In an article published by the Vietnamese press on May 16, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) recognized capitalism as having “achievements” and “civilized values” but he still affirmed that Vietnam follows socialism.
Trong’s article published in Thanh Nien, Tien Phong, and many other major newspapers reads: “We acknowledge that capitalism has never been as global as it is today and has also been achieved many great achievements, especially in the field of emancipation and development of productive power, and development of science and technology.”
The head of the Communist Party confirmed the fact that many developed capitalist countries “have formed no less advanced social welfare regimes than before.”
Trong also pointed out that since the mid-1970s, capitalism “has tried to self-regulate, promoting ‘new liberal’ policies on a global scale; and thanks to that there is still room for growth.”
However, the Communist Party general secretary enumerates the downsides of capitalism, emphasizing social injustice, the gap between rich and poor, and the ‘liberal democracy’ that the West tries to promote, imposed on the whole world does not guarantee that real power belongs to the people, by the people and for the people.
Contrary to the above, Trong said that Vietnam led by the Communist Party “needs a society in which development is truly for the people, not for profit but exploitation and exploitation trample on human dignity. We need economic development to go hand in hand with progress and social justice, not widening the gap between rich and poor and social inequality.”
Still in this context, Mr. Trong emphasized: “We need a society of compassion, solidarity, mutual assistance … not unfair competition, ‘big fish eat small fish’ for the selfish benefit of a few individuals and certain groups” and “we need a political system where real power belongs to the people, by the people and serves the interests of the people, not just a few rich.”
According to the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam, those good wishes also seem to be “the true values of socialism and also the goal and path” that the party and people “have chosen and are persistently and persistently pursuing.”
However, Professor Nguyen Dinh Cong, who used to teach at the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and is now a dissident, told VOA that General Secretary Trong’s above remarks were “an imposition of “because all Vietnamese never have wanted to follow socialism.”
Professor Cong added: “Following the path of socialism is the thought of the leaders of the communist party. Socialism is something that has never existed anywhere. Party leaders who want to build socialism are just a formality. What they want is to create domination over the entire country of Vietnam for the communist party. The majority of the people see that they maintain this government only for the benefit of certain individuals or their groups.”
Outlining the socialist society that Vietnam is striving to build, General Secretary Trong said it is “a society of rich people, strong country, democracy, justice, and civilization; owned by the people; having a highly developed economy… people have a prosperous, free, happy life, have conditions for comprehensive development… there is a socialist rule of law state of the people, by the people, for the people led by the Communist Party.”
To achieve that goal, the head of the communist party said that Vietnam must “step up industrialization and modernization of the country…; develop a socialist-oriented market economy; … building people, improving people’s lives, realizing social progress and justice; … building a socialist democracy… building a socialist rule of law State of the people, by the people, for the people; building a clean, strong and comprehensive Party and political system.”
Mr. Trong reiterated the political model and general operating mechanism as “the Party leads, the State manages and the people own it.”
As for the concept of a socialist-oriented market economy, the leader of the Communist Party clarified that it is an economy that “operates fully and synchronously according to the laws of the market economy, with an of the socialist rule of law state, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam.”
Reflecting on the concepts raised by Trong, 83-year-old professor Cong told VOA:
“The leadership of the party, the management of the state, and the mastery by the people are a made-up, unrealized, and trampled path. The communists set up a system of party organs, government agencies, and the Fatherland Front, causing great waste, and ordinary people shrug their necks but don’t know what to do. It is put out mainly to propagate to the people that you have the right to be masters. But I don’t agree, I think it’s a freak.”
Once a party member and announced his resignation from the party, Professor Cong affirmed that there is no government of the people, by the people, for the people in Vietnam, but just the opposite:
“The government belongs to the party, people protect the party. It is said that in 1945 the people made a revolution to take the power back to the people. But in reality, right is just an illusion. In essence, power remains in the hands of the party, the National Assembly is the party’s agency, the government is the party’s government, the party sits above all laws, so much so that Trong said the Constitution is the most important document after the resolution. of the party. To say that the government of the people is by the people for the people is propaganda.”
Regarding the economic and social situation in Vietnam, Professor Cong noted that while General Secretary Trong criticized capitalist countries for social inequality, widening gap between rich and poor, and power serving only one person wealthy minority, the reality in Vietnam is no different:
“In Vietnam, there is also a great distinction between rich and poor, wealth is also concentrated on billionaires Pham Nhat Vuong, Nguyen Dang Quang, Nguyen Phuong Thao, etc. There are farmers who are still unjustly oppressed, still oppressed. Mr. Trong doesn’t look closely at the people’s situation, he doesn’t know the reality.”
In the last part of his article, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam reaffirmed that “currently Vietnam is in the process of building and transitioning to socialism” and that reality shows the process of progressing towards socialism. This is “a long, incredibly difficult and complicated career.”
Professor Nguyen Dinh Cong commented to VOA that building socialism is an illusion:
“If you build socialism properly and in accordance with the law, it won’t be so difficult. If you build a good society and you are good yourself, people must follow. I don’t think it’s possible. There are many contradictions in the construction of socialism. Capitalism has some contradictions, which they overcome gradually. And socialism not only failed to overcome but also collapsed in the homeland of socialism, the Soviet Union. China and Vietnam have learned from their experience, intensified their propaganda and lies, and strengthened their grip, but they will eventually collapse.”
Thoibao.de (Translated)
