37 years ago today, the Vietnamese people in the south, under the leadership of the NLF have driven the invaders from there land and began to construct socialism and determine there own destiny.
Vietnam, a small country in Indochina has begun has struggled against the french, Japanese and again the french to determine there own destiny. After the defeat of the french at Dien Bein Phu, the U$, which was footing 80% of the bill at the time refused to allow the Vietnamese people the freedom to determine there own destiny and rejected elections for reunification between the North and The South due to the fact that in there own words if there are election 80% of people will vote for Ho Chi Minh.
Seeing that the government of Diem in the south had no popular support and alienated everyone, the U$ faked the gulf of tonkin incident, which lead to the gulf of tonkin resolution and direct U$ intervention in Vietnam with ground troops.
The Vietnamese people resisted the equivelent of 250 hiroshimas being dropped on there land, the majority of water and land being made useless by “defoliation chemicals” like agent orange and the direct military attack of one of the most powerful superpower. Despite all this imperialism and colonialism were defeated and though the Vietnamese people payed a heavy loss, they created the conditions that allowed them as a nation to determine there own destiny.
Today many people like to criticize Vietnam and argue whether or not it is a “true socialist” country, not taking in account the material conditions on the ground in Vietnam.
The people of Vietnam have fought there war of liberation not so that people in coffe shops have something to debate and argue but rather to rebuild there nation and have the sovereignty to determine there own destiny. On this glorious anniversery let us remember that supporting self determination does not mean that you support peoples right to determine there own destiny when they do what you want and stop supporting them when they dont agree with western notions of what self determination means, but that supporting self determination means supporting peoples right to determine there own destiny even when there view, as people on the ground with there own outlook based on there own experiances and worldview, is not ideologically pure or “indigenous” enough for peoples preconceived notions of what self determination looks like. Unconditional support of people struggling against imperialism and self determination is a must for all those who dare call themselves anti imperialists.
On this heroic victory let us also remember that here on six nations territory we are settlers and as true anti imperialists it is not enough to support anti colonialist struggles everywhere else but here, but that we have a duty and obligation to support those fighting for indigenous soverieghnty unconditionally here on the basis of Friendship, mutual respect and the principles of non intervention. The lessons of Vietnam are that no matter how strong the imperialists seem they will fail, let all of us who claim to be anti imperialists hasten this day!!!!!
Victory Belongs to those who resist!!!!!
Today’s (May 1/12) Waterloo Region Record are actually supporting Julian’s lawsuit against the Crown and Police. Go Julian! Can we now call you mainstream and or conservative??????
lol