From: nguyen@drutx.ATT.COM (Christopher Chu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Subject: Re: [POLL]
Summary: Looking for other's viewpoints and advices
Date: 23 Aug 92 18:18:40 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Denver, Colorado


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Dear SCV Readers,

Thank anh Tin Le for the info forwarded below and thank anh Hung for
bringing up this discussion about the forthcoming presidential election.

I talked with a number of older Vietnamese people and listened to the
republican convention to gain some basic understanding about the view
of the republican supporters. I only have some questions that I hope
netters will help clarify.

I summarize a number of major points that I have read from the republicans
in their convention as well as in real life and stated my opinions in the
following paragraphs.

(1) Strong foreign policies and strong capitalism are the key to
prosperity of this nation. The success of these assure the superiority of
the American on the globe and stimulate/strengthen the American economy by
providing opportunities to small businesses, respectively. Several
republican plans for economic reforms have been blocked by the
democrat-dominated congress that has been in power for the last 30 years.

(2) The liberal democrats cannot build the strong American society because
they only look inward and to the past instead of outward and to the
future; for example, liberally valuing diversity, allowing nonconservative
behaviors, and soft approaches to criminals can only create more
discrimination, social disintegration, and chaos in the American society.

(3) The democrats build big government since they do not trust the
American people; the big government strictly regulates businesses,
discourages small business investment and thus, hinders economic reforms.
More over, big government implies big money for unfair social programs and
induces big taxing that only hurts the middle class American people.

(4) If the democrats win the election they will give the communist,
especially the Vietnamese communist as pointed out by the Vietnamese
republicans, chances to live longer or even to revive. The democrat's
(Bill Clinton's) inexperience in foreign policies will not allow them to
address the potential nuclear threat from the world famous dictators such
as Sadam Husein.

As I have stated, the above points were what I personally read from the
republican public agenda and thus, may not be very representative.
Nevertheless, I think these arguments seem to be extreme theories: no
president can be so naive to deal with the fundamental problems posed by
these arguments with such extremity. Also, I wonder what the value of a
president's plans are, if he/she cannot convince congress, whatever that
congress is, for the execution of those plans. And I wonder whether the
question how one can objectively justify what is and what is not good/fair
for all American people is a persuasive argument in a presidential
campaign.

Practically, I can see by my own eyes that after almost 12 years of
republican presidency in the White House, the American education quality,
social integrity, and economy have been retreated seriously. I do not need
statistical reports: I have observed in my own eyes these declines
especially during the last three years.

Amazingly, it became so obvious to me that domestic issues are much harder
to deal with than the foreign ones after listening to Bush's speech in his
presidency nomination acceptance. It's definitely true that hi-tech
weapons and expert military strategies in Desert Storm showed American
superiority in declaring and maintaining the new world order, but I wonder
whether that did cost-effectively raise the American dollar value today as
it was supposed to do. I am no politician but I personally felt like a
solution to a number of the problems that the American face today may have
to make the right-wing conservative republicans to change their approach
to the American national issues completely.

(1) If magnificent but costly achievements in foreign policies were as
vital for American economy as stated by the right-wing republicans, I
would not expect to see the trend of down-sizing of many of the US
industries today as well as many homeless people on the streets.

Aside but related to this question, I realize that Reagan's plan in
applying Japanese industry management strategies into the US started at
least three years ago (e.g., Deming teachings and Malcomn Baldridge
Industry National Awards) and the American industries have been trying
very hard to improve themselves since. But yet, there has not been a sign
that we will lead our competition, especially in the end-user electronic
and automobile industries.

(2) If the traditional American values were largely socialized, I would
expect to continue to see problems of abuses, riots, gangs and drug use.

Aside but related to the question above, I think that the
cost-effectiveness of the republican's solutions to the problem of drug
use is still debatable even though president Bush had informed the
American people in his presidency nomination acceptance speech that drug
use in the US has been reduced 60% since he started his (international)
drug war campaign.

(3) If the education system were improved, I would not expect to continue
to see American high school student rank almost last in seven-great-nation
mathematics competitions and teacher's strikes.

Aside but also related to the question above, a friend of mine who had
about 10 years of computer professional experience, who helped to build
the first Vietnamese TV broadcast in Denver, who started his own computer
business two years ago here and now in North Carolina, and who traveled to
Europe and Japan for several times to seek his market, made a remark to me
that an *average* fresh-from-college computer engineer/programmer in
France and Netherland know as much as twice about computer theories
compared to an average American one. I consider this remark as the
democratic opinion and perception about the comparison of the American
educational system to others of just another very serious Vietnamese small
business person.

