If Intel corp. why not the Pope
I saw an article in the CS monitor on a resurgence of Roman Catholicism in Vietnam
In Vietnam, Christianity gains quietly | csmonitor.com. The crux of the article, concerned a delegation by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe to Vietnam, where he led the ordination of 57 new priests and also met with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan. I figured (naively) that this was something I could talk to Tran about. Tran's response to this was that during this visit (which she seemed to have some awareness of) the North Vietnamese government had blocked the cardinal from meeting a certain priest. Looking over the article it strikes me that it may have been this particular priest the article mentions: "..., as recently as 2001 imprisoned a Catholic priest, since released, after he sent written testimony to the US Congress on religious freedom in Vietnam." In the preceding clause of that same sentence it indicates that while the Cardinal may have led the ordination neither he nor any church official selected the priests - the party does that. Following that up with a second retort she said "We have a saying by our former president we use: "Don't listen to what the Communists say, but look at what they do." There is no real religious freedom in Vietnam and there will not be as long as they are in charge." In fact the article while going with a led and angle that makes it seem like Catholicism is the hip new thing in Vietnam didn't completely contradict Tran's more dour view. The visit by the cardinal may have been a first step for a visit by the Pope in a year or so, but I think I recall he was coming to Baltimore, which is probably closer, next year. I went quietly back to my desk, this being at work, and lit the wikpedia glass. After a moments thought, looking up
Nguyen Van Thieu (part of a extensive set of Vietnam pages). His page has quotes section, and that quote tops it. A week later I read another article on Vietnam. This one in the Washington Post on a plan by Intel corporation build $3-600 million chip manufacturing facility in the Ho Chi Minh city high tech park
Intel to Build Vietnam Chip Assembly Plant. I thought this might be a good thing. Tran responded with remark that Intel would only be moving to Vietnam because the labor there would be cheap. Well yes, that is why U S Companies are busy moving all industries out of the U S. Why the U S increasingly just doesn't make any thing anymore. Because a living wage here in the states alarms shareholders. The purpose of Americans is to be consumers only. Our unfixed utility tied to a williness consume above all else. I waited a beat for the awareness that both she and I are low level clerks earning a wage perched awkwardly only so far above the poverty line to set in. She detoured into a story about her first job after high school in Saigon and what it paid her, somewhere in the vicinity of $27 per week. Of course she's still bitter that as a non cadre she wasn't allowed to go on to college, here she's taking an introductory Spanish class (sol y viento) this semester. What Intel will pay is likely to be better than $27 a week, plus these jobs will require a reasonable solid secondary education, resulting in a serious and long term commitment to basic education. In general I believe that good work with strong wages brings stability and education breeds tolerance and democratic tendencies. Which taken together are a benefit to all.
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