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Lessons from Nam

The Vietnam War was waged from November 1955 to April 1975. When Japan was defeated in WWII, the Japanese left Vietnam in the hands of Emperor Bao, but Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh to take Hanoi from the emperor, largely due to the communist inspiration of China and the Soviet Union. To retaliate, with the support of France, Emperor Bao declared Saigon as the capital of Vietnam and went after the North. In 1955, President Eisenhower pledge his support to South Vietnam, giving way to more American participation in the war. In 1961, fearing the domino effect of communism in the world, President Kennedy increased U.S. presence in Vietnam. In 1965, President Johnson made the decision to send U.S. troops into battle in Vietnam. In April 1975, Saigon fell and was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City, and U.S. troops left Vietnam in haste and confusion. An estimated 2 million Vietnamese were killed, 3 million were wounded, and over 12 million were without homes because of the war. There were far lesser U.S. deaths and casualties, but the Vietnam War left one of the most undesirable scars in U.S. history. The war in Vietnam turned Americans into angry protesters in streets and in school campuses. Many believed that the war was not a brunt for the U.S. to bear, yet U.S. leaders feared that the spread of communism in the Indo-Pacific region will upset the precarious balance of freedom and trade throughout the world. In reality, however, communism only spread to Cambodia and Laos, and the domino effect remained an incorrect theory. After the war, the United States imposed a complete trade embargo on Vietnam, withholding vital assistance to a crumbling, war-torn country. In response, the rest of the world followed the Superpower’s lead, turning a blind eye toward the dire state of Vietnam. Slowly, Vietnam righted itself in spite the many internal conflicts that it continued to face. In 1995, President Clinton lifted the trade embargo, and thus began a hopeful new chapter in Vietnam’s history. One of the leading nations in Southeast Asia today, Vietnam is an open book for reflection. Nam teaches us that wars are costly, and fixing the damages of war is a long and difficult process of trial and error. We also learn that propagandas must be treated with caution, and the media must not be taken as accurate, honest, and reliable source of information at all times. Finally, we learn that, when life and livelihood are at stake, nobody truly wins a war. Read the full article

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Vietnam Relations Throughout the Years

Fearing the domino effect of communism, the United States joined the Vietnam War in 1965, but two years after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and following the Fall of Saigon, American troops hastily left Vietnam in 1975. The years after witnessed a difficult time between the two nations. The United States imposed a total trade embargo and withheld much-needed support from Vietnam. This move by the superpower nation prompted around nations and global organizations to turn their backs on Vietnam as well. Vietnam was left in total financial disarray, with majority of its people living with homes and without employment. While the United States took responsibility for some of its liabilities during the Vietnam War, it did not extend this remuneration to Vietnamese victims. Case in point: Agent Orange and its victims. Agent Orange was widely used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal war program. Unfortunately, its lasting and irrevocable effects affected not only the Viet Cong but the U.S. military as well. The United States government put in place a program for the U.S. collateral damages, but nothing for the Vietnamese. This drove the two nations further apart from reaching amicable resolutions. Furthermore, Vietnam waged a campaign in Cambodia, which became a full-scale conflict in 1978 and which the United States was strongly opposed to. For decades, it seemed like U.S.-Vietnam relations was hopeless, but this changed when former president Bill Clinton formally lifted the trade embargo in 1995, allowing for the start of a renewed relationship between the two former allies. This U.S. move prompted the help of the international community to pour into Vietnam, helping the once-war-torn country to recover its economy. Vietnam also opened its shores to capitalism, allowing more foreign investors in. Today, decades after the war, the United States and Vietnam maintain a healthy relationship built on trade and security, and Vietnam, the country once raged by conflict, is now one of the rising economies in Asia that has set its sights to become a developed country by 2020. Read the full article

