Michael Do

Quê Hương

(Read Vietnamese Version )

The Nation's Existence Power and The Duty of the Youth

Michael Do speaks to the Vietnamese American Students Association/University of Texas at Austin 

and the Vietnamese Youth League at Austin in its first meeting and on Channel 10/ACTV.

Dear young fellow Vietnamese Americans.

It is my great pleasure to be attending this very important event as your new Executive Board is 

introduced to the community and is beginning its new term with full strength and hope.

I would like tonight to talk about one subject that you might be very interested in: "The Nation's 

Existence Power and The Duty of the Youth."

Then you and I will be discussing things to decide upon the best solution for the future to save 

our people. A people that, for decades, have been oppressed and exploited by the Communists.

The basic law of nature that affects all living creatures proves that whoever, whatever is stronger 

will survive; likewise, the weaker will be overcome or even exterminated. That is the fierce 

struggle for existence. Plants and animals have to stand against nature, fight against other species, 

and even battle among themselves. There are three vital factors in an effort to survive: physical 

strength, strong will, and the ability to adapt to new circumstances.  Over thousands of years, the 

history of humankind is one of unceasing struggles: struggle against nature, struggle between 

peoples and nations; civil struggle domestically within nations, as well as the internal struggle 

within one's self. During these times of struggle, there has never been a long lasting peace where 

people have been able to enjoy a harmonious, friendly co-existence.

Since the early years when our forefather King Hung founded the kingdom of Van Lang, our 

people, the Vietnamese people, have grown from a small tribe lodging along the Red river in 

Southeast Asia to become a powerful nation whose influence has spanned over the entire 

Indochina peninsula. During its expansion to the south, seeking colonies to survive and develop, 

Vietnam eliminated two other kingdoms that were no less powerful. In turn, Vietnam faced the 

threat of extinction by its great neighbor to the north, China.

After Vietnam declared its independence in 937 A.D., ambitious Chinese dynasties, claiming 

Vietnam to be a district of China, sent troops to invade our country dozens of times only to be 

bitterly defeated and driven away. Because of their patriotism and courage, our forefathers were 

able to defend the country we should inherit all today. Our forefathers not only achieved the 

brilliant military victories, but also protected our country's distinguished culture, adapted the 

essence of other cultures to create a unique cultural bed of multicolored flowers. Such brave 

people deserve to exist, to develop, and to last forever.

After 80 years under the French domination followed by nearly half century under Communism, 

our country today is at the brink of decadence. Tens of millions of our people exist at the lowest

 living standard in the world. Without human rights, civil liberties, they have become slaves in 

their own homeland ruled by the iron hand of the Communists. There have not been any freedom 

movements that have been strong enough to overthrow the tyranny even though Communism was 

denounced and has collapsed in its birthplace Russia as well as other Eastern European nations. 

The Vietnamese Communist mobsters have clung to the rotten and outdated Marxism to maintain 

their power, their privileges, disregarding the misery of their fellow people.

Many may speculate that our people lack vitality for allowing themselves to be oppressed and 

exploited for decades without uprising. I do not believe that to be the case. My answer to such 

speculation would be that the hidden potential that has accumulated in thousands of years of 

struggling throughout our people's history needs only a chance and favorable conditions for a 

revolution to begin.

Throughout world history there are valuable lessons of nation revival. Germany after being 

defeated in WW1 (1914-1918) was bound by disadvantageous international treaties and a totally 

exhausted economy. Within 20 years of persistent efforts, the Germans rebuilt their country to 

be the most powerful one in Europe. In 1939, Germany started World War II, occupying most 

of the countries of Europe and establishing the 3rd Reich Empire. After thousands of years of 

being dispersed throughout the world and suffering the mass extermination attempt of the 

holocaust in Nazi concentration camps, the Jewish people returned to their promised land with 

bare hands. On this poor land of only sand, scarce water, and scorching temperatures, the state 

of Israel was rebuilt and has survived numerous attacks by its more populous and wealthy 

neighboring Arab countries. Very close to us is the example of Japan's revival after WW II to 

become the number one economic competitor to its conqueror, the United States.

Those three peoples - the Germans, the Israelis, and the Japanese – were able to achieve their 

extraordinary goals because of their high spirit of nationalism, unity, sacrifice, and responsibility. 

Giving credit where credit is due, we must also take in to account the talented leadership that 

placed the national interests above all else. Their young men and women were well educated 

and equipped with just cause and ideology.

