Ho Chi Minh, hero or villain?

[Ryan Miller]

Once again, trying something new here. For those who don't know, Ho Chi Minh was the Vietnamese leader who helped ended French imperialism in French Indochina while at the same time bringing communism to Vietnam. Many regard Ho Chi Minh as a hero who liberated the people of Vietnam from imperialism, while others view him as a figure who brought communism to Vietnam and thus responsible for the terrible economy they got themselves into.

What do you think? Do you think that Ho Chi Minh is a hero, or a villain?

 

[Angevin]

The man washed pots in a London hotel and then went on to kick the French and Yank's asses.

 

[Chief Savage Man]

ho chi minh is an interesting character and I would go more on the side of hero

he fought three separate empires including giving America its biggest asswhooping other than the one it gave itself and set his nation on a course to be one of the most independent of the socialist bloc nations along with Yugoslavia, as well as repelling the Chinese after he died

I'm not buying a poster of the man or anything but I don't see what makes him particularly worse than the average autocrat of the times and that he set up his nation to be able to tell four of the most powerful nations on earth to go fuck themselves at various times is very impressive

 

[emperorpenguin]

There comes a point in which you have to stop respecting the man for what he did in defeating 4 superpowers and realize that he screwed generations of people who lived in Vietnam for years. I don't particularly get why people hate imperialism, as long as they get the cushy life and fair pay they deserve.

 

[japan77]

Guy can be seen as a nationalist hero for the vietnamese, he got them rule with limited outside influence. Technically Vietnam was a client state of China, but China's influence was extremely limited. However at the same time, like EP pointed out his adherence to communist doctrine trashed the vietnamese economy and lead to starvation while other countries around him had economic success. As such, I would view him as neither a hero or villain, but rather a combination of both.

 

[Chief Savage Man]

i suspect that the decades of death and destruction that japan, france and the united states brought upon vietnam might have a lot to do with the starvation and economic issues of vietnam JUST A THOUGHT

the guy never ruled vietnam during a period of peace remember

 

[Sargun]

when you have to line your enemies up and kill them you should probably not be remembered as a hero

just a thought

 

[Rin]

You either die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain.