
But is it weirder than the U.S. government under the Brandon regime, which flew the tranny flag from U.S. embassies as well as the BLM race flag?
If you squint, you might notice that there are approximately zero trannies in any of the Vietnamese iconography. No minorities — just slightly yellow-tinged faces. None of the kids have purple hair. There are no obese wheelchair people to “represent the marginalized disability community” or whatever.
Related: The State of Feminism in Southeast Asia
Which begs the question: if BLM/Antifa agitation is non-existent in Vietnam — and certainly would be ruthlessly crushed if USAID ever managed to astro-turf it — just how communist is communist Vietnam, and what does communism as a term actually mean anymore?
On the economic front, too, Vietnam is arguably more capitalistic in some ways than any peer nation.
And even the adoption of communism from the state’s inception, if you dig deep enough, by the legendary guerilla fighter turned founder of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, was more of an act of geopolitical strategery to achieve Vietnamese sovereignty than a full-throated embrace of Marxist philosophy.
Here is Ho Chi Minh in 1946, immediately following the conclusion of the Second World War, imploring Harry Truman to intercede and assist him in expelling the French. Decide for yourself how hardline communist he sounds or, alternatively, simply nationalistic and willing to attain that nation-state by any means necessary.
Via History Net (emphasis added):
“Dear Mr. President,
On the occasion of the first assembly of the United Nations in London, I beg to congratulate you for the continuous and successful efforts your Government has been making to maintain Peace and Security all over the World.
As Peace is indivisible and as the Far East is being taken into especial consideration by your high Representative in China, General MARSHALL, I think it our duty to inform you on what is going on in our country and on what grave consequences for World Security the aggressive war inflicted upon us by the French may bring about.
As early as 1941, Vietnam has risen up against the Japanese fascists, and taken arms by the side of the Allies. After the Japanese surrendered to the Allies, a Provisional Government was set up to restore order and eradicate all fascist intentions in Vietnam. Supported by the whole nation, it carried out a democratic program, and succeeded in restoring order and discipline everywhere. Under very difficult circumstances, general elections for National Congress were organized and took place on January 6th 1946 throughout the land, including 9,000,000 electors of whom more than 90% went to the polls.
The French colonialists, on the contrary, surrendered to the Japanese as early as September 1941. For four years they wholeheartedly cooperated with the Japanese to fight against the Allies and to repress the Vietnamese population. On March 9th, 1945, five months before the Japanese were defeated, the French by a second surrender, lost all right and control over Indochina.
On September 23rd, 1945, while the New Vietnam Democratic Republic was making strenuous efforts to carry out her reconstruction program, the French launched a night attack on the innocent population of Saigon, which was followed up by a systematically destructive and murderous warfare. Facts of looting, assassination of civilians, violence, indiscriminate bombing of non-strategical places by war planes, are reported everyday. Their intention is to invade the whole country and to reestablish their domination.
In the meanwhile, after the offer of interference voiced by Mr. VINCENT CARTER, Chairman of the Far-East Department, our people enthusiastically welcomed President TRUMAN’s address on October 28, 1945, in which he vigorously and concretely set forth the principles of self-determination and equality of status laid down in the Atlantic and San Francisco Charters.
Since that time, the French have tremendously increased their fighting forces. Millions of people will suffer, thousands will be killed and invaluable properties will be destroyed, unless the United States would step out to stop that bloodshed and unlawful aggression.
For this reason, on behalf of my people and Government, I respectfully request you to interfere for an immediate solution of the Vietnamese issue. The people of Vietnam earnestly hopes that the great American Republic would help us to conquer full independence and support us in our reconstruction work.
Thus, with the assistance of China and the United States, both in capital and technique, our Vietnam Republic will be able to bring her share in the building-up of World Peace and World Prosperity.
With respect,
I am, dear President,
Yours truly,
Ho Chi Minh”
Ben Bartee is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs.
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