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Vietnam After the War

The last American personnel left Vietnam in April 1975. In what is known as the Fall of Saigon, North Vietnamese soldiers crashed the gates of the Presidential Palace, and the South Vietnamese president handed over the rule of the land to North Vietnamese officers, effectively ending the Vietnam War. Roughly twenty years after the war began and after over three million deaths of soldiers and civilians, Vietnam was on its way to reformation. But reformation and reconciliation did not easily take place. Vietnam took quiet a beating, the country ravaged by bombs and by Agent Orange and people displaced from homes and livelihoods. More than that, there was the issue of trust among Vietnamese. Who can they trust from here on out? Added to the Agent Orange problems are tons of unexploded ordnance, 20-30 million land mines left behind by the US and French and thousands of deadly booby traps planted by the VC that were forgotten or simply left in place. A large number of south Vietnamese were brutalized. Their properties were confiscated and they were sent to harsh labor camps for up to 15 years simply because they were friendly toward Americans or had capitalistic ideals. Deng was a monster at best and it's a  crying shame that we abandoned that country and allowed this to happen. It was a very miserable reunion at best and it's doubtful that Ho Chi-Ming would have allowed this to happen had he lived. For the next 20 years, thousands of Vietnamese risked their lives to escape this brutal regime and even today to simply display the old South Vietnamese flag or wear those colors is punishable by imprisonment. Speaking out for your rights or against the government is also a prison sentence, probably in a labor camp that they never admitted existed. The war still lingers and will continue to do so until the last of the monsters who won it are dead. America cut off its support of Vietnam after the war, imposing a trade embargo that affected Vietnam immensely. While America paid for the damages done by Agent Orange, only American veterans and/or their families were compensated, Vietnamese were not. Other multilateral organizations like the World Bank held off support as well, pushing a war-worn country into further poverty. When Vietnam’s socialist policy collapsed in the eighties, Vietnam began selling surplus products, allowing capitalism back to its fold. Foreign investors were encouraged, and the Vietnamese government slowly made reconciliation with America. The US trade embargo was lifted in1994 and Vietnam was finally on its way to progress. Through the nineties, there were still tremors of socialism felt underneath the wave of capitalism, but Vietnam did not allow this to stop its tracks toward real progress. Slowly but surely, it pulled its people out of poverty so that, by the 2000, only 32 percent lived below poverty line. Vietnam wisely turned its focus on the education of its people and lasting trade alliances with other nations. It became a member of the World Trade Organization, which meant more and more foreign investments poured into its coffers, and by educating its people, they became partners for reform, not mere constituents that took from the government. Today, Vietnam attracts tourists who are eager to see remnants of the war long ago, as well as cultural attractions. Vietnam proudly shows off its scars, proof that it has survived a long, dark, and confusing period in history, a period that has helped usher the progress now experienced in Vietnam. It seems all is well for the country. Read the full article

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The Disputed Seas of the Pacific

The dispute over maritime territories in the Pacific has been going on for decades involving Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, China, and other neighboring countries. Many fears this is the start of world war III.   The South China Sea has long been a source of dispute among Pacific nations like Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, and Taiwan. It is an important international trading route. In the sixteenth century, the Europeans started calling it South China Sea to set it apart from other bodies of water in the area, but it does not solely belong to China. Presently, China has claimed 90 percent of the South China Sea, much to the disapproval of neighboring countries like Vietnam and the Philippines. Why is the South China Sea important to China? The South China Sea is an abundant source of water resources as well as natural gas. Also, an estimated $3.37 trillion worth of international trade passes through the South China Sea. China itself uses the South China Sea to import over 80 percent of energy and almost 40 percent of China’s total trade passes through the South China Sea. China has built islands in territories claimed by other nations. Like Vietnam, China has also used the waters for military exercises. Unlike Vietnam however, China takes on a more-aggressive approach in claiming ownership of the waters. In April 2019, reports regarding ten islands built by Vietnam in the South China Sea made headlines. Vietnam was quick to subdue the international interest that followed, assuring everyone that Vietnam’s actions are defensive in nature and Vietnam has no desire to wage war over its maritime territory. As a member of the ASEAN, Vietnam is definitely not viewed as an aggressive party.  ASEAN members use diplomatic approaches to settle disputes of any kind. Whether or not China will take heed of the initiatives of the ASEAN members remains to be seen. However, other nations are already invested in the effort to keep the South China Sea free from Chinese control. Among these nations are Japan, the United States, United Kingdom, and France. These countries have pledge support in order to protect maritime territories. Like other nations around the South China Sea, Vietnam does not look forward to further conflicts, especially another war. It can be recalled that Vietnam lost thousands of lives and livelihood during the Vietnam War. Now that it is a flourishing Asian nation, Vietnam would like to protect its waters without resulting to armed military conflicts especially with China, the largest military power in Asia. The ASEAN hopes to resolve the disputes in time to stop further aggression from all parties involve. The international community waits with bated breath. Read the full article

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What Makes or Breaks Alliances?

