HONOLULU -- "Once the Bush administration is done attacking North Korea, will Vietnam be next?" This seemed to be the burning question in the back of many people's minds as I visited Vietnam for a series of lectures on U.S. foreign policy.
While I came to talk about proliferation of North Korean weapons of mass destruction, or WMD, my primary concern quickly became proliferation of Chinese motorcycles; nearly everyone under the age of 30 -- and many considerably older -- appeared to have traded in their bicycles since my last visit less than two years ago. Although this made crossing the street much more challenging, it was a welcome sign of increased prosperity, as were the numerous small enterprises that had popped up along virtually every main thoroughfare in Vietnam's capital city.
By their own account, and readily confirmed by the U.S. Embassy, U.S.-Vietnam relations were good and getting progressively better by the day. Sure, there were still disagreements, including continued expressions of American concern over human rights issues, but when one of the most contentious issues between us revolved around catfish, things seemed to be generally on track. That's why I found the "Are we next?" question particularly disturbing, on at least three levels.