I do not want to blame the republican, president Bush and his cabinet
for the problems that I heard and saw. I only feel that it is so hard for
me to justify my vote for the republican in the coming presidential
election while not being given sufficient answers for the puzzling
questions that I have just stated above after witnessing three consecutive
terms of republican presidency for twelve (12) years.

I really hope that knowledgeable netters will help provide all of us with
their view points about both republican and democratic parties. Again, I
want to indicate that I personally look forward to read netter's opinion
but I do not desire to engage in a political debate. I think of the
favoritism or objection to the republican or the democrat on the stated
issues as more of personal beliefs than mathematical theorems that can be
proven before the facts. After all, what are more important than those
individual perceptions in this jungle of the information world? Aren't
those perceptions, regardless of right or wrong, about the stated problems
in America what important for everyone to consider, especially the leaders
of this nation?

Sincerely Yours,

Chris
+------------------------ Begin forwarded article ---------------------------+
| From: tin@smsc.sony.com (Le Tin)                                           |
| Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese                                         |
| Subject: Re: [POLL]                                                        |
| Message-ID: <1992Aug22.211432.19372@smsc.sony.com>                         |
| Date: 22 Aug 92 21:14:32 GMT                                               |
| References: <1992Aug21.145152.10036@news.media.mit.edu>                    |
|                                                                            |
| In article <1992Aug21.145152.10036@news.media.mit.edu>                     |
| gt5873a@prism.gatech.edu writes:                                           |
|                                                                            |
| >Dear Netters,                                                             |
| >                                                                          |
| >       Now that both the Democrat and the Republican conventions are      |
| >       over, have any one of you responding to my poll earlier this month |
| >       changed your mind?  Please let me know your opinions.              |
| >                                                                          |
| >       The latest poll shows President Bush is closing in the gap to a 9  |
| >       point difference (Clinton 50%, Bush 41%).  This is quite           |
| >       miraculous how the Republicans have pulled away, considering the   |
| >       gap was at 28% (Clinton 58%, Bush 30%) according to a poll taken   |
| >       early July. >                                                      |
| >Hu`ng                                                                     |
|                                                                            |
| Hello Hu`ng,                                                               |
|                                                                            |
| Normally I stay out of political discussion due to lack of time.  However, |
| there are a few things I wish to point out to people about Mr. Bush and    |
| the Republican party.                                                      |
|                                                                            |
| As I have noted in an earlier discussion about Mr. Perot, the key points   |
| to look at are their past records.  The longer their record, the better    |
| your chances of predicting their future actions.                           |
|                                                                            |
| The following information come from an article in the SJ Mercury News,     |
| Thursday 8/20/92.  Business section.                                       |
|                                                                            |
| Federal taxes and other levies more than doubled in the 12 years that the  |
| White House was occupied by Reagan and Bush (who came into office in 1980  |
| with the promises to cut taxes).  Revenue from income taxes and other      |
| sources increased 108 percent to $1.076 trillion in fiscal 1992 from       |
| $517.1 billion in fiscal 1980, according to Bush's Office of Management    |
| and Budget.                                                                |
|                                                                            |
| Although they pushed through a number of tax cuts for individuals and      |
| companies, taxes were increased by other measures that Reagan and Bush     |
| signed into law over the 12 years.  They included bills raising gasoline   |
| taxes and abolishing tax breaks.  (they get you coming or going :-} )      |
|                                                                            |
| The tax burden also increased enormously under Reagan and Bush, especially |
| from defense spending.  The main reason that tax rate has not increased as |
| drastically was because Reagan and Bush increased federal borrowing at a   |
| high rate.  The national debt quadrupled from $908.72 billion in fiscal    |
| 1980 to $3.93 trillion currently.                                          |
|                                                                            |
| In addition, the doubling of federal taxes during the past 12 years does   |
| not take into account tax increases that state and local governments have  |
| enacted to continue programs to which Reagan and Bush halted federal aid   |
| grants.                                                                    |
|                                                                            |
| These are all facts that the Republican failed miserably in domestic       |
| management and foreign affairs (what good changes has Desert Storm done?   |
| how about Irangate?).  Now they are trying to distract people by playing   |
| up the family value angle.  Which they care very little about.             |
|                                                                            |
| My advice is for everyone to research the facts carefully.  Do not         |
| be mislead by the rhetorics and hand waving these people are doing.        |
| Then go out there and vote.                                                |
|                                                                            |
| Regards,                                                                   |
| Tin Le                                                                     |
| --                                                                         |
| .----------------------------------------------------------------------    |
| . Tin Le                    Work Internet: tin@smsc.Sony.COM               |
| . Sony Microsystems                                                        |
| . Office: (408) 944-4157     Other Internet Addr: tin@szebra.Saigon.COM    |
| .----------------------------------------------------------------------    |
+------------------------- End forwarded article ----------------------------+
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese