-^-for posterity-^-

here are some questions one of my old teachers asked me in an email.

Where do you feel Vietnam is headed?

well, this country is definitely headed upwards. the development here and the changes have been so rapid that they are visible even in my short stay here. ho chi minh city is growing rapidly. new bridges and roads are being built all over the place. it's really hard to go anywhere and not see development.

This afternoon I noticed the tag inside my pants that they were from Vietnam. Are people there encouraged about prospects for the economy?

yes, people are surely encouraged about their options especially economically. there are many jobs available and people do not have to make much money to have a pretty healthy existence. i was talking to some of the government officials in one of my classes and we were discussing the 'doi moi' program instituted in 1986. basically, 'doi moi' shifted vietnam from an entirely socialist doctrine (binh quan chu nghia) to one that was less so. it offered people more options. before, everyone had a very similar amount of money and resources. now, some people are a little better off than others. sure, people work in factories that make clothes and they don't make a lot of money but it also doesn't take a lot to live. the government has done a wonderful job of keeping prices down for household essentials. to go out and buy a filling meal can cost as little as 5,000 dong (about 33 cents) and i've bought shirts for 10,000 dong. also, one thing that i was surprised about upon entering a socialist country was that every person can own their own shop and there is a real variety of products to choose from. i once heard an argument from a friend about why communism wasn't good. he said he wanted the freedom to sell things wherever and whenever he wanted. that was freedom. he gave the (odd) example of selling italian water ice in front of wal-mart. he said that in communist countries no one was free to buy and sell things at will. well, here that isn't the case. here you can sell things anywhere you choose. roving vendors are ubiquitous. people selling fruit are on every corner. in reality, there would be less freedom to sell things in front of wal-mart. i'm sure they have signs up everywhere that say, 'no solicitors'. odd, that.

What would you feel would be the optimum direction for the country?

well, they're stuck in a bind when it comes to joining the wto. they have to decide whether or not that is going to be their best option. the wto will provide some benefits for the country but it will also take away a lot of their bargaining power. i think they're doing a good job of fostering native industries and not letting them get demolished on the global market right away. it's kind of similar to what america did when it was a young nation.

What choices do they have?

they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. they'll keep developing rapidly because the people have tasted success, peace and they love it. they develop but they have to watch out for the global trade institutions that could end up taking away a good deal of their sovereignty.