Viet Nam Human Rights
Struggle against individualism
24/10/16
Individualism is the source of “illnesses,” degrading Party cadres and
members, and the Party. Individualism is particularly dangerous and difficult
to fight against because it is invisible and is in each people, “the
sugar-coated bullet,” the root cause of all illnesses with complex
metamorphosis and unexpected diversified forms. This potential threat makes the
Party’s revolutionary characteristics, ethics, people characteristics fade.
Why Uncle Ho had published his article “Raising revolutionary ethics, and
sweeping individualism” before he passed away?
Seven months before his
demise, despite busy schedule of the head of the country, President Ho Chi Minh
wrote and published in Nhan Dan newspaper on 3 February 1969 his works “Raising
revolutionary ethics, and sweeping individualism.” It dealt with two major
problems, namely revolutionary morality and individualism, two imperative
problems, affecting the survival of the Party and the regime.
The article “Raising
revolutionary ethics, and sweeping individualism” focused on “individualism”
that He considered the root cause of bad behavior of cadres and Party members
when the Party is in power. He said that people with individualism, first and
foremost, only think of their own interests in every activities. They do not
“work for people” but only want “everybofy works for him.”
When talking about the
danger of individualism, he stressed: “Individualism make people shun hardships
and difficulties, commit embezzlement, degradation, waste, and extravaganza.
They are greedy for high positions, profiteering, seeking position and power.
They hold themselves high, despise collective and the masses, and show
dictatorship and monopoly. They are alienated from the masses, from reality,
bureaucratic, and dictatorial. They have not the will to strive forward and do
not want to learn to make progress. It is individualism that causes disunity,
lack of sense of organization, lack of discipline, lack of responsibility,
failure to abide by the guidelines and policies of the Party and the State, and
does harm the interests of the revolution, and people.”(1)
Uncle Ho wrote and
published this works in 1969, a time full of hardship and challenges, when the
whole country mobilized all forces for the cause of liberation of the South and
national reunification, and required utmost sacrifice and abandonment of all
interests and individual selfishness. With an instinct of a great thinker, a leader
of genius, Uncle Ho foresaw the appearance of an “enemy” which is individualism
at the time when the Party takes power. He called for sweeping individualism,
firstly from Party cadres and members. President Ho Chi Minh early warned the
four major problems threatening the ruling party: first, errors in
the Party lines;second, degradation of morality and virtue of Party
cadres and members; third, low level of wisdom; fourth,
lack of acumen, lack of independent thinking, autonomy and creativity.
Fully aware of those
threats, our Party has taken many solutions and measures to lead the country
and after 30 years of renovation, the country has made great achievements of
historical significance on the road to socialism and firmly defended the
socialist Viet Nam.
Identify current individualism
Resolution of the 4th
Plenum of the Party Central Committee, 11th Tenure “Some current urgent issues
in Party building” frankly stated: “Quite a number of Party officials members,
including high-ranking Party members, leaders and managers show signs of degradation
of political ideology, ethics and lifestyle, manifestations of the ideal
fading, individualism, opportunism, and pragmatism, running after fame, money,
positions, localism, corruption, wastefulness, arbitrariness and anarchy.”
Obviously, if in the
past individualism was just profiteering, greediness, selfishness,
power-seeking among a small number of Party officials and members, now it is
among “quite a number” of Party officials and members, especially those in high
positions of power, not only at local level but also in higher levels.
Nowadays, manifestations of individualism have appeared in all fields of social
life, and are very sophisticated which can be or cannot be detected. Corruption
is the clearest evidence of individualism. Corruption is found in investment,
land management, implementation of projects to illegally enrich themselves,
interest groups, including major cases in policy making, capital construction,
planning and changing of land-use purposes which cause great losses to state budget.
