At the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, much of anti-communist Southeast Asia aligned itself with the United States, entrenching U.S. hegemony around North Vietnam and its close allies in communist China. These countries regarded ties with the U.S. as a way to maintain and develop their economic and political strength in a […]
Tag: vietnam
Gen Z’s Military Malaise
This article features commentary from active-duty Marine, Captain Michaela Larson. The views are solely her own and are not intended to represent the official views of the United States Marine Corps A troubling threat is encroaching upon the U.S military, and I’m not talking about the threat of world war. All six branches of the […]
Vietnam: Potential Ally or Headache?
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam: once a major battleground of the Cold War, it is now better known as a vacation destination for Westerners with cash to burn. In the new era of tension between China and the West, however, Vietnam has become an increasingly important player in the conflict. As one of the few […]
Schooled: Could North Korea Learn from Vietnam’s Higher Education Reforms?
Going to college has never been as popular in Vietnam as it is now. The number of students in higher education has skyrocketed from 133,000 students in 1987 to 2.12 million students in 2015—nearly a sixteen-fold increase over less than thirty years. This increase in education has provided the human capital necessary for Vietnam to […]
With Enemies Like These, Who Needs Friends? Vietnam’s Offshore Balancing Act
When the USS Carl Vinson made a port call to Da Nang, Vietnam last year, reactions both within the US and abroad were mixed. US government statements were muted, emphasizing the role of port visits in routine diplomacy but also linking them to ongoing freedom of navigation operations. Chinese state media generally issued condemnations of […]
“His Excellency Donald Trump,” Vietnam’s Newest Ally
President Trump’s travels to Europe are unfailingly met with the angry protests of our democratic counterparts across the pond. From the thousands of protesters in the streets of Germany voicing their displeasure with Trump’s attendance at the G20 summit to the tantrum-throwing-baby balloon floating over Parliament during his trip to London, it seems as if […]
Whither Vietnam? A Q&A with Professor T.J. Pempel
In light of Donald Trump’s recent Hanoi summit with Kim Jong Un, Caleb Groen asks Professor T.J. Pempel how the Vietnamese communist party liberalized the economy while retaining its hold on power.
Political Innovation: Taking a Page from the Business Playbook
We live in a world marred by uncertainty. Each day it seems that more and more crises are coming to the fore: incoming climate disaster, rampant xenophobia, growing economic discontent. Yet the approach by many political leaders to this rapidly-changing environment is the same as it has been for decades: maintain stability, keep law and […]
AUMF 2015 and the War on ISIL
There is a common refrain in American politics when politicians discuss taking military action in foreign countries. “[insert country of interest here] is going to be another Afghanistan… another Iraq… another Vietnam.” In Vietnam, what began with light air support and humanitarian aid lead to deployment of “advisors,” who invariably were involved in firefights, escalating […]
Forging a Response
Home to strategic military bases, vital trade routes, and valuable natural resources, the South China Sea represents some of the most sought after territory in the world. In terms of trade, about a third of global crude oil traffic and half of global natural gas exports travel through the South China Sea each year [1]. […]