I know there are better pics, so please post them here...SG looks so gorgeous in the old days...
source: flickr.com/photos/mamruoc/ (also some photos of vnese emperors)
That period was definitely hardship, however, IMO it was inevitable since the French colonization era. It sucks but we have to deal with it this day. That's why I'm supporting the government right now because I'm optimistic that Vietnam is recovering and building back its feet :cheers:The Korean war ended in 1954 . South Korea with the United Stated backed had since rebuilt their country. After half a century continuously developed, south Korea is ranked number 11th. in world's economy. At the time, when VN reunified it's nation in 1975, South Korea was still considered a developing nation, it's economy is about Thailand economy right now. On the other hand, Vietnamese instead of rebuilding theirs nation to be prosperous after the war ended, they began their destruction processes on their own soil under their farmer leaders.
The destruction process began with the so called re-education of millions of the intellectuals of VN. A country without intellectuals will become what? A simple question already has an answer, but instead it's was reversed in directions, the intellectuals were subdue by the farmers, by the laborers and worst the people who all their life were spent in the jungles. This process alone brought the country backward ten years. Next, the process of leveling all people, leveling the whole country to become equal, no one can be better than the so called Party's members; everyones were forced to be lower than their farmer leaders, the commies . A country without classes will become what? The answer is not so difficult to figure out; it will become a society with farmers, laborers and worse beggars vendorers. How did the commies carry out this process?
First, the sophisticate factories' equipments were began to unassemble to transport to the Northern part of VN where they began to reassemble to elevate the north and de-elevate the south; therefore balance out the country. With their lacks of machanical knowleges and the parts and many other neccessities to erect a factory, all the equipments became useless and waist. This process alone, bring the whole country five years backward. Second, the commies collected everything the people produced. The people made products and the commies confiscated it and sold back to the people. Who want to work anymore without a benefit for themselve but the commies? THe people began to be lazy, not by their nature but were forced to be that way. Vietnamese were well known for their hard work, but under the commies leadership they became who they weren't and this brought the country's wealth level down another ten years. Whose sins are these? The commies!!!!!! Third, the commies consficated the people's belonging included of golds, dollars, houses, and lowest of all the vendorer's tools such as: baskets, tables and chairs, rice, lemons, gingers, salts and .... if they don't registered and pay tax to the commies. How much can they make with all of these cheap products? Not significantly. THis process alone made the people another ten years poorers. More and more unhuman processes were done to the people that I can't describe in all. THe one that was most important and benefitial for the country,but was forbidden was the isolation with all the capitalist countries in the world, without investments from the capitalist countries, VN slow down it's development for many so years.
All of the hardship above, I would considered VN is actually going backward at least forty years comparing to Vietnam's level at this moment.
^^ yeah , this photo is very strange , can't realize where this place now in Saigon , uhm Saigon in the past has many cars , the street is wide and clean , Mr Layered , can you post some photos of Saigon in 1972 form your computer :cheers:
so stranger!