Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Asia Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thomas Haegin who wrote (769)	1/13/1998 1:13:00 PM
From: btoll	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9980

Thomas, I have been following the Asia Forum since its start and have enjoyed it greatly. We are much concerned here in Alaska about the SEA problems and the possible effects on our economy. Alaska's economy is driven by oil, commercial fishing,tourism and to a lesser degree mining and timber. We are looking at $15 oil, the world awash in a glut of cheap farmed salmon and fewer Asian tourists this season. It's hard to tell what will happen by summer but the current world situation does not bode well for Alaska short term. Thanks to all for thier posts. SI does seem to be part of making the world more like a small community.

To: Thomas Haegin who wrote (769)	1/13/1998 2:08:00 PM
From: Esvida	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9980

Thomas, I don't have any siblings left back home and I have lost all contacts with close friends of the past. I still have quite a few cousins and one of them wants me to participate in some business, but I'm not ready yet. I maintain very little direct contact. I still get refreshes through my parents, who maintain regular contacts. Personal computers are available and popular there. The market is not sizable yet, but enough to get on MSFT's radar. I doubt that any net connection is widely available there. Controlling information is still a government agenda. I don't know how to begin to brief you on Vietnam and its people. I myself have very little hope for it. The struggle against French colonialists and the infighting between the Communists and the Nationalists practically destroyed the right side of the IQ bell curve. What little left is now spreaded out around the globe. Vietnam needs a Mikhail Gorbachev to start the unraveling of the controlling party, but the odd for that is extremely low. A few in the US want to instigate another revolution, but the people are now too fatigued for it and they don't see any hope in any replacement since they suspect that whoever replace the Communists will just continue to mislead the country to enrich themselves. The majority of the people there are still farming with no modern farming technologies. I read the Stratfor intelligence report for Vietnam. It was right in its reference to the riot in Thaibinh, but I think it overestimated the cause. I don't think the government was trying to tax the farmers to build infrastructure. People rioted because whatever little they had was being robbed by local officials for themselves. The level of governmental harassment there now is not much different from what it was under French colonialists according to people of my parents' generation. I'm not sure if there's any improvement in my people's dinity because they are oppressed now by their owns instead of by foreigners a little more than half a century ago. Sorry for this sad little note. -Al