Corrupted cadres are at all levels and branches of the political system. In
particular, there are massive corruption cases by a few leaders of enterprises
with State investment, in a small number of state regulatory bodies relating to
policy consultancy, capital construction and owners of key programs and
projects. Most common is “petty corruption” taking place in the contingent of
officials, employees and civil servants, especially in the management bodies
with the mechanisms “give-take.” People have been resented for cumbersome
administrative procedures and unethical officials when they come to some state
agencies to submit documents relating to land, requesting permits for house
construction, employment, household registration books, project proposals and
tax payment. These are signs of degradation of ethics, virtues, lifestyle, and
individualism.
Individualism is also
common in the field of personnel work, causing people’s deep concern.
Subjective assessment of staff; running for positions, authority, plan, and
rotation have taken place in a number of agencies, units, localities, branches
and departments. Some leaders and managers have assigned their relatives who do
not possess capabilities, qualifications and credibility for cadres and people
to high positions. A small number of cadres have abused powers to cover up
wrongdoings of their relatives in inspection, control, investigation,
prosecution and trial. Factions, localism, “lobbying,” acting against the
Party’s principles, intentional assignment of incapable and unethical people in
this or that position, assignment of people not through selection but for the
interest of that people, or assignment of less capable cadres as deputy heads
for ease of manipulation, and abuse of power to ensure no replacement of the
heads have been common. Contradictions in economic benefit distribution,
delegation and staffing as results of individualism have led to internal
disunity, non-protection of the right and struggle against the wrongs.
Currently individualism has
“bloomed,” developing rapidly and have more complex manifestations. This is a
serious threat to the survival of the regime.
About the cause of
degradation of political ideology, ethics and lifestyle with different
manifestations, including individualism, our Party has pointed out that there
are objective reasons but mainly subjective causes: “Party cadres and members
lack the will to self-train and the will to fight. They forget their
responsibilities and duties before the Party and people. The implementation of
guidelines and policies of the Party and State, resolutions, directives and
regulations on Party building and rectification in some places have not been
done completely; lack of order and discipline; deeds do not match words. The
principle of democratic centralism, self-criticism and criticism in many places
has been loosely followed and has not been regulated in details to provide a
basis for the inspection and supervision. The study, amendment and promulgation
of mechanisms, policies and laws to adjust to the operation of the
socialist-oriented market economy have not been timely; many regulations have
not had yet concrete implementation mechanisms. There have been manifestations
of localism and indulgence in assessment, use and staffing without paying
attention to discovering and developing mechanisms to respect and use truly
virtuous and talented people, and to resolutely replace uncapable people with
low credibility and violations. The political, moral, and lifestyle propaganda
and education have been nominal. Strict inspection, monitoring, maintaining
order and discipline in many places and levels have been sporadic. So does the
struggle against violations. The oversight role of people through the
Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations has not been promoted to
obtain high effectiveness.”
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All comments [ 10 ]
Fighting against individualism is a long-term, regular and continuous task, but in the current situation is extremely urgent.
To remove the root cause of the “chronic illness” of individualism, comprehensive, synchronous, drastic measures must be taken.
The Party Committees must renovate political and ideological propaganda and education, and put in place regular theoretical training, updating knowledge for Party officials and members, leaders, managers at all levels especially at the central level.
the Party and State of Vietnam must have mechanisms for Party committees at all levels, branches, and people to select and assign leaders who are intellegent, disciplined and exemplary.
If power vests in people without wisdom and relevant capacity, who are individualism-minded, disrespecting the law, not leading exemplary life, that power can be easily turned into tools of power, strength in service personal intrigue, manipulation of organization, and sabotage of the party.
In parallel with the criteria of wisdom and discipline, leaders have to set example in their work, and life anytime, anywhere for people to follow.
Early develop and regulate in detail criteria for assessment of performance, efficiency and contribution leaders and managers at levels and branches. On that basis, the collective Party committees will make their assessment open to the public.
There should be a mechanism for people, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and other socio-political organizations supervise official’s authority particularly heads of levels, branches and sectors.
Only by enforcing order and discipline within the Party can Party organizations lead, guide and maintain social order and discipline, contribute to social consensus, strengthen close relationships between people and Party and consolidate people’s trust in the Party.
There are the good and the bad in each people. One must know how to make the good blossom like spring flowers and the bad disappear, it is the attitude of the revolutionary.
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