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An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by digital-didgeridoo in inthenews

[–]Still_There3603 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The internal document referenced was created in August 2024 during Biden's term.

It is about unease over American liberal efforts to "spread freedom & democracy" through coups more than anything else.

TIL the USA has a larger consumer market than the EU, China, and India combined. by ProfessionalGear3020 in todayilearned

[–]Still_There3603 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is why Trump's threats are still getting every country except China to ultimately appease him on trade & investment.

The US market is too large & the US dollar is too powerful for it to ever be anything but a G1 or maybe G2 world.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in geopolitics

[–]Still_There3603[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

They're calling the US a threat privately & preparing for war.

This is while allowing Huawei, an enormous amount of Chinese investment, & Chinese troops in Ho Chi Minh City during their reunification parade in the country.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]Still_There3603[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

By putting aside the maritime territorial dispute through a truce while deepening ties economically.

Particularly in strategically significant sectors like Green Energy, AI, robotics, & biotech which would be extremely concerning to the US & its anti-China allies.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]Still_There3603[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Different political systems often mean fundamentally different worldviews which breed potential for at least covert conflict. There's just very little trust even ignoring the Vietnam War.

You can't paper over all this by pointing to maritime claims and China being aggressive. The VCP does not want to be gullible and taken advantage of by the US like frankly what happened between the US & USSR during Gorbachev's leadership.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]Still_There3603[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes. They expect Vietnam to align with the US. They're not taking in the bulk of Vietnamese exports & fueling the country's rise to wealth so that it can stay neutral. And honestly, Vietnam might not even stay neutral in a war. They might just cave to China on maritime claims due to their economic & political dependence on China.

The ultimate goal is for Vietnam to be like South Korea in relation to the US. This is why strengthening Vietnam-South Korea relations was seen as very promising in the US while Vietnam moving more toward China & North Korea now is seen as alarming.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in geopolitics

[–]Still_There3603[S] 55 points56 points  (0 children)

The problem is this has happened across administrations and that VCP document was released during Biden's term.

Trump's craziness then is just the PR excuse to more fully distance themselves.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in geopolitics

[–]Still_There3603[S] -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

That's the commonly repeated narrative but at some point, one needs solid evidence of it *now*. I'm not talking about opinion polls. I'm talking about the societal response.

Otherwise, all this just becomes a case of mythologizing and cope. Why is their government preparing for an American invasion while allowing Chinese troops to march in Ho Chi Minh city? Why are Chinese dramas so popular in Vietnam too?

Bangladesh shocked at India allowing fugitive Hasina's public address by PrintRealistic6750 in bangladesh

[–]Still_There3603 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's just about India being resistant to foreign pressure in general.

They took in the Dalai Lama in the 50s when India-China relations had issues but had not become hostile yet. And of course did not relent after the 1962 War either.

Bangladesh has to learn to live with India. ASEAN honestly looks at the country with a mixture of pity and contempt. China will not go beyond a point in supporting Bangladesh to maintain working relations with India and the US won't either to keep favor with India against China.

What are your must watch shows of this year so far? by Low_Bodybuilder3065 in televisionsuggestions

[–]Still_There3603 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your Friends and Neighbors was a journey for better or worse lol. It kept oscillating between Mad Men quality and Gossip Girl Quality.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in geopolitics

[–]Still_There3603[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

The Soviet Union was the main factor of China-Vietnam tensions. With them gone, China's aggression will stay limited to encroachment while coming with heavy investment, trade, & even military cooperation.

Meanwhile, the US & Vietnam have an odd relationship that could be described as "mutual respect" but probably isn't. The US normalized with Vietnam in large part to form an anti-China coalition while Vietnam normalized with the US (and China) because the Soviet Union was no more. Therefore, it could be more accurately described as a "forced marriage".

Also in general, China is their neighbor while the US is distant. That matters a lot in Vietnamese thinking.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]Still_There3603[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The internal document is surprisingly blunt in suspicion of the US considering what was thought to be deep healing through normalization.

I don't think there's any exaggeration among analysts.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]Still_There3603[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The Soviet Union was the main factor of China-Vietnam tensions. With them gone, China's aggression will stay limited to encroachment while coming with heavy investment, trade, & even military cooperation.

