Most places we saw in & around HCMC were high on Anti-America propaganda & pro-communism propaganda-- be it the horrifying details at the '
War Remnants Museum' about how Americans sprayed pesticides on entire villages that are coping with deformities & birth defects; or the documentary shown at the '
Cu Chi Tunnels' about how the nationalist heroes survived the unethical war tactics used by the Americans . I'm sure every Vietnamese kid learns that in his history & social sciences text-books.
And yet, you see a KFC outlet or a Pepsi machine around every street & strangely there seems to be no tragic association there with America or capitalism.
Here's another example of the strange contrasts we saw in this country stuck between communism & liberalisation... "Hard-rock cafe" t-shirts sold right next to commie t-shirts with Ho Chi Minh's face on it:
7 comments:
Its good that KFC n group are around...2 views, either ppl are broadminded enuf to see that all thats american need not be evil or they see KFC n co as smthing indispensable ("anyways, be here")...all the same, liberalisation is good!
Btw, nice snaps :)
Reminds me of Japan. The way Japanese love all that's American is "intriguing" to say the least!!!!! For that matter, our love for Queen's language!!!!!!..........it's a "strange" world.......we let go of past and we don't let go of it either.......:)
Last Adam, Moi,
What I found amazing about this place is not that American brands are so popular there; but that they're popular inspite of all the communist propoganda. The people & govt there so proudly flaunt their socialist & communist ideologies; even as they're embracing economic liberalisation....its like ideology & practicality are two different things.
Tintin in Vietnam oh my! I would surely have bought that T shirt:-)
Vietnam reminds me of John Rambo! Incidentally I saw Rambo 4, good one, liked it.
666,
I heard the new Rambo was a really bad & gory movie???
yes gory indeed but I liked it as much as the previous ones. I mean I find it inane when people compare with the prequels. He has been shown as a Vietnam war veteran and old. So you cant expect a old man to jump around which he sensibly hasn't.
I often suspect the maturity of audience hence never go on the word around:-)
666,
Hmmm, I was never a big Rambo fan anyways. If the machoness of the younger Rambo didn't do it for me, I doubt I'm going to like the older version of Rambo :)
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