Vietnam Ready for Business

In response to articles on Vietnam seeking to rejoin the international economy (front page, Dec. 23-24):

Your article “Getting Back to Business in Vietnam” was an excellent coverage for “business” purposes. It did not, however, address the reason for the trade embargo with the welfare of the Vietnamese people in mind.

Due to loss of life suffered by the boat people who did not make it in addition to the cost of hard cash that the United States and other benevolent nations are contributing to care for those who made it, no profit from any business could be justified as long as Vietnam is still dotted with concentration camps and the people still risk their lives trying to escape.

At a time when communism is collapsing or already collapsed in many countries, the Vietnamese people would be betrayed by any attempt to shore up the shaky Communist regime in Hanoi.

There is enough proof as unveiled recently that socialism, Marxist-style, does not benefit the people but just a small group of party members practicing totalitarian dictatorship.

The American ideal of freedom and pursuit of happiness should not be further strained by greed and the chase for a fast buck. There is plenty of business in the United States for the taker. A few more years of patient pressure will result in a Vietnam with freedom and democracy where people will take a boat out for fishing and not for escaping.

PHONG D. TRAN, Cypress