"To The Critic:
Concerning the ideas in your article, I believe, the advanced collectors will have difficulty accepting them. I should not waste my time for such rumors, but because many of my friends email me and want me to do something, I am forced to write this article to point out your mistakes and your misunderstandings..."
Như đã viết trước đây, là tôi sẽ chuyển lên Diễn Ðàn bài tôi mỉnh xác liên quan đến bài viết của tác giả sách
Một số nét lịch sử bưu chính... về bài Ðiểm Sách của tôi.
Trước khi chuyển, tôi lưu ý các thành viên của Diễn Ðàn là tác giả bản văn đã trực tiếp viết cho tôi (như tôi trích dẫn ở trên), mở đầu bằng
"To The Critic..." rồi sau đó sử dụng nhân xưng đại danh từ ngôi thứ nhì
"you," tức trực tiếp với người đối thoại là tôi, nhưng bản văn không hề gửi cho tôi, mà gửi cho mấy ngưới Mỹ có lẽ là khách hàng của tác giả, và tôi còn thấy dấu vết của bọn Mỹ này edit, tức sửa chữa, văn cho tác giả. Về nội dung trong phần minh xác, tôi không nói nhiều, vì tôi không đôi co.
Thành viên Diễn Ðàn nào muốn biết trong bài Ðiểm Sách tôi viết gì, và tác giả của bài viết có hiểu được hay hiểu đúng không, xin tìm bài Ðiểm Sách ấy cũng trong Mục này. Bây giờ, các thành viên trong Diễn Ðàn đã có cơ hội biết cả hai mặt của đồng tiền, tự mỗi người sẽ có nhận định và thẩm định.
Nhờ Ban Chủ Nhiệm giúp chuyển bài lên đây cho mọi người đọc được dễ dàng. Cám ơn. TAT
A few months ago, I wrote a book review concerning postal history during the Vietnam War. The book is entitled
Một Số Nét Lịch Sử Bưu Chính Qua Tem Thư Thời Kỳ Cách Mạng Miền Nam Việt Nam. Some Features of Postal History in the Period of Revolutionary South Vietnam by a person named Ta Phi Long and printed by the Information and Communications Publishing House in Hochiminh City in 2012. I did raise my concerns about the authenticity of some of the covers introduced in the book.
Recently, the book writer wrote a piece of writing in response to my book review. It is because of my respect to the readers of my book review that I would like to clarify something.
First of all, even he could produce something in a book form, he has not understood the basic way of communication in the literary world. He doesn’t understand what a book review is. He has wrongfully assumed that a book review is a direct contact between the reviewer and the book writer. Therefore, in that piece of writing, he abnormally kept questioning me why I did not write him directly as he had already offered his email address in the book?!
He has also kept saying that I was not a postal history collector, nor did I have any postal history items, and on and on and on. Come on, Sir! I have been collecting and writing about Vietnam Philately when you were not born into this world yet. You are no friend to me, how come you know what I have and what I don’t have in my possession? Are you knowledgeable or ignorant, Sir?
In my book review, I have mentioned Ta Phi Long in a very positive way as “an honest and dependable dealer.” Time passes, and he has become a different person, let alone a stamp dealer. I would particularly like to mention a part of his piece of writing, as follows:
“On page 59, cover #49 you said:” the label “Trung Tâm Bưu Giao Saigon.” was never a postal term for VNCH Post Office. It is a "Viet Cong" term! In March of 1975, Saigon was still firmly at the hands of VNCH Government, how come the "Viet Cong" term “Bưu Giao” appeared on its postal label?!” I’m really shocked and surprised with your question! Anyway, I saw most of the Vietcong terms are “GIAO BUU” and the label of South Vietnam used “BUU GIAO”; this is a different usage. In any case, this is a Vietnamese term so it is no wonder why people used it at that time...”
With this kind of shaky argument, now I am 100% certain that covers with such label are fakes. I am willing to bet my house on this! The Central Post Office of the Republic of Vietnam Government would never use “Viet Cong” terms, period. Oh, poor Ta Phi Long, could he be cheated?
I am not familiar with vulgar language, and I feel myself sorry having to read that cheap piece of writing. I stopped reading in the middle of it. Therefore, my intention is not to respond to him, but to just send additional information to readers of my book review!
Tran Anh Tuan, USA
APS #135777