I have read little about Vietnam in our media. I chose to deal with it when I read this monthâs âThe Diplomatâ article, titled âRemembering VietnamÂŽs Great Famineâ, by French-Vietnamese analyst Christelle Nguyen.
Contextualizing,
The Investment Bank âGoldman Sachsâ, the same as in a study of 2001 of its then chief economist, Jim OÂŽNeil, intitulado âBuilding Better Global Economic BRICsâ, formulated the concept of emerging economies that would succeed advanced ones in the leading role of globalization, launched, in 2005, the concept of âNext Elevenâ, the set of eleven countries with the potential to appear together with the BRICS among the largest economies in this century. The criteria adopted were factors such as macroeconomic stability, political maturity, open trade and investment policies, and quality of education. Following these criteria, Bangladesh was selected, South Korea, Egypt, Philippines, Indonesia, Will, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, TĂŒrkiye and Vietnam.
Surprise for many, because the image of several of them in public opinion is not in line with the bank's analysis. Why?… Would international society be out of step with the criteria â and the selection – technical and political experts use? Where is globalization heading in these times when it is so contested??
And among these âchosenâ countries, why Vietnam?
I had the opportunity to serve at our Embassy in Hanoi on two occasions during my diplomatic career. Living with the Vietnamese and the reality I experienced confronted me with several preconceptions I had, largely due to the distorted perception that international society has of Vietnam. In our case, So, This distortion is even more flagrant due to the distance of Brazilian public opinion from international realities that are not âWestern-centricâ ones..
Between them, the âmiserabilistâ image I had due to the countryâs recent history, especially the French colonization process, Japanese occupation and war with the Americans, that marked and forged contemporary Vietnam.
So it was that when I arrived in Hanoi I started asking the people I was closest to about their perception of colonization and especially the tragedy that was the âVietnam Warâ.… as the âclichĂ©â presents us, neither?. The answers always surprised me: I didn't notice any indelible resentment towards the past and the war conflict, to my huge surprise! Of course, that this past is recorded: there is in Hanoi, at least two museums that recap the episode: the huge âVietnam Military History Museumâ, located in the center of Hanoi, near Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, e o âB52 Victory Museumâ, which impressed me a lot. But little – or nothing – I heard it in terms of hate – or resentment – to former colonizers, or the Americans…
But, let's go to the article…
Nguyen states that âit is almost unbelievable that the horrific scenes of the famine 1945, portrayed by renowned writer TĂŽ HoĂ i (1920-2014), occurred just a few decades ago in Vietnamâs bustling capital.â. The âGreat Hunger of 1945â, tambĂ©m conhecida como âAt Dau Famineâ em vietnamita, occurred in Tonkin and Annam under French occupation and during the Japanese military presence. According to government statistics, she was responsible for two million deaths in northern Vietnam, approximately 8% of the population.
According to analysts, The memory of this tragedy is a fundamental element in understanding the country's modern history: contrasts with the reality that Vietnam is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world. What was the path taken?, that from such a turbulent period, became a candidate for ânext elevenâ?
Let's get to the facts: until French colonization, in the middle of the 19th century, its economy was mostly subsistence agrarian and centered in villages. The presence of the French was consolidated with the surrender of the Nguyá» n dynasty, then in power, ushering in an era of subordination to colonizers, which lasted until 1954. The French divided the economy between the agricultural south and the increasingly industrializing north to serve their interests. In September 1940, during World War II. Japanese troops invaded Vietnam and remained there until August 1945, “sharing” power with the French until the defeat of Japan, in 02 September of that year.
The process of resistance and independence from the colonial yoke in the wake of the Indochina War, which lasted from 1946 a 1954, brought Ho Chi Minh's communists to power, supported by the Soviets and the Chinese, dividing the country between the capitalist south, based in Saigon, and the communists based in Hanoi, in the north. The entry of the Americans into the conflict, in november 1955, responding to the Saigon government's call to resist pressure from Ho Chi Minh's troops and local Viet Cong rebels, was the scene of one of the most traumatic moments in contemporary American history. Remember me, on purpose, of two poignant films on this topic: âApocalipse Nowâ, by Francis Coppola, e âBorn on the 4th of Julyâ, de Oliver Stone. With the melancholic departure of the Americans in August 1973 – which brought severe consequences for the Washington government, as we know – and the defeat of the southerners by the communists, in april of 1975, a new era began in the country's history.
From the mid-1990s 1980, through the reform process entitled âÄá»i Má»iâ – literally translated as “restoration” -, Vietnam promoted a change in the profile of its economy, from highly centralized to a mixed economy. This process is due to the change of emphasis in the direction of economic policy, from agricultural to manufacturing and service sectors. and greater integration with neighboring countries and economies, about everything. The country also gained momentum from private investments, the increase in tourism, of higher wages and growing urbanization.
âDĂłi MĂłiâ used targeted planning, through five-year plans that are based on an economy increasingly open to the market. This combination resulted, according to analysts, profound changes: of a country on the brink of economic collapse, according to macroeconomic indices, Vietnam is now on the path to prosperity. This âstatus quoâ is giving it a growing presence on the international scene and significant participation in various regional and international institutions..
would be, So, Goldman Sachs predictions correct? Controversial?…Exemplar?.
