I stumbled on this World Economic Forum Report about the Vietnam Miracle as I was searching for something else on the Facebook wall of my inlaw Dr Gordon Ononiwu. The report spoiled my day. It all reminds me of my mantra THE ROAD NOT TAKEN. #
To think that just a few decades ago, Vietnam was at war with the no1 superpower in the world and was consequently devastated. It came out of the war determined to reset its relationship with the US and the West despite its loud claim of attachment to Communist principles now observed more in the breach. China, Vietnam's avowed big enemy and neighbour, had earlier under Deng Xiao Ping started to make serious inroads into the US market leading to its current overwhelming dominance. Poor Vietnam pragmatically looked to a time that it would take its "rightful" bite out of the US bazaar and went right ahead to work towards it. What we see now is NOT the Vietnamese Miracle but rather a result of conscious planning and sustained action. I shuddered when it was revealed that the former, (disgraced?) head of the Nigeria Customs went visiting Vietnam to learn about Rice husbandry. Till today I have been scratching my head wondering how on earth it concerned him. It would have made some sense if it was Audu Ogbe undertaking that trip. . Nigeria we hail thee!
Purists may want to point out that Vietnam does not in any way approximate to a modern democracy. My response is simple. NEITHER DOES NIGERIA! . The way things are here, I could quite easily have been living in the erstwhile IS Caliphate carved out of northern Syria and Iraq.
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