“Then,” Nang said, “why not remove the doors?”
Another night, Guoshen and Nang discussed communism and the economics of rice first. “ ‘Revolution and production,’ ” Guoshen repeated a slogan of the Cultural Revolution, “ ‘will solve all problems.’ Peasants know how to grow rice.” About South Viet Nam Guoshen told Nang, “Their leaders are too corrupt to hold off the North, and the Americans won’t stay there forever.” He produced a lesson sheet. “See. On 12 November last year, Clark Clifford, the American secretary of defense, declared that if the Thieu clique won’t join the peace talks, the U.S. will conduct unilateral negotiations. Cambodia’s only chance for true independence is to befriend China. Sihanouk knows, but he’s fat. He splashes perfume on himself like a ‘broken shoe.’ ”
“That’