Compared to the peoples above, the Vietnamese people are no less capable in terms of patriotism, 

initiative, persistence, and responsibility. During the 20-year bloody war against the aggression 

from the Communist North Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese young men 

and women responded to the call of the motherland to join the armed forces. They left behind 

their loved ones and happy life to face the daily dangers of the battlefields. They left, knowing 

full well that the war would be long lasting and there would be no safe return. The youth from 

North Vietnam, indoctrinated by the Communist party, engaged in the war with their hot blood 

and patriotism believing they were fighting to liberate the country as well. The truth they did not 

understand was the dream of the expansion of Communism in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, 

the confusion about the right and wrong causes of the war resulted in pro-communist beliefs 

among the common Vietnamese countrymen as well. The war was lost because of the corruption 

in the governmental system that degraded the fighting potential of our troops.

Once fallen into the communist control, it has been very difficult to overturn. Of all the dictatorship 

regimes, Communism is the most barbarous one; of all the Communist regimes, the Vietnamese 

Communism is the cruelest one. Its control system is so sophisticated; its prison system so ruthless 

that no individuals could retain their physical and mental strength. Every resistance movement is 

smashed from its beginning.

Our people keep struggling with whatever capacity: sometime as violent as Quynh Luu uprising 

and the Buddhist movement; other times as quiet as uncooperative manners in economic and 

cultural fronts. The people of South Vietnam have won in the later fronts but yet have not been 

able to overthrow the tyranny. The ultimate strike in a revolution is military action but the 

international community does not support that course of action. We already know the Achilles' 

heel of the Communist regime, but so far, we are lacking of a unified front and a charismatic 

leadership.

For nearly one hundred years through different regimes, political leaders of all sides have 

conducted deceitful acts to gain power and then betray our people. The Vietnamese people 

have no faith in such so-called leaders. The older generation (our parents) grew up and 

educated in a feudalist society, and was helpless. There were too few good men to successfully 

lead the nation in overcoming such a difficult situation. Our generation was a bit better but also 

could not overcome the corruption. There were too many factors that were out of our control. 

Today, in this country, Vietnamese American community has become a notable group. Hundreds 

of organizations have been founded; but it is hard to know who are truly patriots. Some have 

gained good reputations and have been attacked by competitors; others were faced off due to 

their use of deception for their own interests. Many of the activists and their supporters have 

become disappointed and almost given up.

The destiny of a nation is never to be seen as a thing for people to sell and buy on market but 

is ultimately sacred to everyone that inherits the same history and tradition. Once devoted to it, 

we must sacrifice ourselves to serve it with all of our hearts and capabilities.

Dear young men and women, you are the hope and future of our country. You have achieved 

a high level of education with an understanding of high technology that is needed for the 

development of our country. You have learned and have exercised the freedom and democracy 

that is vital to the building of our future regime. You have nothing bad to be blamed for. We 

know each of you are eager to get involved in the redemption and reconstruction of our 

motherland. You are the true mighty force our people are seeking.

To overthrow Communism will not be easy, but the reconstruction of the nation in the post-

Communist era will be much more difficult. We will have to start from a negative balance since 

all traditional values have been uprooted; the Communists have brutally transformed generations 

of our people into slaves rather than proud citizens contributing to a just cause. National 

resources have been heavily exploited; whatever could be made available has been sold to 

foreigners. The Communists have taught only hate and vengeance rather than love and care. 

Any future leader of a free Vietnam will have to deal with dangerous and complicated multi-

tasks. We have learned from Russia and other former-communist countries in Eastern Europe 

that, once freed of communist repression, the people place the desire for material comforts 

ahead of other things. This can be done only with a magic wand. The foremost task in rebuilding 

the country is to educate a new generation to replace those indoctrinated by the inhumane 

Communists.

To us, the free Vietnamese people, every man and woman in our society is both a valuable 

subject and a master of the society. All social and political institutions are meant to serve the 

citizens who bear in their hearts the tradition of love, unity, and patriotism. We must shape the 

new model citizens as free and responsible men and women to fit the new, free society. I believe 

you have all that our forefathers wanted you to have. I know that you are living a happy, abundant 

life, enjoying all the liberties and human rights provided by a true democratic way of life. You have 

obtained the most advanced sciences and technologies known to the human species. The 

Vietnamese people want to experience these same liberties and are looking to you as their liberators. 

You have to revive the survival strength of our country in order to break the chain of the 

communism, and bring to the people, freedom, prosperity, and happiness.

Please, go forward bravely and take the responsibility to be a liberator of our country.

You will succeed.

Thank you.