The U.S. has alliances with other countries and continues to influence the world in terms of economic, political, military, and social policies. What does the U.S. get in return?   On March 8, 1965, American combat troops came ashore in Da Nang, coming in to aid South Vietnam in its time of war against the north. The Americans fought alongside its ally until 1973, as a result of the Case-Church Amendment passed by Congress, which prohibited U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. Due to the U.S. eight-year involvement in the Vietnam War, many American lives were lost, but America, to protect her interest and her alliance with South Vietnam, saw the necessity of her action, proving the importance of the alliances of nations. But what is an alliance? What makes or breaks one? Are all alliances fail-safe solutions? Alliance is defined by statesmen and scholars as “a promise of mutual military assistance between two or more sovereign states.” This agreement of cooperation means more than just government programs or joint activities; alliance goes deeper and is more far-reaching, more often in forms of military pacts where each nation is assured of the other’s full support when faced with a common enemy. An alliance is the main instrument of national security. Each alliance is made with the consideration that additional military force from another country may tip the balance in an ongoing war; that being allied with the right country that has a great military force may even stop a war from starting; and that an alliance with the right country will ensure strategic advantage over control with security, data, economy, and perception. Every alliance needs to be put in fine print, and circumstances must be defined as clearly as possible, also known as casus foederis.  Each state must be in agreement with all the aspects of the treaty. Knowing and understanding the conditions of the treaty will make it easier to understand how to maintain the alliance, watch out for points of escalation, or know when diffusion of conflict is needed to ensure that the alliance remains intact. So if cooperation, trust, knowledge, and advantages make an alliance, what breaks one? Alliances are not always positive. Some alliances may be a drain on a country’s military strength, and the uncertainty in future military support will always be present. No alliance has ever been or will ever be an unqualified blessing. Everything comes with a price. When a country comes to their ally’s aid, this means costs—cost in men’s lives, weapons, supplies, and a whole lot more. This cost of involvement does not come easy. If one country feels that the other can’t contribute or has not lived up to the agreement, then it is the end. If one country does not send the promised military assistance needed after they had done their part, then the military reason disappears. Remember that military support and cooperation is usually the backbone of an alliance, therefore, take that away and you are left with almost nothing. Another major reason for an alliance ending is when there is a change in the power of states. A change in people who hold power may mean a change in government policy. New policy-making processes may endanger the current alliance since this may result in new leaders not willing to honor the commitments of their predecessors. In the end, no matter how much care, detail, or time you spend ensuring that an alliance is fool-proof, this will never be assured. Shifting loyalties, ever-changing leaders and ideologies, and unseen factors will always threaten any and all alliance policies. Read the full article

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The Biggest Army in the World

All in war is lost as death is the utmost winner of them all. The biggest army in the world can never succumb the fact that the stench of death is lurking when both sides decide to attain their own personal agenda and make it look like it’s a country’s purpose to achieve. The men behind the scenes have a more remarkable story than those in the front liner as they are the ones who suffer from the blast. If a camera can capture the scenery and can make a story out from it, the photographer captures the essence of that scenery that his heart alone can duplicate. July 1970 was a 23-day battle between Uncle Sam and the North of Vietnam and this year marks the many events that unfold during and after the war.   Countries can dominate another in a form of colonization, speaking of which Vietnam has many suitors in the following order: 1887 France over Vietnam calling it “French Indochina”, that led to 1923-1930 in the making of Indochinese Communist Party, Nazi Germany takes control of  France in 1940 which Japan in turn invaded French Indochina and occupied Vietnam with little French resistance. Only then in 1941 did the establishment of League for Independence of Vietnam took in action thus the 1945 declaration of independence. The rest is truly history as the lead on freedom was a few years in the making. Having to know what historical facts are concerning Vietnam and its neighboring countries this was the gathering of the biggest army in the world that led to the unification of North and South Vietnam which never happened as par to the elections. Ongoing colonization took place and the years went by like a crippled man who slowly made its progress to finally reach the peak of his destination as he drags himself day and night to get to where all things settled. 1975 was the year marked to sultry unification of North and South Vietnam after all the battles it went through as a country against many others who are in dire need to colonize. You see, in the pursuit of acquisition all is lost in war no matter how diplomatic it may sound like. Read the full article

