Civil war aftermath – The north & the south of Vietnam
Beyond mentality, culture and food, political opinions and war history still distinguish the North from the South. Experience shows that civil wars leave scars that take up to a hundred years or at least one whole post-war generation, to heal. The Vietnamese may be very good at letting bygones be bygones, but one can still feel the tremendous gap that separates North from South. Many people who supported the losing side still harbor mistrust, resentment and even hate towards the ruling party. DO ask questions if the subject is of interest to you but respect people’s silence if they would rather not relive painful events. DO avoid taking sides in a battle that wounded all sides and left the country free from colonial powers, but devastated. The future of Vietnam lies ahead. Numerous talented leaders and managers from all areas of the country are trying to lift it out of poverty. More than half the populations have never known war and in a few years they will hold power. The transition from a post-war era to an era of baby boom and economic boom will have been completed.