[Dilbert San Diego]

My interpretation or understanding, is that Vietnam is a totalitarian country. Is that a fair statement? I understand they have made some free market reforms to their economic system. But I have been led to believe that concepts such as freedom of speech, or political satire or jokes against government officials, are not tolerated there.

Correct me if I’m wrong.

[ThanhPhero]

The people still refer to the government as Veecee the origin of which is just as it sounds. You don't walk up to a constable and say that Uncle Hô was a traitorous ignoramus. I have had a few what should have been dangerous political discussions with people I did not know well enough to know if they were Veecee or not, but that includes also one official in my town there. The country is still on paper totalitarian. In practice they are pretty loose with that and respond well to American pressure which was constant during Clinton's and Bush's terms but sorely lacking in the Obama years. If you would like to vacation in a not-so-third world place that is cheap and has the most fantastic bay in the world (Hà Lòng), take a couple of weeks, or better, a month, and go. Everyone loves Americans, especially older American men but my young daughter was treated like a celebrity when she went with me twice. She will carry my ashes back there at the appropriate time.