From: luong@fps.com (Luong Nguyen-Duy)
Subject: Re: Doing business in Vietnam (was Re: Embargo & Normalization ( second poll ))
Organization: Cray Research Superservers Inc., San Diego CA, USA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 02:51:44 GMT


Hello Garrick, Tri, Binh and other good fellows,

First I'd like to thank Binh on the stories about Nguyen Trung Hieu .
I, too,  despise such actions.

When posing the question about people who do business in VN I was thinking
more about people who honestly doing business.  Those who  provide
some services and gain profit from their services.  Let's take an example.
I hear that they have alot of popular electronics gadgets in Vietnam; such
as TV, VCR, Casettes, etc.. .  Well, where do these stuff come from ?
Where are the parts to fix them when they do not function properly ?
It is very safe to say that most of this come from overseas.  OK, I live
in Vietnam. I am an entrepreneur .  I set up a shop in VN to sell
TV, VCR, etc... .  I have friends/relatives in the States.  I tell them,
"you go buy me this and that so I can sell them and make my living in VN".
Of course I'd have to bribe people at the airport, seaport to get the goods
into VN, but that is the way it is in VN.  After few years, my business
grow big,  lots people want TV, VCR, PC, etc... .  I tell my friends: "you work
for me.  You buy the goods, send it to VN and I'll pay you commisssion".
I set up several shops all over Saigon.  I employ people (who otherwise
may not have a job).  I deal with high level government people so that my
business can run smoothly -- this, too, is part of business.

So here I am, bribing left and right to government people so that my business
can run smoothly;  so I can make my profit, have luxury life and also provide
employments to people.  Am I a scumbag ?  Why ?
Yes, I have to pay taxes to the Communist government,
and that keeps them alive.  But is that so bad ?  Because if I had
not done anything, I, my family probably would have been starved to death and
the people who I employ might not have a job.  I am a capitalist !!!
And all my associates in the US also make profit too.
They're not out to cheat and steal from people like Mr. Nguyen trung Hieu
is alledged to do.  They're just businessmen.  And due to them that I
have the goods to sell to my customers.
Now, I have a son, he is a rich kid ( because his dad, that's me :-))) is
rich).  He looks around him and said to me : "Dad, we're rich and others
are poor.  And in school they do not teach me anything worthwhile.  And
I can not criticise the governemnt and blah blah blah..." .  I'd tell
him "Son, the only reason you can sit here and say those things is because
we have money !  Otherwise, you'd be too busy selling cigarettes on street
corners to worry about things like this".

What is wrong with this ?

So the bottom line is that if people are too poor, they would not care much
about democracy, freedom and other nice ideas.  Only when their bellies are full
then they start to think more about other stuffs.  That is why, I
think doing business in VN are good for the people overall.
Only when the profit money are taken out of the country 
then there are problem.  That is why I feel sad when all
these big Japan and Honkong companies go to VN and do business; a big chunk of
their profit will go to Japan and HongKong and not in VN.
I think we should encourage Vietnamese in VN to do business rather than
discourage them.  It is true that in doing so, it will help the Communist
government indirectly.  But between human well being and political
ideology, I side on human wellness first.

Also, I would like to comment something on the perceived connection
between capitalism and democracy/freedom.  Such as the followings from Tri :

>So if you do business with Vietnam now, you are helping the current
>regime consolidate its power structure whose underlying ideology
>remains extremely contemptuous of values such as individual freedom on
>which capitalism is based.

The only "individual freedom" that capitalism needs and support is the freedom
to do business and freedom to make huge profit.  Capitalism in itself does
not imply freedom of speech, assembly, etc...   That is why it is possible
for such country as Singapore, Malaysia, etc... can have such a powerful
economy and still being authoritarian regimes.

Again, from Tri :

>What we want is more than just economic improvement.
>Capitalism should be viewed as a by-product of freedom and should be
>kept in check by certain social principles. Otherwise, it could
>involve pretty ruthless exploitation.

I totally agree.  It's just that I'd prefer seeing the people alive first.


Luong Nguyen-Duy


============================================================================

"The wise therefore rule by emptying the hearts and stuffing bellies,
by weakening ambitions and strenghthening bones"

			Lao Tsu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese