Argument

There was very little to say on this subject, though I did my best to broaden it.

There is very little argument between different social strata. Like many Asian cultures, authority is very important, though those of a higher status (whether from age or social position) will listen to younger individuals. Between members of the same social strata, there may be arguments between people (especially older men) that seem to exist largely for entertainment or handling disputes, but she didn't have much to say on the subject. I suspected, and she confirmed, that it was a way of expressing camaraderie.

Not wanting to end with that, I broadened the subject to include political dissent, which she emphatically stated was disallowed. The only people allowed to say anything against the government are state-sponsored individuals. Before the Communists took over, this was also the case, though it was the King who had the final say instead.

Curiously, there are many religions alive in Vietnam and permitted to flourish as they will. There are also, I discovered to my surprised, numerous ethnic groups, though these cultures tend to dislike the government and it works to oppress them.