Introduction
A thorough examination of the history and background of Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem enables one to evaluate the factors that contributed to their success or failure as leaders. Despite both being patriotic and desiring a unified Vietnam, their backgrounds varied significantly, which potentially influenced their capacity to inspire, motivate, and instill hope for progress and improvement. Evaluation of Leadership
Ho Chi Minh demonstrated a profound understanding of Vietnamese culture and history. He was born into modest circumstances in the late 1800s and personally observed the initial phases of French colonization. Inheriting his father’s nationalism, Ho Chi Minh possessed a rebellious and radical nature, sharing his father’s unwavering belief in Vietnam’s autonomy. He even witnessed his father resign from his official position as a form of protest against French domination. Following extensive travels throughout Europe and the Western world, Ho Chi Minh found common ground with fellow nationalists, shaping his political ideologies and firmly establishing his philosophy regarding Vietnamese independence. Upon returning to Vietnam, he had transformed into an experienced revolutionary driven by an intense passion for the liberation of his country.
Ho Chi Minh’s ability to connect with the common Vietnamese people may have been his most significant preparation. He regularly visited villages and towns, and had a special fondness for dropping by schools to engage in conversations with the children. The Vietnamese people held a deep affection for him and universally called him “Uncle Ho.” His simplicity, integrity, and unwavering determination earned him admiration. Ho Chi Minh had a profound understanding of Vietnamese way of life, philosophy, and religion, and he never assimilated into European or Western cultures or religions. He staunchly resisted any attempts to compromise his fight for Vietnam’s independence. His passion for Vietnam’s independence was so intense that he claimed his inspiration came from patriotism rather than communism (Karnow 1998).
On the one hand, Ngo Dinh Diem came from a privileged and wealthy family, with ancestors who had converted to Christianity. As a devout Catholic, this might have caused some distress for the predominantly Buddhist Vietnamese population. Additionally, Diem’s wealth and his history of working for the colonial French government may have led many Vietnamese to view him with suspicion. Furthermore, Diem showed a lack of empathy towards the common people, who made up 85% of the rural population in South Vietnam. Instead of seeing them as fellow citizens, he regarded them as potential threats who needed to be closely monitored and tightly controlled.
Despite his insensitivity to the majority and engagement in biased and religiously oppressive policies, Diem’s actions were evident. A notable example was the ruthless killing of nine unarmed Buddhist civilians who were protesting against Diem’s ban on flying the Buddhist flag in honor of Buddha’s birthday. Diem’s management style was notorious for his difficulty in reasoning and collaborating with others. He not only micromanaged even the tiniest details but also seemed incapable of seeing the bigger picture. Trusting only a select few family members, he refused to expand the reach of his government and rejected negotiations with numerous rivals (Moss 2010). However, Diem’s political philosophy and authoritarian governing methods incited opposition and hindered his pursuit of much-needed support.
Conclusion
Both Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem possessed distinct leadership qualities. They both showed intelligence, diligence, and a strong dedication to their country. Ho Chi Minh effectively addressed the needs of the Vietnamese people by understanding Vietnamese culture, society, and economy. He displayed a deep passion and unwavering determination to make Vietnam self-reliant and develop a robust internal infrastructure.
In contrast, Diem lacked an understanding of the Vietnamese people despite being a nationalist. He relied on assistance from the United States and prioritized American interests. His discriminatory treatment towards religious groups and oppressive actions against dissenters resulted in alienation among most Vietnamese citizens.
There are numerous books and articles that explore the lives of these two individuals. It is interesting that even those who oppose communism still recognize Ho Chi Minh’s leadership abilities.
References
Karnow, J. (1998, April 13). Ho Chi Minh. Time Magazine. Retrieved from
www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988162,00.html
Moss, G.D., (2010). Vietnam: An American Ordeal (6th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Surah Al Fatiha: The Best Thing For A Man Is To Pray
It is named Al-Fatihah, the Opening – because it opens the Book and by it the recitation in prayer commences.It is also named Umm al-Qur’an, the Mother of the Qur’an, and Umm al-Kitab, the Mother of the Book.It was revealed in Makkah.It consists of seven verses. EXPLANATION
Allah deserves to be praised for the perfection of His qualities and spiritual blessings. Therefore, people should praise Him for everything He has given them. He alone deserves it. He is the Lord of the worlds.He made everything that exists, maintaining it at every moment. Allah alone is the Master of the Day of Judgment, the Day when human beings will be rewarded for their deeds. Reciting this verse in every rak’ah of prayer constantly reminds a Muslim of the coming Judgment, and encourages him to do good and stay away from sins. . The verse connects the heart with Allah and purifies it of pride. The ‘Straight Path’ is Islam, the clear road leading to divine pleasure and Heaven shown by Muhammad.This is a prayer from a Muslim to purify his heart of stubbornness, ignorance, and misguidance. The verse also shows Islam is Allah’s greatest blessing. Those who know the way and walk on it are guided and, after the prophets they were, without doubt, the companions of Prophet Muhammad. Theme
This Surah is in fact a prayer which Allah has taught to all those who want to make a study of His book. It has been placed at the very beginning of the book to teach this lesson to the reader: if you sincerely want to benefit from the Quran, you should offer this prayer to the Lord of the Universe.From this theme, it becomes clear that the real relation between Al-Fatihah and the Quran is not that of an introduction to a book but that of a prayer and its answer. Al-Fatihah is the prayer from the servant and the Quran is the answer from the Master to his prayer. The servant prays to Allah to show him guidance and the Master places the whole of the Quran before him in answer to his prayer. TEACHINGS
Al-Fatihah indirectly teaches that the best thing for a man is to pray for guidance to the straight path, to study the Quran with the mental attitude of a seeker- after-truth and to recognize the fact that the Lord of the Universe is the source of all knowledge. He should, therefore, begin the study of the Quran with a prayer to him for guidance.
ATM Skimming For The Next Generation
As a member of the team making ATMs for the next generation, we should develop strategies that counteract the features of the illegal skimmers. Inherent in the problem is the solution. We know that the flashing lead through entry should light up when in use, so any tampering with the lead would be easy to detect.
However, when a skim device has been placed in or near the card reader slot, our patented design will work in two ways. First, the contoured model will make it impossible to attach/add anything else because there are no hooks or hinges that will facilitate an attachment. Secondly, the weight (measured in milligrams) of anything else added to the ATM machine for more than three minutes will trigger a silent signal to the personnel of the banking institution.
In order to make it difficult to replace or overlay the fascia, we will collaborate with the government and Federal Reserve Bank to design a fascia with standardized details that would be difficult to duplicate such as a hard-to-match color, special metal alloy, and an inlaid 16-digit code.
Another option will be a GPS device encrypted in the Data Scrambler, a device that detects the activation of a skimmer within a certain radius. When the thief returns to his home and starts to download the data, the Data Scrambler will provide erroneous information and record the electronic waves emitted from the skimmer. Unbeknownst to the thief, the police can track his exact location.
References
- Bank Rate. (2010). Skimming the Cash Out of Your Account. Retrieved from http: //www.bankrate.com/finance/checking/skimming-the-cash-out-of-your-account
- About.com. (2010). Skimming Scams. Retrieved from http://www.banking.about.com /od/securityandsafety/a/skimmer.htm