Bui Tin Summary

Following Ho Chi Minh: Bui Tin Bui Tin who served on the general staff of North Vietnam’s army received the unconditional surrender of South Vietnam. Tin later became the editor of Vietnam’s official newspaper, the “Peoples Daily”. Tin then immigrated to Paris after becoming disillusioned with the fruits of Vietnamese Communism. Following Ho Chi Minh allows the reader to gain valuable insight into how the North Vietnamese forces planned and executed the war, through military and psychological strategies. Bui Tin effectively explains the decisions the United States made during the Vietnam conflict, their mistakes, and missed opportunities. Bui Tin accurately describes the emotion of the people in the Vietnam conflict, especially those in the south. Through Bui Tin the reader is able to gain an inside view of the Vietnamese people, learning more inside information than any western book could ever reveal. The initial strategy with the Americans had been the same in dealing with the French previously. By fighting a long war which would break the Americans will, to help South Vietnam (Pg.57). Ho Chi Minh said, “We don’t need to win military victories, we only need to hit them until they
However, after the war people became more realistic, interested in profits while at the same time becoming less trusting. The effects of post war Communism left Vietnam in decline, people’s standard of living was pitiful. Corruption flourished, spreading through the entire country (Pg.102). Useless government projects only emphasized the government’s uselessness and close mindedness (“we cannot operate like capitalists” Pg.105). “In the old days the party was clean, people had a high sense of self respect” (pg.111). In the end Bui Tin questions whether the struggle for liberation was even necessary, and wonders if everyone would have been better off without it (pg.