Wonderful Greg. Impressive interpretation of a horrific history that has somehow ‘come out the other end.’ We are now moving into an age where nature could be the horrific force that makes people literally run for their lives or die. Nature has always offered benefits and punishments to its human inhabitants. Thanks to human greed, selfishness, and yes, sometimes ignorance, the punishment potential of nature seems to now be in the absolute ascendancy.
Greg: Are you, by chance, on Mike Smith’s BikeVietnam tour? Today’s piece and your preceding comment suggest that you are covering many of the same sights we saw a bit earlier this year with BikeVietnam. Vietnam is still a pretty poor country, but, like you I was struck by the optimism and energy of the people we met. We toured the War Remnants Museum, too. You cannot help coming away with a deep sadness for how much suffering was inflicted upon the Vietnamese by our country, and how many lives and more were wasted, ostensibly to keep it from becoming communist which, of course, it is now (but doesn’t seem to bother anyone). I contrast the remarkable ability of the Vietnamese to put the decades of war behind them (not that they have forgotten them) to focus on progress and the future with the inability to let go of historical grudges, slights, and injuries that grips so much of the rest of the world.
I too was struck by the stark contrast between Vietnam post American war and the Cambodia of the Khmer Rouge. What lunacy to exterminate their educated … and by contrast with Vietnam impoverished Cambodia is a vassal of China. Thanks Greg for s beautiful piece.
Thanks ,again,for such a substantive piece!…once again, bringing an important piece of history into the light once again!.. you never disappoint..I’m impressed that you continue to travel the world..reminding us of history !!👍🏼👏🏻🍀
Even after the horrors of "The Killing Fields", not so long ago, the people of Cambodia seem joyful
and optimistic. When we visited a few years ago, we found smiling faces at every turn. Somehow the human race finds a way to recover, even from the worst moments that are possible to imagine.
Wonderful Greg. Impressive interpretation of a horrific history that has somehow ‘come out the other end.’ We are now moving into an age where nature could be the horrific force that makes people literally run for their lives or die. Nature has always offered benefits and punishments to its human inhabitants. Thanks to human greed, selfishness, and yes, sometimes ignorance, the punishment potential of nature seems to now be in the absolute ascendancy.
Greg: Are you, by chance, on Mike Smith’s BikeVietnam tour? Today’s piece and your preceding comment suggest that you are covering many of the same sights we saw a bit earlier this year with BikeVietnam. Vietnam is still a pretty poor country, but, like you I was struck by the optimism and energy of the people we met. We toured the War Remnants Museum, too. You cannot help coming away with a deep sadness for how much suffering was inflicted upon the Vietnamese by our country, and how many lives and more were wasted, ostensibly to keep it from becoming communist which, of course, it is now (but doesn’t seem to bother anyone). I contrast the remarkable ability of the Vietnamese to put the decades of war behind them (not that they have forgotten them) to focus on progress and the future with the inability to let go of historical grudges, slights, and injuries that grips so much of the rest of the world.
I too was struck by the stark contrast between Vietnam post American war and the Cambodia of the Khmer Rouge. What lunacy to exterminate their educated … and by contrast with Vietnam impoverished Cambodia is a vassal of China. Thanks Greg for s beautiful piece.
Thanks ,again,for such a substantive piece!…once again, bringing an important piece of history into the light once again!.. you never disappoint..I’m impressed that you continue to travel the world..reminding us of history !!👍🏼👏🏻🍀
Even after the horrors of "The Killing Fields", not so long ago, the people of Cambodia seem joyful
and optimistic. When we visited a few years ago, we found smiling faces at every turn. Somehow the human race finds a way to recover, even from the worst moments that are possible to imagine.