>>and a genuine republic - shit hole or no
A genuine republic where the caste system still plays a significant role in motivating those who manage to rise far enough to keep their toes slightly above the snapping jaws of those who'd gladly climb up and replace them.
That's a self-evident fact which made them yuuugely motivated H1B Useful Idiots in the context of the technological Empower(tm)ment that facilitated the sub-prime rape of America.
It is incumbent upon the honorable craftsman to be aware
of whether or not his services are being used
as a means to accomplish evil ends -
and to act (or NOT) accordingly.
India, BTW, is where Yuri Bezmenov was operating before he defected from the Evil Empire:
YMMV
The answer is very simple. Long before communists occupy the city, there was extensive network of informers; local Vietnamese citizens who knew absolutely everything about people who are instrumental in public opinion - including Barbers and Taxi Drivers. Everyone who was sympathetic to United States was executed. Same thing was done under the guidance of the Soviet Embassy in Hanoi, and same thing I was doing in New Delhi. To my horror, I discovered that in the files were people who were doomed to execution. There were names of pro-Soviet Journalists, with whom I was personally friendly.
YMMV