Journal+16

=Modern History Sourcebook: Viet Cong Program, 1962= URL: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1962vietcong1.html

This document is list of goals that the Viet Cong government has. Really, it just seems as if the Viet Cong wants a democratic, peaceful country with happy people - both rich and poor. It also wants to get rid of the US monopoly that exists in the world.

It was important. It probably gave hope and some concrete, structured goals that the North Vietnamese were working for.

I guess that this document was important due to the fact that it directly maligned the US effects, which was understandable, because they were in war with the US. But the Viet Cong used strong words - "enslavement," "depravity" - to describe the US's actions and nature.

To me, some of the goals seem a bit communist. The Viet Cong wants to protect domestic power and not engage in free trade, which has always been a communist thing. But everything about democratically being fair seems pretty fair, at least on paper.

I believe that every country in the world should try to establish at least a part of these goals - #2,4,7,8,9,10 - seem pretty good for all countries to follow, if applicable (#9 - reuniting between North and South, wouldn't apply to most of the countries in the world). The other goals aren't as universally appealing, and can be resisted by most countries willing to engage in free trade.

It also seems as if the Viet Cong just wanted peace over communism or any other political strategies. We have to remember that the South Vietnamese government and its leader, Ngo Dinh Diem (I forget the spelling), was very corrupt. The people just wanted to have a fair government, but the US was supporting the "fair" government. So they took the other side, which essentially became communist to oppose South Vietnam's government as well as to be able to receieve some resources from other communist powers. In the end, if you really read these over, the North Vietnam people just wanted peace and prosperity in their lives, and they were willing to do whatever they could to ensure better times for their future generations.