> Median standards of living in Indonesia did roughly quadruple under
> Suharto...
Well, now, let's be fair, Indonesia was blessed with sizeable petroleum revenues, did not experience a devastating war on its own territory from 1954-1975 or saturation bombing by B-52s, didn't have to fight off the maniacal thugs of the Khmer Rouge from 1977-1990 or so, didn't have to beat off a Chinese ground invasion in 1979, and didn't have a US trade embargo slapped on it until 1995. Which doesn't excuse the VCP's bone-headed agrarian policies from 1980-87, of course, but, jeez, give these people a break already.
Incidentally, apropos of things Vietnamese, I'm teaching a wonderful Vietnamese book by Bao Ninh called "The Sorrow of War", in a pretty good translation. It's a soul-shattering autobiographical account of what he experienced as an NVA soldier in the war. I found myself physically wincing over the sheer *damage* we caused that tiny, indescribably beautiful country. For those who survived, the bombs are still falling, in their minds, memories and empty places where there used to be friends, neighbors, loved ones.
-- Dennis