VLVL 4: Vietnam

[snarf]

Otto wrote:

>What's wrong with economical emigration is that the people might be needed
>in their home countries for building up infrastructure.

>There's nothing wrong with the Turks and their families who have been
>invited to Germany in the early sixties, but I think that the refugees from
>the Balkan-wars (for example) should return to their countries because
>there's important work to be done there.

Otto, I'm sure your comments have good intentions, but you are taking for
granted things that does not work the same way in the "Third World" than in
rich countries.
The economical emigration happens because this people are not wanted in the
countries they were born. They are unemployed, or underemployed and no one
let anyone build the infrastructure you are talking about. Sometimes,
building the infrastructure you mention should take a revolution. And
revolutions are not allowed neither by the rich countries, nor by the owners
of the country you live in. So if you are not a hero,  you don't have strong
ties with a country that gave you nothing and all you want is to live a
quiet life wherever life takes you, you just emigrate.
I live in South America and every day some friend, some relative, emigrates.
And one day you find that you can travel round the globe staying with
friends in almost every country, every city of the "first world". Is not
nice and you start to feel that you are wrong staying here. "No future" sung
the Sex Pistols. Ha! It's still a funny joke.
I work 12 hours a day, and my earnings equal U$S 350 a month. I have a
rather qualified job, and I have been to University. After paying the bills
there's only U$S 102 left. Out these U$S 102 you should pay for breakfast,
lunch and dinner (oh, you want to eat three times a day!), clothes and
everything else you need to keep your house (and your health) going. I have
no children, there's no way I can feed up one, not to mention sending him to
school or paying for medical attention. If I want to buy Gravity Rainbow it
cost U$S 30 down here. A CD costs U$S 23. A pair of sneakers U$S 40. And I'm
among the lucky who has a job. A good job. A school teacher earns U$S 150 a
month.
The kind of job I do here is payed U$S 2000 a month in the United States, 8
working hours instead of 12. Why staying here? Because there's some work to
do building the infrastructure? The infrastructure of what? The
infrastructure for whom?
But I'm still in my country because I'm too lazy to move up. Or because I
still have a job. But I'm far not needed here and not wanted anywhere else.
It's very easy to speak up on third world countries, emigration,
dictatorship or anything else when you have not been through them. I'm sure
Saddam was a cruel dictator, Fidel Castro maybe still is. But dropping 2.000
pounds bombs on people does any good. The "liberating irakis" thing sucks.
The "mass destruction weapons" thing sucks much more. You can't be so dumb
in beliving such simple lies. Please, concentrate in more elaborated ones,
you are clever human beings, you rule the world, come on, think a little
harder and I swear we would consider the new myths for supporting the US
invading foreign countries they don't even understand. First there were the
communists, now there are the terrorists, tomorrow will be the mulatos, the
albinos, whatever...nevermind.

>I also think that the Iraquis who had fled the Hussein-regime should return
>home now, especially *because* they have lived in democratic "environments"
>and could now become important members of the political structures at home.


Oh, they have become "civilized" people now. You should take for granted
that they won't take back a Pynchon book to show their fellow countrymen how
things "work" in the real world. Maybe a Britney Spears CD will do OK. Oh,
come on...