Transparency International ranks Vietnam 116th out of 178 in corruption perception. In comparison, the Four Asian Tigers Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong rank 1st, 39th, 33rd, and 13th, respectively. The United States ranks 22nd. If Vietnam wants to become the fifth tiger, they clearly have to close the huge corruption gap. How? Kaushik Basu, chief economic … [Read more...] about End Corruption in Vietnam by Making Bribes Legal
Vietnam: Inflation is back again, prices double in past 5 years
Last week, the Asian Development Bank released its widely-followed Asian Development Outlook 2011, in which it forecasts economic growth for Asian countries including Vietnam in 2011 and 2012. The main theme of the report for Vietnam is that the country badly needs to control inflation if it is to sustain growth. In 2010, average inflation reached 9.2%. This was the highest … [Read more...] about Vietnam: Inflation is back again, prices double in past 5 years
Make Agent Orange History Calls for 300 Pledges of Action by Earth Day, April 22nd
Editor’s Note: Often time the first step to action is saying you'll do it. Our friends at Make Agent Orange History is calling for 300 pledges to support the plan of action to make things right. Lend your support! Here's a note from Greg at makeagentorangehistory.org: Nearly four decades after the war, Agent Orange continues to impact millions in Vietnam. Babies are still … [Read more...] about Make Agent Orange History Calls for 300 Pledges of Action by Earth Day, April 22nd
Little Saigon—Our Namesake
It was a portrait, simple enough: one man’s face on a poster tacked onto the wall of a small video shop in Westminster. Yet it was enough to set off a raging firestorm in the heart of Little Saigon. Within days, an extremely hostile mob was ready to tear that shop owner to pieces for daring to put up that picture and insulting the very community in which he resided: the … [Read more...] about Little Saigon—Our Namesake
Why Vietnamese Films Aren’t Popular & What We Can Do About It
Note: The second round of the Vietnamese International Film Festival kicked off yesterday, and the final curtains drop on Sunday, April 17. The third ViFF event won't take place till 2013, so be sure to check out the site and make a note of which films you can attend before it comes to an end. Here are some musings on the Vietnamese cinema to keep you in a pensive movie-going … [Read more...] about Why Vietnamese Films Aren’t Popular & What We Can Do About It