Today is the 41st Anniversary of the end of Nam (the slang used for Vietnam War in America). It was an embarrassing quagmire for Americans and literally so, as their soldiers recruited via draft, could never adapt to the muddy paddy fields of Vietnam. Guerrilla warfare waged by a motivated enemy on their home turf, equally lack of motivation from the Americans, who being creatures of comfort were simply misfit for long, arduous combat in the insect infested jungles of Vietnam.
The War ended with the famous air evacuation of the last remnants of Americans from Saigon. China and Russia who backed North Vietnam, didn't learn anything. China, soon attacked Vietnam in 1978 and was forced to beat a hasty retreat by their war rugged rivals. The experienced Vietnamese gave them a bloody nose. The pugnacious Chinese intruders, being shrewed and pragmatic, realizes this and backed out before any further humiliation.
But the then Soviet Union's ego drove them into the Afghanistan misadventure, bringing yet another Superpower to its knees (it's rumored that Breznev, drunk with Vodka ordered soldiers to move into the land locked country). They got stuck into a quagmire and during Breznev's funeral approached Zia to broker with US. The shrewed Pakistani dictator knew which side the wind was blowing, so decided to keep quite and milk America further. It's ripple effects is still felt today, a la the tremors often felt in that earthquake prone zone.
It would be foolish to see America's beating retreat in Nam in terms of victory of communism over Capitalism. Soon Communism slowly started to fizzle out. China shunned it and got stuck with the habit of getting rich. Soviet Union went broke, both in economics and political terms.
Capitalism in spite of its shortcomings thrived, mainly due to innovation and competition associated with it. Vietnam have long adopted free market economy, their leaders baking bread with their once enemy Americans. Cuba, is getting closer to Uncle Sam as Obama went to Havana to embrace it's old rival.
As April rolls over to May, the 1st day of the month is celebrated as Labor Day in most parts of the world. On this day, the communist nations during their haydays used to showcase their military prowess. Only country which now calls itself communist is North Korea. It is more like the Kim family's (hermit) Kingdom. Their buffoon leader and his father before him are champion womanizers and consumer of luxury capitalist goods when their commoners starve.
World has seen many changes, as the commies and their promised land has gone to the dogs (it's not a coincidence that the young Kim, their present dictator is rumored to have fed his uncle to the dogs). While rest of the world have moved ahead, Communism in India is now limited to a few parasite intelgencia who shop in London but pretend that Moscow as paradise, with a liberal dosage of freebies at the expense of tax player's money. As they age, hope they carry their failed age old policy to grave along with them.
The War ended with the famous air evacuation of the last remnants of Americans from Saigon. China and Russia who backed North Vietnam, didn't learn anything. China, soon attacked Vietnam in 1978 and was forced to beat a hasty retreat by their war rugged rivals. The experienced Vietnamese gave them a bloody nose. The pugnacious Chinese intruders, being shrewed and pragmatic, realizes this and backed out before any further humiliation.
But the then Soviet Union's ego drove them into the Afghanistan misadventure, bringing yet another Superpower to its knees (it's rumored that Breznev, drunk with Vodka ordered soldiers to move into the land locked country). They got stuck into a quagmire and during Breznev's funeral approached Zia to broker with US. The shrewed Pakistani dictator knew which side the wind was blowing, so decided to keep quite and milk America further. It's ripple effects is still felt today, a la the tremors often felt in that earthquake prone zone.
It would be foolish to see America's beating retreat in Nam in terms of victory of communism over Capitalism. Soon Communism slowly started to fizzle out. China shunned it and got stuck with the habit of getting rich. Soviet Union went broke, both in economics and political terms.
Capitalism in spite of its shortcomings thrived, mainly due to innovation and competition associated with it. Vietnam have long adopted free market economy, their leaders baking bread with their once enemy Americans. Cuba, is getting closer to Uncle Sam as Obama went to Havana to embrace it's old rival.
As April rolls over to May, the 1st day of the month is celebrated as Labor Day in most parts of the world. On this day, the communist nations during their haydays used to showcase their military prowess. Only country which now calls itself communist is North Korea. It is more like the Kim family's (hermit) Kingdom. Their buffoon leader and his father before him are champion womanizers and consumer of luxury capitalist goods when their commoners starve.
World has seen many changes, as the commies and their promised land has gone to the dogs (it's not a coincidence that the young Kim, their present dictator is rumored to have fed his uncle to the dogs). While rest of the world have moved ahead, Communism in India is now limited to a few parasite intelgencia who shop in London but pretend that Moscow as paradise, with a liberal dosage of freebies at the expense of tax player's money. As they age, hope they carry their failed age old policy to grave along with them.
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