Though the communists officially won the Vietnam War, from all accounts capitalism is making serious inroads.
An exhibit was set up in the North Light Court of City Hall which was open to the public on Monday until it wasn't.
The place was being guarded by about a dozen black-suited security men who looked like they stepped out of a bad international thriller starring Clive Owen.
The room was featuring crafts...
...and modern Vietnamese art...
...which was being represented by a fancy New York dealer.
Though City Hall is open for meetings until 8PM on weekdays, the entire rotunda was sealed off at 5PM for a sit-down dinner.
The scary security guys roamed the perimeter looking for terrorists and giving me and the camera the evil eye.
When I tried to take a photo of the entryway to the dinner, I was asked nicely by a deputy sheriff not to take a photo "for security reasons" which was ridiculous for a place which by definition is public. It made me want to join the old Vietnamese people protesting outside.
The supposedly communist countries, with the exception of North Korea and Cuba, are happy as can be to get in bed with corporations to provide cheap labor and goods. It's all the capitalists ever wanted, so the governments can call themsleves anything they want. The war is over and capitalism won.
ReplyDeleteDear Matty: That's quite brilliant, cynical and true. Thanks for reading between the lines.
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