Alan’s TTIM Stories #26

President Lyndon Johnson, Ho Chi Minh, General William Westmorland, Henry Kissinger, Le Duc Tho, and Rachael Leigh Cook. I will attempt to explain the commonality.

As a youth of the 1960’s, I watched the horrors of the Vietnam War on television – bloody casualties, burning napalm, and destructive Agent Orange. We lived across the street from Gold Star parents of a Medal of Honor recipient. Have to admit, I felt relief when my draft lottery number #136 wasn’t called into action. We also watched the nationwide protests – at Kent State, four dead in Ohio. We felt empty when the last helicopter left Saigon, feeling 50,000 Americans died in vain.

Jump ahead fifty years. The same visionary device that brought the war into our living room presented the movie, A Tourist Guide to Love – a delightful Netflix romcom located in Vietnam, starring and produced by the afore mentioned Rachael Leigh Cook. Does time heal all wounds or is it a matter of changed perception?

How does the U. S. State Department view the country: “Twenty-seven years after the establishment of bilateral relations in 1995, the United States and Vietnam are trusted partners with a friendship grounded in mutual respect. U.S.-Vietnam relations have become increasingly cooperative and comprehensive, evolving into a flourishing partnership that spans political, economic security, and people-to-people ties. The United States supports a strong, prosperous, and independent Vietnam that contributes to international security; engages in mutually beneficial trade relations; respects human rights  and the rule of law; and is resilient in the face of climate and energy- related challenges.”

Is this reality or a wish list? Is this rose-colored glasses description of relations nothing more than an attempted buffer against China?

The government of Vietnam offers enticement for the world to visit through its official Vietnam Tourism: “Vietnam – Timeless Charm – We are more than happy to welcome you all here and admire our stunning landscapes, free your soul on sandy beaches, experience our unique and beautiful culture and meet the people in the most friendly country. Particularly, to indulge in our scrumptious cuisine at Michelin rated restaurants or to join us in outstanding mega culture, music, sports, and tourism events!”

FREE YOUR SOUL?

Here is another opinion by Human Rights Watch:

“Vietnam’s human rights record remains dire in virtually all areas. The ruling Communist Party maintains a monopoly on political power and allows no challenge to its leadership. Basic rights are severely restricted, including freedoms of speech and the media, public assembly, association, and conscience and religion. Rights Activists and bloggers face police intimidation, harassment, restricted movement, arbitrary arrest, and incommunicado detention. Farmers lose land to development projects without adequate compensation, and workers are not allowed to form independent unions. The police regularly use torture and beatings to extract confessions. The criminal justice system, including the courts, lacks independence, for example sentencing political dissidents and civil society activists to long prison terms on bogus national security charges.”

And now to Rachael Leigh Cook of She’s All That and Josie and the Pussycats. The 2023 Netflix movie, A Tourist’s Guide to Love, follows an American executive, Cook, on a bus tour where she falls for her Vietnamese guide. In an interview she stated: “What I knew about Vietnam is that I wanted to go and that I had Instagram envy of my friends’ travel vacation photos there. I was excited to go.”  Cook, born four years after the fall of Saigon, wanted to show the country in a new way and ensure that her trademark brand of joy, love, and laughs felt fresh.

Memories, policy, and self-interest mix with our slightly hypocritical pledge of world democracy. We attempt a careful balance of human rights, strategic military positioning, along with economic factors.

President Franklin Roosevelt was informed of the atrocities of Rafael Trujillo on the people of the Dominican Republic. He replied, “An s.o.b., but our s.o.b.” believing the dictator to be a valued ally. South Vietnam was governed by one corrupt leader after another in the name of democracy. Through the decades after the 1940’s and 1960’s, our tolerance of authoritarianism has not disappeared from our foreign policy.

The absence of war is a blessing for the Vietnamese and Americans. Scars are healing and healing will accelerate with the demise of my generation. In the midst of spin we cannot forget the sacrifice of so many and we must continue to gain the high ground of morality and freedom through our own example by being a voice for the oppressed. We are free to visit a beautiful country with exciting cuisine and friendly people. How free are the friendly people? What is the truth about Vietnam today – a vacation wonderland or an example of enduring oppression?

Our older generation and history will not forget. Let the healing continue. Let freedom grow. 

Sources:
Wikipedia
Wikimedia Commons
The Atlantic
U.S. State Department
Vietnam Tourism
Netflix

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Follow announcements of Alan’s TTIM Stories on Facebook.com/alan.vandervoort or Instagram & Treads vandervoort_author. All posts are available at www.alanvandervoort.com. Novels by the author include: Sandhills – A Novel and Key Largo Summer are found at Booklocker.com and other online booksellers.