AP: Admirers Swarm Bill Clinton in Hanoi

[Eugene]

Admirers Swarm Bill Clinton in Hanoi

By BEN STOCKING
The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 6, 2006; 8:09 AM

HANOI, Vietnam -- Former President Clinton was swarmed for autographs, handshakes
and photographs on the streets of Hanoi Wednesday by throngs of admirers whose
warm welcome contrasted sharply with the restrained reception given President Bush
last month.

Clinton, in town to sign an agreement between his foundation and the Vietnamese
to get more AIDS drugs to children, left the Hilton Hotel in the center of Hanoi,
crossed an intersection buzzing with motorbikes, and strolled toward Hoan Kiem Lake,
the spiritual heart of the city.

The United States normalized relations with its former foe under Clinton, who was
greeted by adoring crowds when in 2000 he became the first U.S. president to visit
Vietnam since the war ended in 1975.

"It feels great to be back," Clinton said as he set off for his stroll.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/06/AR2006120600401.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. We haven't had such a former WH resident/rock star since Eleanor Roosevelt. nt

[gratuitous]

2. Okay class, and your essay question

President Bush recently visited Vietnam, just like Bill Clinton is visiting now. Compare and contrast each man's itinerary, the reaction of the Vietnamese people to each man, and each man's comments to the press.

You have 10 minutes.

[trof]

3. Beat me to it. Quite a contrast.

The introvert and the extrovert.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Like night

and day.

[Deja Q]

12. Both like offshoring.

Except Clinton's efforts didn't slaughter nearly as many Americans' livelihoods in the process.

Offshoring isn't a bad idea... the problem is, offshoring in the context it is being used in has only weakened America. It's rather like donating BOTH your kidneys to a bunch of people who need kidney transplants. It's usually best to help others when you don't kill yourself in the process. Especially when you go around saying how America has to be protected; the number of non-sequiturs is amazing.

[Fovea]

20. This race to the bottom via globalism

was the great failure of triangulation, IMO.
Clinton, I think believedd we were going to becomme an information
economy and evolve from industry to knowledge based wealth.

One Problem-- we did not educate Americans to the level where
a majority of us could participate.

Then the folks in charge did nothing to keep non-academic
information economy jobs from being sold to poorer countries
that DID provide that education.

NOW-- India is taking our info jobs, and our high tech service
support jobs. China does our manufacturing. And we have a greater
income desparity than we did in 1929, indeed, ever.

Thanks Bill. Why don't you take the whole family (and all your old
DLC) friends on an extended vacation in Asia until say... 2009.

[Joe Chi Minh]

21. The leading countries of Western Europe, such as Germany and France

(not the UK, of course) believe that a strong domestic economy depends upon a strong industrial base. The OLD INDUSTRIES!

[Captain Hilts]

14. You forgot, "describe in detail...." nt

[mcscajun]

19. Great post! Gave me my first chuckle of the day.

So very, very true.

[marmar]

5. Clinton is greeted by admirers....Bush is greeted by angry protesters with torches and rocks...

This presidency has been one long nightmare.

[Deja Q]

9. They may hate Bush, but they seemed happy at the speech Condi gave 2 weeks ago

The one that would allow more offshoring to take place.

Funny, that. Biting the hand that feeds is not a good thing to do. Yet so many countries who take jobs by American companies have no qualms berating America. (since corporations are offshoring, they're not helping to feed Americans. So there is no hypocrisy here.)

[Joe Chi Minh]

23. Not really, if, like those people whose attitude you find so puzzling,

you stop to ask yourself how the US - not necessarily its people - got to be so inordinately rich, i.e. its invisible empire run by monsters, the viceroys, such as Pinochet and Saddam Hussein, all over the world; employed to keep the people down, to prevent the development of any kind of democracy, so that the West could buy their commodities at dirt cheap prices.

[durrrty libby]

6. The world loves Bill Clinton n/t

[LynneSin]

7. No pictures of Bush like this from Vietnam

[beachmom]

8. Bill Clinton normalized relations with Vietnam which has led to

them prospering. You can bet your bottom dollar they love him. And we can look with pride to many Democrats, including John Kerry and the work he did on POW/MIA, who did what was necessary to make that normalization possible. The Vietnamese know who respects them and wishes well for them, and who don't. Bush, unlike Clinton, went to Vietnam to tell the people there that he wished we had killed more of them. Probably smart that he elected NOT to walk among the people.

[Deja Q]

10. N. or S. Vietnam?

My understanding of Vietnam is that China was financing N Vietnam. We stepped in to help the South Vietnamese to prevent China's communist menace. Nation building.

As I recall we lost the Vietnam war (1975 it became official) and the whole country turned red.

And considering how some media outlets are calling Chavez and Venezuela "redder and redder" for their 'communist' acts, it's all "amusing" - this cherrypicking of "good communists" versus "bad communists" going on. I thought communism was just bad, period?

You bet I'm confused.

[Dhalgren]

16. The vast bulk of North Vietnamese aid during the US war of aggression

was provided by the USSR. China and Vietnam have never had what could be called really "good" relations - they are traditional enemies, and tradition still means a lot in that part of the world. As a matter of fact, in the late 70's Vietnam and China had a small border war - which, again, was not unusual for the two countries. Ho was NOT a Moaist...

[Joe Chi Minh]

22. Where'd you get that idea? McCarthy? Reds under the bed?

[talk hard]

11. you're saying Kerry is responsible?

WTF?

[DainBramaged]

13. I truly miss our President.

:cry:

[Demeter]

15. Is Bill Going Around Cleaning Up After W?

What gives here?

[Ganja Ninja]

17. Almost makes you want to vote for Hillary just so we can see more

of the big dog.

(Thank God they didn't make him wear one of those blue dresses like dubya.)

[Tight_rope]

18. Yes it does. I miss Big Dog!

[kimmerspixelated]

24. You see

it's like this, BC is so charming he could talk the wolfman into wearing a flea collar.