Development

I am in Hanoi. As a Sinophile (and, by extension, an Asiaphile who has travelled extensively in this part of the world) I am surprised at how much I am not enjoying the experience. I am weary. I feel I’ve been here scores of times before. It has been a shock to discover that 54 distinct ethnic groups consider this territory their native land: it’s not even like everyone who calls this place home is “Vietnamese.” But that’s not what I am experiencing in the city: this 5000 year old centre of human civilisation now feels like just A.N.Other dot on the same arbitrary line that the West prescribed for everyone to move along if they are to “develop” (simultaneously ensuring that those who drew the line are always ahead of everyone else). All the interesting bits have been steam-rollered over to make a flat and featureless society which now has nothing to offer beyond “Prada is coming.” Until then it – like innumerable other cities in the “developing world” – now looks to me like a dirty brown-field site promising they’ll catch up if you give them another few years. The unique contribution to humanity of this long-suffering, hard-working and dynamic people in this diverse and beautiful country is being erased. And what lies at the end of this broken road? Take a look at the state of the “developed” countries in the West today – is this really what the rest of the world should be aspiring to?