So the state department has been working with Harvard and the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City, to setup the first independent university in Vietnam. A noble endeavor of course and an idea I support in concept, but who do they appoint as chair of this university? Surely a respected professor or an intellectual scholar, maybe someone from Harvard Business school or something. Nope, they appoint former Nebraska governor and Vietnam veteran Bob Kerrey. This is the same guy who has been accused of war crimes during the Vietnam war, where he lead a platoon which he ordered to slaughter 20+ innocent civilians in a small village in Vietnam, including a 65 year old man who had his throat slit, a pregnant woman and 13 children. He has admittedly been attempting to bring closer ties between the USA and Vietnam as attempt for attrition for what he did in Vietnam, but clearly this has ruffled more than a few feathers in Vietnam. Especially in the older generations who remember the Vietnam war and what happened to their country. While I understand that he has worked hard to make amends, and wouldn't even be against him being on the BoT, making him the titular head of the university shows and INCREDIBLE lack of tact and intelligence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/03/wo...pgtype=article
My gf is quite bothered by this, even though her family was and is very much proud south Vietnamese. Her grandmother was imprisoned by the north for sheltering some South Vietnamese officers. She said the younger generation though, doesn't mind. They view any closer relations with the USA as a good thing and a way to stem some of the Chienese influecnce that is destroying their country. While I agree, removing some of the Chinese influence is good, this particular pick is just ridiculously stupid. My gf pretty much agrees, she would love to see more American influence but feels like this pick is doing more harm than good.
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