"Actually, China has invaded and absorbed quite a few nations," I said. "There are many nationalities within China."
"China hasn't invaded anybody since 1949," Aaron countered.
"Even Vietnam has invaded and absorbed other nations. Everybody does this. And Vietnam's eternal fear is to be absorbed by China. If you go to Vietnam, you won't hear Vietnamese talk badly about Japan, France or the United States, all of whom has caused a lot of suffering there, but China is different, because China is right there! My cousin is half Chinese, but you should hear this woman. She's insanely anti-China!"
A successful Saigon businesswoman who's fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, with several trips to China, Lan has raged to me about Chinese invading Nha Trang and Da Nang, Chinese clothes with toxins or even leeches, and Chinese noodles and rice made of plastic. The Chinese are trying to kill the Vietnamese, Lan is convinced, and to show how barbaric they are, she told me about Chinese eating fetuses.
Aaron, "I think Vietnam should learn how to cooperate with China, and not lean on the US in any way."
"Vietnam is working with China, and emulating it, but it also doesn't trust China. That's why it's working militarily with the US, and buying American weapons."
"I think that's a big mistake."
"He's giving you the Vietnamese perspective, Aaron," Theo interjected. "You don't know how people in Vietnam think."
Just by offering an alternative to Western styled capitalism, China is already giving hope to the rest of the world, the young man insisted. China is the future. Tall, clean shaven and square jawed, Aaron never smiled and was often irritated. Earnestly proselytizing, he spoke of "objective economic realities that cannot be debated."
"So what do you think will happen to the United States?"
"It can't go on like this. A revolution must happen."
"How can this be put in motion?"
"The working class needs to be educated to overthrow capital."
"But what's the first step?"
"A conversation like this."
"Then?"
"China hasn't invaded anybody since 1949," Aaron countered.
"Even Vietnam has invaded and absorbed other nations. Everybody does this. And Vietnam's eternal fear is to be absorbed by China. If you go to Vietnam, you won't hear Vietnamese talk badly about Japan, France or the United States, all of whom has caused a lot of suffering there, but China is different, because China is right there! My cousin is half Chinese, but you should hear this woman. She's insanely anti-China!"
A successful Saigon businesswoman who's fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, with several trips to China, Lan has raged to me about Chinese invading Nha Trang and Da Nang, Chinese clothes with toxins or even leeches, and Chinese noodles and rice made of plastic. The Chinese are trying to kill the Vietnamese, Lan is convinced, and to show how barbaric they are, she told me about Chinese eating fetuses.
"Vietnam is working with China, and emulating it, but it also doesn't trust China. That's why it's working militarily with the US, and buying American weapons."
"I think that's a big mistake."
"He's giving you the Vietnamese perspective, Aaron," Theo interjected. "You don't know how people in Vietnam think."
Just by offering an alternative to Western styled capitalism, China is already giving hope to the rest of the world, the young man insisted. China is the future. Tall, clean shaven and square jawed, Aaron never smiled and was often irritated. Earnestly proselytizing, he spoke of "objective economic realities that cannot be debated."
"So what do you think will happen to the United States?"
"It can't go on like this. A revolution must happen."
"How can this be put in motion?"
"The working class needs to be educated to overthrow capital."
"But what's the first step?"
"A conversation like this."
"Then?"
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