Re: Viets sentiments: Cha(.t dda^`u Kopa'ny

[hduc@airmoon.epa.nsw.gov.au]

On Sat, 19 Apr 1997, AnHai Doan wrote:

>... 
> Anh AiViet, your Kopany story reminded me of the "Braveheart" film, which
> told a chunk of Scotland history in which almost the same thing happened,
> "Braveheart" was sacrified by the Scotland Lords partly out of consideration
> for the future of Scotland, a future that should be built not only on fierce
> nationalism, but on necessary practical compromises as well. 
> 
> Your story and your comments are ambiguous. Let me make a quick attempt 
> at clarifying them.
> 
> 1) If you are saying there are a lot of old Viet sentiments that helped
> built a Vietnamese nation as the one we have today, but that have become
> outdated and unsuitable for the task of building a modern prosperous 
> Vietnam; and if you are saying that we should recognize and change such 
> sentiments, then I agree with you.
> 
> Just take for example the strong Vietnamese pride, Vietnamese nationalism.
> The fierce pride that the Vietnamese have was certainly a good thing.  In the
> face of many foreign invaders and influences in the past, without such pride
> and strong Vietnamese nationalism Vietnam would have not existed today. 
> 
> But today, as Vietnam gradually opens to the world and embarked on the road
> of modernisation, as Vietnamese get to know the world more and more, this
> pride has turned into a strange mixture of unjustified inferiority and
> superiority complexes that hinders the development of the nation. You can 
> see the manifested symptoms of these complexes in many places, You can 
> hear complaints that Vietnamese are very much tight-fisted with each 
> other, but very generous with Westerners; that Vietnamese workers are 
> unreliable because they nodded to the work lessons as if they understood 
> everything and will do as told, but then go ahead and do things as they 
> see "fit"; that we are unwilling to learn valuable lessons from  neighbors
> far more advanced than us in modernisation, but are considered by us as 
> inferiors; that we think we can do many complex things just by ourselves, 
> etc.
> 
> 2) If you are trying to say something politics, or ideology-related, then 
> there is the question of whether we have Kopa'ny, and if we have one, if 
> we have an Istvan. But such questions and discussions are clearly outside 
> the scope of VNSA, and so won't be allowed here.
> 
> Hai.
> 

Hello anh AiViet, anh Hai

Anh Hai has expressed and articulated very well the situation that 
Vietnam is facing now (if i understand correctly on point 1 above). And i 
agree with what you said. 

I would like to add some more. Nationalism served us well in the past to 
ward off aggression (and maybe in the near future if China keeps 
threatening). But the present younger generation in today Vietnam 
probably does not have that strong attachment anymore as the world is 
changing all the time. An universal law i guess. 

The progress of the society depends a lot on the smooth communication (or 
transition if you want to say) between generations. The young retains 
some of the tradition and heritage of the old so the old won't feel lost 
or worried while the old must give some places for the young to manifest, 
aspire or express the ideas of their time. Of course, this depends a lot 
on the current leadership and the readiness of the current generations as 
well as the timing. This is the ideal situation that as a nation, Vietnam or 
any country, should go through in its history. I hope i don't convey or 
give the wrong messages or anything about politics here but just a plain 
observation and thought as any 'boffin' in the research institutes or lab 
across the world usually does :-).

Another hard question that relates to the Viet sentiment or character : 
Are we sure we know what we are now and who we are ?. And what we would like 
to be (if it is possible) ?. I am not sure anyone of us can answer that 
question.

Cheers,

Hiep Nguyen