US Ambassador

So the other day I went to a little social gathering that featured the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Marine. I can't really tell you what he said because he started things by informing the limited assembled media that his comments were "off the record." Overall, it was interesting to be in a room with a bunch of folks interested in Vietnam, and in particular, interested in the economics of Vietnam, and how it relates to their own pocketbooks.

I am sure there are rooms of folks like this all across the States (and the world) - people getting together, trading and collaborating on ideas of how to exploit (in the economic sense) Vietnam. In a week or so there will be yet another round of investment conferences for foreigners in Hanoi and HCMC.

One thing that was mentioned by a friend of mine at the gathering was 'the moral basis for U.S. involvement in countries such as Vietnam is that economic development and freedom will lead to social freedoms.' He wonders what we (the U.S.) will do when future experience turns that aphorism into a falsehood. Afterall, the growing economic might China has allowed it to dictate certain terms to U.S. multinationals looking to engage in that market. See Yahoo.com.