Please note, that we can only write about our observations during just 3 weeks. North Vietnam, organised by the communist party, celebrated victory in 1973 at the end of the Vietnam war. Since 1975 then the unified country is a one party state. The communist party is leading the country, since 1984 with reformed market economy. There are still many state owned companies but tourism and foreign investors are welcome.
The communist party is very present in the streets. Red posters with bright yellow propaganda are shining from the light poles. Often you also find pictures of people with different ethnic background and ages standing together looking proudly ahead, in the background industrial buildings.
How much of the strong sense of community is due to communism, how much due to the strong family-bond?
Anyway, we have noted, that in regions, where loudspeakers on the lightpoles pour propaganda on the people, we were not able to download BCC World News podcasts.
A society between unitizing communism and the digital worldwide net of global capitalism. A society between a plow pulled by a buffelo and a luxurious BMW X6 with iPhone 6. What a range, what a balancing act.
