Communism and Capitalism

40 years later, Vietnam still deeply divided over war

"Divisions over a war that cost 3 million Vietnamese lives still haven't been addressed."

It's interesting to read that Vietnam is still divided 40 years after the war ended. The north believed that they were liberating the south from the Americans while the south believed that the north was invading and indoctrinating Communism. But the most interesting thing about this article is the younger generation are not that concerned about the war, they're all about the the current state of Vietnam. Vietnam's economy is growing and the younger generation want to keep that momentum going.

Here's a similar article from a different news site:
The fall of Saigon: How Vietnam ended up in the US orbit

Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Singapore?

Singapore Urban Farm Design Looks to Engage Active Seniors

Spark Architects is proposing to develop a sustainable senior living facility, called Homefarm, that helps seniors stay mobile and social, have an income, while stabilizing the food supply.

Japan's Nuclear Power Plants

4 years after Fukushima, Japan considers restarting nuclear facilities

Japan is considering restarting some of the nuclear power plants that were shut down after the March 2011 tsunami and earthquake. Naturally, a good chuck of the population are opposed to restarting the nuclear facilities. It's a complicated issue but it's good that Japan is talking more openly about their issues.

This quote shows that there is a need for nuclear power but there's a much deeper issue that is on everyone's mind: "Japan is the only nation to have nuclear bombs dropped on it, and emotions about radiation here are deep and complex. But mounting concern about higher electricity costs, greater dependence on imported fossil fuels and rising carbon emissions are also figuring into Japan's calculus. After an initial summer of brownouts, the country replaced lost nuclear power by revving up plants fueled by natural gas and coal."

This is an interesting quote because it comes from a former nuclear power plant board member who is skeptical about restarting the nuclear power plants: "I am one of the people responsible for this accident. I need to help the reconstruction of this area," he said. "I don't think we should even be talking about nuclear now — not until we do a much better job of raising awareness about renewable energy." - Eiju Hangai, a former Tepco board member.