In responding to the previous post, my friend Cameron thoughtfully reminds me to extend the question "What do we tell the 58,000 names on the wall?" to the millions of Vietnamese killed during the American occupation in Vietnam. To this I would add the Australians, Canadians, Koreans, Chinese, et.al. Yes, they all would have something to say about the current state of affairs.
I would also add the millions physically and psychologically maimed by that war. Yes, they all figure into this paradox that has resulted from the stability that Vietnam offers corporate capitalists. It's a hop, skip and a jump to oil and Iraq.
A few years ago, while teaching an International Relations class for high school seniors, I came across a wonderful cartoon. My attempts to find it and post it here have been unsuccessful so far. Let me describe it, however, because it's genius in it's concept. Imagine a split screen. On the left side is a Vietnamese girl, about 11 or 12 working on Nike shoes. She sits at a sewing machine, her bare feet do not reach the floor. Caption reads, "job, no shoes." On the other side of the screen is an American adolescent male, leaning on a street light pole, wearing baggy pants, athletic jacket, high end Nikes. Caption reads, "$200. shoes, no job."
Damn, I wish I could draw.
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