Hi everyone!

[hzdl]

Hello to all!

Being nostalgic of the 2000's forums, I want to find again that unique atmosphere that you can only test out on a forum. I am not fluent in English, so please excuse my poor level in this language.

I'm French but I have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam for 1 year and a half. International law and economics is my background, I'd like to read, to share and to enjoy with you guys. I was looking for a good political forum so I googled "best political forum" and I ended up right here

Hope discussions will be great in your company. I look forward to sharing with you all!

 

[joG]

Hello to all!

Being nostalgic of the 2000's forums, I want to find again that unique atmosphere that you can only test out on a forum. I am not fluent in English, so please excuse my poor level in this language.

I'm French but I have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam for 1 year and a half. International law and economics is my background, I'd like to read, to share and to enjoy with you guys. I was looking for a good political forum so I googled "best political forum" and I ended up right here

Hope discussions will be great in your company. I look forward to sharing with you all!

Hi! Good to see a new face with an new type background. That could be fun.
Do you have some photos from Hanoi to post or any information on Hanoi that is not so well known in the press?

 

[justabubba]

welcome to the forum
i look forward to your unique perspectives

 

[hzdl]

Do you have some photos from Hanoi to post or any information on Hanoi that is not so well known in the press?

Yes I do. I took this pic this afternoon. It's in the north of Hanoi, West lake (Ho Tay)

About politics in Vietnam, today there were the "general elections" for Member of Parliament. Obama is coming over tomorrow. Vietnamese people are quite excited about this official visit and the town (old quarter) will be completely cordoned off. I don't know what POTUS and Vietnamese will discuss about, probably the TPP and military issues with China.

 

[joG]

Yes I do. I took this pic this afternoon. It's in the north of Hanoi, West lake (Ho Tay) View attachment 67201723

About politics in Vietnam, today there were the "general elections" for Member of Parliament. Obama is coming over tomorrow. Vietnamese people are quite excited about this official visit and the town (old quarter) will be completely cordoned off. I don't know what POTUS and Vietnamese will discuss about, probably the TPP and military issues with China.

Those are nice pictures and have a good feel to them.

Interesting about the elections. How important are elections in Vietnam?

 

[hzdl]

Well, you know Vietnam has just one political party : the communist party. You can see minor shades with different leading figures. For instance, the former mayor of Da Nang was too much "different" for the CP. The guy is very popular even in the capital. He vanished from the radar screen a few weeks and then reappeared in the official medias. A lot of bloggers are in jail because they call for democracy. When I arrived in this country, facebook was blocked but now you can access to it as in any western country

 

[DaveFagan]

Welcome to the forum. I think POTUS is trying to get Vietnam to lean towards Western militarism to be a pawn moving near China. He will use the China island developments in the South China Sea as a negotiating wedge issue. Vietnam is independent and I think they will tell Obama to suck eggs, unless there is a really big bribe (foreign aid) involved..

 

[justabubba]

Welcome to the forum. I think POTUS is trying to get Vietnam to lean towards Western militarism to be a pawn moving near China. He will use the China island developments in the South China Sea as a negotiating wedge issue. Vietnam is independent and I think they will tell Obama to suck eggs, unless there is a really big bribe (foreign aid) involved..

i recall a time, not too long ago, when a vietnamese government played footsie with the US government in opposition to chinese interests
my memory is hazy, but it seems like that did not turn out so well for them ... or us

 

[hzdl]

Vietnam is independent and I think they will tell Obama to suck eggs, unless there is a really big bribe (foreign aid) involved..

You may be right. It is important to understand that the sovereignty is the most important thing in Vietnam. For instance, a few years ago (I can't remember the year sorry, I'd say in 2010 or 2011 but I may be wrong) the army surrounded the National assembly because the sovereignty was in danger and this pressure mean worked. There is a lot of corruption among the MPs, the police and the army. Yet the national interests are very strong here and sovereignty is not for sell.. But for them, the main enemy is China, not the US despite the fact the latter destroyed the country in a crazy way not that long ago. Therefore they can get closer to the US in order to contain chinese influence.

Vietnamese people are not a racist people. However, they deeply hate chinese people..

 

[Palliative]

Hello everyone. I was formerly here as Naughty Nurse. British queen. Excellent nurse. Radical at times. Biohazard.