Vietnam’s Fall Is the First Step in America’s Resurrection

The promise of "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) cannot be fully realized without addressing the long-term geopolitical consequences of the Vietnam Wars.

Historically, America’s global dominance and cultural cohesion were at their peak during the immediate post-World War II period—specifically from 1945 to the early 1950s. This era, often referred to as the "Age of Innocence," was marked by a booming economy, unmatched industrial output (accounting for nearly 50% of the world’s GDP in 1945), and a unifying national identity.

However, the U.S. entanglement in Vietnam—beginning with indirect involvement in the late 1950s and escalating into full military engagement by the 1960s—signaled the start of a prolonged decline in both public trust and geopolitical clarity. The war cost the United States over $168 billion (equivalent to over $1 trillion today), resulted in the loss of more than 58,000 American lives, and sparked an internal cultural fracture that persists to this day. More importantly, it marked the first time the U.S. military failed to achieve a clearly defined strategic victory, thereby ending the postwar myth of American invincibility.

But Vietnam was never just about Vietnam. The conflict engulfed Laos, Cambodia, North Korea, China, and involved support from the Soviet Union and multiple members of the European bloc. China, in particular, was instrumental—sending over 320,000 troops and advisors to support North Vietnam, along with billions of dollars in weapons, ammunition, and logistical supplies. Laos and Cambodia, though not officially declared warzones, were used extensively by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) to maneuver troops and weapons through the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail. These nations were willingly or forcibly drawn into the communist alliance and later, into its economic offspring.

Fast-forward to today, and we see these same nations—once aligned with or aiding the communist cause—now integrated into global trade networks that are either hostile to or competitive with the American worker. Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia now serve as low-wage, high-export manufacturing hubs, many of them supplying Western markets under "Made in Vietnam" labels but backed by Chinese capital, infrastructure, and logistics.

Vietnam itself, once the ideological heart of communist insurgency in Southeast Asia, has become America’s seventh-largest trading partner, with over $116 billion in two-way trade in 2022. However, this economic relationship is not neutral—it’s deeply imbalanced. The U.S. trade deficit with Vietnam stood at over $114 billion in 2023, fueled by a flood of electronics, garments, and industrial goods built by foreign-owned factories using Chinese supply chains. Northern Vietnam—particularly provinces like Bac Giang, Thai Nguyen, and Hai Phong—have become hotbeds of export activity. These are the same regions that were once hotbeds of Viet Cong resistance, now retooled as global manufacturing zones, many backed by Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Meanwhile, Cambodia and Laos—two nations still ruled by authoritarian regimes with historic ties to Hanoi and Beijing—have also seen increased U.S. scrutiny. Cambodia has deepened its military ties with China, allowing construction of Chinese-controlled facilities at the Ream Naval Base. Laos, dependent on Chinese loans, is effectively in a debt-trap diplomacy scenario, with critical infrastructure now mortgaged to Chinese banks. Both countries enjoy favorable trade terms with the West, including tariff exemptions under systems like the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), despite their geopolitical alignment with China.

Even the European Union, which publicly champions democracy and human rights, signed the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in 2020—granting Vietnam near tariff-free access to the world’s second-largest economy bloc. This deal was celebrated as a strategic hedge against China, but in practice, it further entrenched Chinese-backed Vietnamese exports into Western markets.

And here lies the core contradiction: the same countries that once fought against the United States—militarily, ideologically, and diplomatically—are now rewarded with open markets, zero tariffs, and favorable trade terms, while American industries remain hollowed out. Under Section 301 of the Trade Act, many of the highest tariffs imposed by the U.S. between 2018 and 2022 targeted this exact bloc of nations and their economic patrons: Vietnam, China, Cambodia, and even certain European steel and aluminum exporters who supply Vietnamese factories.

Vietnam, for example, was accused by the USTR of circumventing U.S. tariffs on China by relabeling Chinese goods. In 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection slapped duties of over 400% on steel imports from Vietnam that were found to originate from South Korea or Taiwan but were merely processed in Vietnam to dodge tariffs.

The result is clear: America continues to subsidize the very infrastructure of its historical enemies—not with aid, but with open access to its consumers, its capital, and its supply chains. These are not just trade deficits—they are geopolitical defeats disguised as commerce.

The fall of the so-called Age of Innocence wasn’t simply a matter of cultural shift; it was catalyzed by policy failure and strategic misalignment in Southeast Asia. Any vision to restore America’s greatness must therefore confront this historical reality: greatness was lost not just in cultural decay, but in the surrender of strategic foresight in Vietnam and its surrounding regions.

To complete the MAGA mission, Vietnam must fall—not militarily, but economically and ideologically. The old communist bloc has rebranded itself with export zones, smart factories, and FTAs—but the game remains the same: weaken America, rise through dependency, and rule the global supply chain.

Only when that system is confronted, dismantled, and replaced with American-made power can the promise of MAGA be fulfilled.