Well, no, I disagree. Lao people are still affected by the scars of the Indochina Wars. Additionally, they are sometimes limited from what they can do by living within a communist framework. In comparison, Isaan people are very free -- more so than even the United States. This sometimes can be their undoing. But, by being free, Isaan people are a very happy people and I do not find that to be true in Laos, in general.