There are propaganda posters and banners everywhere in Vietnam, it’s part of the communist culture, I guess. Some are pretty benign, like telling everybody to celebrate Labor Day. Occasionally, though, I see a banner that really makes me wonder what’s going on.
Like this one, for example. This was displayed prominently, on a major street near where I live:
“Don’t make consumer alcohol from industrial alcohol.”
I think that’s generally good advice. I wouldn’t want to drink alcoholic beverages that were made from industrial alcohol, and I assume that most people would have the same preference as I. But why exactly does the government feel the need to make banners promulgating this sage advice common sense?
To my pea-sized brain, the government has two reasons to put out these propaganda banners. One is to spread its message and “educate” the people. Like the Labor Day message, for example. The other is to address a problem that has occurred. Since I don’t think that telling people how not to make alcoholic beverages is high on the need for public education, my conclusion is that some people have been making consumer alcohol from industrial alcohol. Which is pretty scary.