This rhetorical question is asked by Sylvester Stallone in one of the Rambo films as he cuts a swathe through Vietnam in search of missing American POWs. A deluded attempt by Hollywood to rewrite history or, in fact, an accurate prediction of the eventual outcome of the Vietnam war?

I'm writing this sitting in a cafe following a visit to the Vietnamese Women's Museum. This is an excellent museum. The well laid out and informative presentations show how women "contributed to building socialism in Vietnam". But as I sit in the cafe drinking my Coke and watching The Children's Network (owned by Murdoch) on the TV (showing Tom and Jerry, I wonder what the Vietnamese make of that?) it's hard to see much evidence of socialism here in Hanoi. Outside I can see a shop selling Nokia and iPhones (made in Vietnam). Just down the street is a branch of HSBC and round the corner a street of designer shops. A report in an English language newspaper from the National Economic Forum reads like something coming out of our Coalition Government - talking of the need for greater labour flexibility, creating a business friendly environment, attracting inward investment etc.

Zhou Enlai, one of the leaders of the Chinese revolution, was once asked what he saw as the significance of the 1789 revolution in France. The enigmatic Zhou is reported to have replied "It's too soon to tell." Maybe the same is true of the Vietnamese victory over America. It was, after all, the first conclusive proof that the USA had feet of clay. But I can't quite quell the thought that it will be Uncle Sam and not Uncle Ho, who has the last laugh.