“Developing Vietnam to socialism is a historical mistake” - A false allegation

 The allegation that “Developing Vietnam to socialism is a historical mistake” claimed by some people is a false one. On the threshold of the 13th Congress of the Party, they are increasing their propagation. This should be identified, countered and refuted.

Taking advantage of the opportunity when our Party is publicly taking people's opinions and comments to the Draft Political Report submitted to the 13th Congress, hostile and reactionary forces claim that: “Being consistent with socialism, Marxism – Leninism, and Ho Chi Minh thought is out of tune”. They often distort the scientific and revolutionary nature of the Party's ideological foundation. They usually exaggerate the phenomena to blame for its essence with an aim to cause ambiguity, undermine people's confidence in the Party's ideological base, and deny the path to socialism led by our Party. They make the most of information technology, Internet, social networks, and websites to post, share, and spread their wrong views to oppose socialism in general and the socialist regime in Vietnam, in particular. Especially, taking advantage of the collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, they said that: The Communist Party of Vietnam being “conservative” with the path to socialism is against the rule. “If the Communist Party of Vietnam continues to be steadfast with Marxism, then do not expect anything in the 13th Congress” (!), etc. The above claims are scientifically false and politically reactionary for a number of reasons:

Firstly, Marxism-Leninism has shown that the substitution between socio-economic models in history is completely objective, following the law of the dialectical relationship between forces of production and relations of production. When the latter become outdated and hinder the former, they will be inevitably broken and replaced with more suitable ones. The birth of communism, which is more advanced, will inevitably replace the outdated capitalist production model. Marxist-Leninist theory also pointed out that the communist socio-economic model must go through “one period and two phases”. A period means a transition from capitalism to socialism. Two phases consist of socialism and communism – the peak. The communist socio-economic model will be more advanced and qualitatively different from the capitalist one. But it is formed not spontaneously, but through the movement of socio-economic laws, the way of revolutionary struggle to remove oppression and exploitation of the bourgeoisie to build a new society. At the same time, it also pointed out that the working class is entrusted with the historical mission of leading the proletariat to overthrow the bourgeoisie; the only class capable of constructing and representing for a more advanced mode of production than the capitalist one.

Second, President Ho Chi Minh, our Party and People choosing the path to socialism is pursuant to the trend of the times and the practice of the Vietnam revolution. During his years abroad, President Ho Chi Minh approached Marxism-Leninism and the humanistic values of realist society in Russia to find a way to liberate the nation from oppression, exploitation, invasion, colonialism and feudalism. Therefore, in order to gain independence for the nation, it is necessary to conduct the proletarian revolution and build a socialist regime. He left an extremely valuable legacy for the Vietnamese revolution, the basic system of views on the revolutionary method to fight for national independence and build socialism. The Communist Party of Vietnam has been steadfast with Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought, the path to socialism which is consistent with the trend of the times and Vietnam practice. Therefore, the claims that “Marxism-Leninism has failed, the Communist Party of Vietnam suffers a crisis in theoretical ideology, so it must take Ho Chi Minh's thought as the ideological base” is not true.

Thirdly, the CPV’s right and creative way intertwining “the Party's will” and “the people's hearts” on socialism and the path to socialism. As early as 1930, the brief Charter of the Party drafted by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc and approved by the Conference on the establishment of the Party, although being very short, has clearly defined the way of the Vietnam revolution as “Conducting bourgeoisie revolution and national revolution to go to communist society”. Accordingly, national independence and socialism have become the consistent target of the Communist Party of Vietnam through revolutionary times. Each term of the Party Congress is a revolutionary journey with different goals, objects, requirements, tasks and plans on building socialism in our country. The achievements of the previous term create the premise and favorable conditions for the following one. In 1991, the Party introduced the Platform for national construction during the transition to socialism, which pointed out six characteristics of socialism in Vietnam. The 2011 Platform added two to make it eight. Each Congress pointed out the peculiarity of the transition period in Vietnam, assessed the great achievements in building socialism and affirmed the absolute reasonableness of the path to socialism.

Fourth, real socialism has shown its superiority over capitalism. The collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe was just the breakdown of one particular model. The construction of socialism in Russia, later the Soviet Union, was not long but has won many great achievements in all fields. The Soviet Union has become the second largest economy in the world (after the US) with industrial output accounting for 20% of the total world industrial output. In 1957, the Soviet Union was the first country to successfully launch an artificial satellite. In 1961, it launched a spacecraft, crewed by astronaut Gagarin, around the earth, ushering in the era of conquoring the space. The Soviet Union is among the world's leading countries in terms of people's education with over 30 million “brain workers”, etc. Obviously, in a short time, socialism born in the Soviet Union and many socialist countries, though incomplete, but developed in many aspects, which was completely different from capitalism. That said, socialism is a reality, not a “dream” nor an “illusion”!

Currently, the socialist countries, including Vietnam, are carrying out the cause of renewal and reform, and achieve profound and steady achievements, which are admired by the world. Although capitalism has undergone different stages of development, with adjustment and adaptation but its nature never changes. It is still an oppressive, exploitative, and unjust society. Although socialism faces difficulties and crisis, with its initial achievements, it has affirmed that it is more super, advanced and will inevitably be the future of human society. The path to socialism of the Vietnamese people stems from these inevitable achievements.

Fifth, the Communist Party of Vietnam has the political and intellectual bravery, and the ability to lead the cause of building socialism in Vietnam. Born in the revolutionary movement of the nation, the Communist Party of Vietnam led the entire Vietnamese people to the victory of the August Revolution in 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam – the first peasant and worker’s state in Southeast Asia. In the revolutionary process, our Party has always resolved well the relationship between the nation and the class. From 1954 to 1975, the Party led our people to simultaneously and successfully implement two revolutionary strategies, namely: fighting for national liberation in the South, and building socialism in the North. After the liberation of the South, the country was reunified, the Party led the country to go to socialism. When socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe collapsed, our Party remained steadfast on the path to socialism, persistent with the innovation line, uphold the principle, and decided not to “change the color”.

Over 35 years of renewal, our Party has led our people to important achievements with historical significance in all fields of social life, which has been recognised by international friends. That result can’t be misrepresented or denied. Draft documents submitted to the 13th Congress of the Party affirmed that: the country has never had such potential and position like today; new opportunities have been generated for the whole nation to overcome challenges, and develop socialism in Vietnam faster and more sustainably in the next stage.

With the above theoretical and practical bases, it can be affirmed that the distortion and denial of the path to socialism in our country are irrational, and the path to socialism that our People have chosen under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam is absolutely correct. No one can prevent the revolutionary spirit of our people in the cause of building and defending the Socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.