Week 8 - Charles Miin

Vietnam faces an issue in the vein of national aesthetic, but more heavily towards the thought of national unity. Despite being thought of as a "poor" country, it is undoubtedly rich in terms of various forms of capital through fields such as agriculture and labor. Policy shifts such as Doi Moi in 1986 helped to utilize this untapped capital and drove many different assets of the economy skyrocketing upwards. However, many facets of the economy are not structured for success or competitive growth. Businesses don't face the same pressure and drive to be innovative and competitive as businesses in the West do. They rally around a much more socialist attitude which involves utilizing the government as a main source of investment and not attempting to rise above their current state. This economic climate leaves room for external assault in the form of things such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership to enter and stack the odds against the home team. Clauses against worker training and labor protections and for legal bypass of environmental and health regulations define the otherwise non-publicized trade agreement. While originally the question of why Vietnam faces such difficulty could only be vaguely answered based on lackluster business climate and antiquated practices, with the advent and implementation of TPP, the reasoning shifts towards external exploitation by larger powers.
The question then becomes, will it be possible for a country like Vietnam to recognize the damage being caused and then be able to respond adequately in favor of it's personal interests against titanic powers like the United States without faltering?

Pincus, Jonathan. "Why Doesn't Vietnam Grow Faster: State Fragmentation and the Limits of Vent for Surplus Growth."Journal of Southeast Asian Economics 32.1 (2015): 26-51. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ase/summary/v032/32.1.pincus.html>.

Gurtov, Mel. "The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Deeply Flawed Partnership." The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 13.20 (2015). Web. 20 Feb. 2016.