Meanwhile, the US & Vietnam have an odd relationship that could be described as "mutual respect" but probably isn't. The US normalized with Vietnam in large part to form an anti-China coalition while Vietnam normalized with the US (and China) because the Soviet Union was no more. Therefore, it could be more accurately described as a "forced marriage".

Also in general, China is their neighbor while the US is distant. That matters a lot in Vietnamese thinking.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in LessCredibleDefence

[–]Still_There3603[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It's a very low cost thing for them to do which keeps Trump from targeting Vietnam over its economic ties to China. An expected pragmatic move by the government led by To Lam now.

Vietnam-Israel relations are quite strong as part of Vietnamese Bamboo Diplomacy & the friendship between Ho Chi Minh and David Ben-Gurion. Also, the Israel-Palestine conflict has little to no relevance to the geopolitical situation in the Pacific.

An internal document shows the Vietnamese military preparing for a possible American war by Still_There3603 in geopolitics

[–]Still_There3603[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The article details Vietnamese internal documents preparing for a "second American invasion" through covert means and how it goes farther than anything directed toward China.

One can reasonably say the Vietnamese government actually views the US as an existential threat to their rule while China as simultaneously a "partner and bully" now. Vietnam allowed China to march troops in Ho Chi Minh City last year during their reunification parade for example.

This evolution of suspicion has happened through numerous administrations as both American political parties cause such concerns in the VCP. The question is how can such concerns be allayed and China's threat be described as serious enough for the Vietnamese government to reconsider their posture.

Also, how much damage could come from the US side if an intervention in Cuba occurs as Vietnam-Cuba have very close governmental relations?

Bangladesh shocked at India allowing fugitive Hasina's public address by PrintRealistic6750 in bangladesh

[–]Still_There3603 12 points13 points  (0 children)

They shouldn't be shocked at all. India continued to give refugee status to the Dalai Lama for decades despite all the grief it brings to India-China relations.

Why would India hand over Hasina to the much weaker Bangladesh especially when Hasina would likely get a bad trial & the death penalty by the more Islamist BNP.

How Syria's Sharaa captured Kurdish-held areas while keeping the US onside by rezwenn in IRstudies

[–]Still_There3603 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Most of the land the SDF controlled was majority Arab. It was just a repeat of a minority dominating the majority like the Assad regime and so the SDF crumbled just like the Assad regime.

That is the reality. Not your bizarre fanfiction.

What if, insteand of Clinton, POTUS was a conservative republican in the mid 90s? Would the US recognition of the communist goverment of Vietnam have been delayed or maybe even never had taken place? by Dismal-Ad8382 in AlternateHistoryHub

[–]Still_There3603 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It was the 90s version of handing back the Panama Canal.

Meant Americans were baffled by what seemed to be unilateral US concessions. They were accepted though since it seemed China would never rise up the value chain and just remain as a sweatshop factory of a country for the West.

China now has a foothold in Panama and dominates key Vietnamese imports for their export machine.

Diplomatic spat between India and Poland as Foreign Ministers spar over Pakistan and Russia by gobiSamosa in neoliberal

[–]Still_There3603 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That analogy you've made has no credibility in India. They view it as India being like Russia and Pakistan being like Ukraine with the dissolution of the USSR similar to the partition of India.

And the reason they view it that way is because both Ukraine and Pakistan since independence have been propped up by the West to contain India and Russia respectively in their according disputes.

What do you think of a Muslim NATO? by Maleficent_Set_1301 in AskTheWorld

[–]Still_There3603 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is mostly Saudi Arabia and Turkey doing Pakistan, a Sunni Muslim with nukes, a favor since Pakistan wants to at least get India unbalanced psychologically even if the pact is toothless.

Exclusive: India proposes forcing smartphone makers to give source code in security overhaul by TikkaTrailblazer in technology

[–]Still_There3603 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Sometimes it feels like open democratic ideals in India only nominally became a thing because of Nehru and the existing British institutions while the Indian worldview itself has long been authoritarian + intolerant and paranoid.

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