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The Cost of War: How Much Is Spent to Win Wars

How much do wars waged by the government cost the public? It’s easy to think of terrorism and security without considering the cost to win wars.   Wars are costly. But even times of relative peace need a budget allocation in order to prepare a nation in case a war does become imminent. In 2018, the total global military spending hit $1.82 trillion (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), 60 percent of which came from five countries: the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and France. US military spending grew by 4.6 percent and reached $649 billion in 2018. USA remains the largest spender in the world in terms of military spending and spent almost as much on its military in 2018 as the next eight largest-spending countries put together. China, the next highest spender, spent $250 billion in 2018, having allocated 1.9 percent of its GDP to the military since 2013 and despite GDP growth in the last three months of 2018 having crawled to 6.4 percent. With arguably the most-advanced technology in military history, the USA remains the most formidable foe in the world, but US military budget is not spent on technology alone. The US military budget has 4 different components: base budget for the Department of Defense overseas contingency operations of other agencies like the State Department, National Nuclear Security Administration, etc.operational capabilities objective for the State Department and Homeland Security All these four components provide the US and its citizens the security it deserves and allow the US to reach out to other nations in need of military assistance. The military budget allocation allows the US to take care of the men and women serving the country and of our veterans. Although all these figures are well recorded, there are still unquantifiable costs that we do not know of. For example, a father lost in the throes of war, a house or a community that became collateral damages of war. While part of the budget allocation is to cover for these types of losses, how much do you say a father costs? How much does a house full of memories and hope for a family cost? How can we liquidate those types of losses and fairly or accurately recompense the survivors? There are countless veterans who are without families, homes, or livelihood. Will any budget allocation truly compensate for their losses? War may be a necessary evil, but its cost is more than any budget can cover. Wars cost wasted lives. Read the full article

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The Passion to Serve Others

You don’t have to be a saint or a public servant to serve others. You can do something to make the life of the person next to you easier and make the world a better place. True service is a form of self-sacrifice. To serve is to put yourself last, prioritizing the needs of those around you first. True service requires time, commitment, and perseverance. You need passion to serve others because the life dedicated to service is not an easy one. Around the world, many people and organizations have dedicated their lives to serve others. Some devote themselves to the less fortunate, raising funds for basic needs like food, medication, and shelter. Others promote free education for all. Some take care of unwanted children and help them get adopted. Others provide hot soup for the homeless. The scientists who work day and night to find the cure for dreaded diseases are examples of true service. Doctors, nurses, and caregivers give so much of themselves for others. The teachers who ensure children are taught properly are doing humanity true service. The military servicemen and women, the policemen, the firefighters, the rescue volunteers are ready to sacrifice their lives to serve others. Ideally, leaders and all public servants should have the interest of the public at heart. Ideally, they should consider their personal interest last. They should be the personification of true and honest service. If that is what we see and observe these days is another story, but you don’t have to be a leader or a public servant in order to serve others. In fact, you don’t need to belong to a profession, have a degree, or hold a title in order to serve others. Many of those who perform acts of service are unrecognized members of the community. They are not doctors, teachers, or firefighters. They are ordinary men and women who perform simple acts of kindness when no one is watching. They are people who go out of their way to lend a helping hand even to strangers. They are members of the society who would rather remain unknown, knowing they don’t need any fanfare to help. True service rewards immensely. People who willingly share their time and effort get more satisfaction from life. They make genuine friends and real connections. Even without monetary reward, real service to others gives a sense of fulfilment rarely found in other endeavours. Indeed, what you sow is what you reap. Sow happiness and positivity and it will come back to you a hundredfold. True service to others is indeed an honor and a privilege. Read the full article