Comrades of the social network, I feel the need to share this beautifully observedcartoon by Comrade Stuart McMillen which compares and contrasts the concerns ofComrades Aldous Huxley and George Orwell. Perhaps when you have read this, youmight consider which of these dystopian scenarios will be on the menu for Vietnam?Hmmm. . . it could go either way, or do you really think we are in for the Huxley Pie?Vietnam is a far cry from Orwell's scenario of a society completely "deprived ofinformation". Recent "Cimigo" statistics would have it that Vietnam has experiencedone of the fastest growths in internet use in South East Asia, outdoing it's neighbourslike Thailand and the Philippines. 50 percent of urban Vietnam is regularly online andthe figure is higher in Hanoi. 70 percent of web users use emails frequently tocommunicate and half of the users, aged between 15-24, use chat on a daily basis.Blogging has become extremely popular in Vietnam , despite the risks of arrest. Peoplefrom Hai Phong or Hanoi, we are told by "Cimigo", use blogs and forums most often."Zing" leads the way in online entertainment in Vietnam. 1 in 4 users have used "Zing"websites: nearly half among the 15-24 age group again. "Yahoo" is the preferredcommunication provider, while "Google" maintains a high-profile-post-Chinese-bad-boystatus as the most popular search engine.Half of Vietnamese web users think that they can buy a wide choice of products on theinternet yet only around 15% think that it is safe to buy products online. However in anOrwellian twist, the internet is regarded as less reliable than the newspapers. Theysearch, they see but they don't believe in the Brave New World just yet. How many ofyou Comrades can use "Facebook" here in Vietnam, incidentally?"The infinite appetite for distraction" is loud and clear, Comrades- but is it the kind ofdistraction that can suddenly dissipate social disparity, poverty, discrimination, poorhealth and lack of education? Can the trivialities of this new culture numb society tosuch an extent that they are indeed going to be lost in "a sea of irrelevance"? It is atonce impossible and easy to imagine, Comrades. Difficult to imagine from the point ofview of the have-nots here in Vietnam but all too possible from that of those who have.Do you see what I mean, Comrades? The menu is going to have to be both Huxley andOrwell here for a good while yet.I wonder if this dystopian forecast for Vietnam, has parallels with the microcosm of myworld at 'The Ministry' here? Just recently 'The Ministry' has issued its thrice yearlypamphlet: "Speculum", which delves into some of the activities and initiatives achievedduring the last administration period. Through this particular organ, the propagandamachine of the Central Committee and the Politburo succeeds in representing theglossy world that the elite, young Party recruits enjoy at 'The Ministry'. One of it's aimsis to increase membership, increase subscribers to 'The Ministry's' diet, and win newsympathisers and contacts. And like a thin veneer, it does a very convincing job.