From: quangl@tabasco.sps.mot.com (Quang Le)
Subject: Re:  [MISC/POL] Re: Doing business in VN
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Reply-To: quangl@tabasco.sps.mot.com
Organization: N/A
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 00:16:38 GMT

|>
|>
|>quangl@tabasco.sps.mot.com (Quang Le) wrote
|>>I just read in Vietnamese magazine that a American company name Viet-Hoa
|>>(the name reveals ethnic of its owners) sent people going around Mekong
|>>delta to gather high quality rices (ga.o tho*m, na`ng hu*o*ng, na`ng tho*m...)
|>>to import to the U.S. This is possible after the partial lift of trade embargo
|>>a few months ago in basic human-need goods like food, medicine, v.v...
|>>At the end of the year, we will see ga.o na`ng hu*o*ng Vie^.t nam selling
|>>in supermarkets from Little Saigon to San Jose, Houston. Well, those rices
|>>will be sold as well as "to^m tu*o*i", won't them?
|>
|>I have a different opinion here,I do not think the above-mentioned kind of
|>rice is as good as the one available overhere,at least according to recent
|>immigrants whom I know.They (Viet_Hoa) probably still make money since they
|>can buy these rices at much lower price in VN.
|>

I think that you might forget what ga.o tho*m in Vietnam look like. Those are
special breeds of rice that is low productive (na(ng sua^'t tha^'p,) but smell
so sweet and taste so good. The North has "ga.o  ta'm tho*m," Hue^' has "ga.o de 
An Cu*.u," and the South was famous with "ga.o na`ng hu*o*ng." There is no competition 
in Thai or American rices. If they are available here they will be sold at least twice
price of normal rice and Vietnamese, especially the elders, will still buy them.

|>>
|>>It will be interesting if someone who loudly opposed embargo then tried to
|>>eat those rices.
|>
|>I dunno what you meant,since your logic is rather illogical :-)it should
|>be hypocritical if those who vehemently oppose lifting the embargo but
|>subsequently purchase those rices imported from VN. As for the ones who
|>oppose the sanction,if they do buy products imported from VN,it is an
|>act in accord with their principle.

My statement is not a logical statement, but a speculation. Let me  make
my speculation clearer.

1.Many Vietnamese here loudly opposed the lift of the embargo. They question
the stand point of those who favored it and threaten those who advocate business 
with Vietnam.

2.Vietnamese American businessmen, espcially who have Chinese root, have not had 
access to scv yet so they ignore those warnings and started doing business with 
Vietnam, importing food and other goods from Vietnam. The goods will be available
in a supermarket nearby you.:-)

3.Vietnamese in group 1 firmly believed in Capitalist principle and think that 
they have every right to spend their money at wish. They then bought those Vietnamese
rice, cited that those rice were grown by Vietnamese poor farmers, not communists.

4.After eating those rice and toothpicking, they log in their terminals, read
scv, and post a message crticizing me for not opposing the embargo, not opposing
bussiness with Vietnam. :-))

Why do I have such a speculation? 
Looking at two simliar issues - Sending money home and Vietnam tourist - Nowadays how 
many of us would say he/she would cut relationship with anyone, relatives or friends, 
if they send money home to buy/build house or visit Vietnam? Or just mind 
our own business?

|>>
|>>Companies, like Viet-Hoa, don't care a damn in Vietnamese politics here.
|>>They don't have time to read scv either. :-) They know that next to
|>>the law of America the law of money will govern everything (Or they
|>>should be swapped. I am not sure :-).
|>This is true,for these people/companies,money and profit are their paramount
|>motive,as most of them have little regard for other matters.Their business
|>dealings undoubtedly prolong the survival of the current regime in VN,as a
|>result, VN government will be under less pressure to enact truly democratic
|>reform.The recent election is a good indicator of how "democratic" the regime
|>has become.
|>As far as foreign companies are concerned,they can care less (much less )
|>it is us Vietnamese who are affected a great deal more.If we don't look out
|>for ourselves,who would?
|>
|>>Tha^n,
|>>Quang Le
|>
|>Regards;
|>
|>Garrick (Quang) Le

Cha`o anh ba.n cu`ng te^n:-)
Tha^n,
Quang Le

|>
|>Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are mine.
|>