Communist Review - The national comprehensive renovation initiated and led by the Communist Party of Vietnam has recorded the great achievements of historic significance, affirming the goal and the path to advance towards socialism chosen by the Party and Uncle Ho is correct. The work “A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and path to advance towards socialism” of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is the project to summarize the profound theory, to transmit inspiration and to stoke the great ambition of the entire nation to materialize the goal of socialism.

Clarifying and enriching core theoretical value of socialism

With the method of scientific access, logical presentation, in the book “A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and path to advance towards socialism in Vietnam”, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has analyzed, systemized and come up with the new viewpoints, ideologies and consciousness of theoretical stature on socialism and the path to advanced towards socialism. The core contents are as follows:

On socialism: “Socialist society that the Vietnamese people are striving to build is a society of rich people, powerful country, democracy, equality and civilization; with the people being the masters” (1) is the fundamental goal of socialism that Vietnam is aiming to.  On the basis of analyzing the strong points, the limited aspects, the inherent contradictions, especially  the crisis of the world in general and capitalism in particular, the Book affirms that the exploiting character of capitalism cannot be covered, the inborn contradictions as well as the crisis  “cannot be able to be settled in a thoroughgoing manner within the framework of the capitalist regime”(2). “Only socialism and communism can be able resolve to the letter the issue of independence for the nation, can be able to bring about the real free, prosperous and happy life to all the people, to all nations”(3).

On the transitional period to advance towards socialism, the political institution: This is a long cause; it must create the essentially profound change in all fields of social life with a lot of steps, with many intertwined economic and social organizational forms, with the struggle between the old and the new. The political model and the general operational mechanism in Vietnam are: The Party is the leader, the State is the manager and the people are the masters. Democracy is the nature of the socialist society; it is both the goal and the motive force of the socialist construction. In which, the socialist rule-of-law State is really the State of the people, by the people and for the people; the State represents the people’s right to mastery, at the same time it implements the Party’s line; it has the mechanism for the people to carry out their right to be the direct masters and the masters representing all aspects of social life, taking part in managing the state, managing the society.

The work has developed the theoretical consciousness that bypassing the capitalist regime means bypassing the oppressing, unjust, exploiting regime, bypassing the politcal institutions that are unsuitable to the socialist society, not bypassing the achievements and civilized values the humanity has recorded in the developing period of capitalism. The inheritance of the achievements has to be selected in the scientific and developing viewpoint.

On the socialist-oriented market economy: This is the especially important content that has been mentioned in the book. Accordingly, the socialist-oriented market economy is the modern market economy, the international integration, the sufficient and synchronous operation in accordance with the market economy, with the management of the socialist rule-of-law State, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with the aim of implementing the goal of “the rich people, the powerful country, democracy, equality, civilization”. This form of economic organization has followed the laws of the market economy and is based, led and governed by the fundamental principles and nature of socialism, reflected in three aspects: Ownership, organization of management and distribution.

On the basis of scientific argument and practical summary, the book “A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and path to advance towards socialism in Vietnam” has clarified the nature, institution, structure, operational mechanism, goal, fundamental characteristics, private feature that is the socialist orientation in the market economy. Developing the socialist-oriented market economy is the fundamental breakthrough and the important theoretical creativity of the Communist Party of Vietnam, stemming from the domestic realities and accepting with selection the experience in the world.

On culture-society: “Culture deals with what is the most quintessential; it is retorted, crystalized and forged into the fine, noble values which are outstanding, humane, compassionate, human feelings”(4). Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the endogenous strength, the impetus for national development and the defence of the Fatherland. It is the advanced culture deeply imbued with the national identity, a unified culture in diversity, based on the progressive, humane values; Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought play the dominant role in the social spiritual life, inherit and promote the fine traditional cultural values of the nation, at the same time receive with selection the achievements and quintessences of humankind’s culture.

The content of the book has made clear: “The socialist society is the society that aims towards the progressive and humane values, based on the common interests of the whole society in harmony with the legitimate interests of human beings, a far cry in essence as compared to the societies that compete with one another to seize the private interests among the individuals, factions and groups; therefore, it is necessary to have conditions to build the social consensus instead of social opposition and antagonism”(5). At the same time, it is determined: The great national unity is the source of strength and the element of decisive significance to ensure the durable victory of the revolutionary cause in Vietnam; constantly push ahead the equality and unity among the ethnicities and religions.

On national defence, security: “To be proactive in preventing the dangers of war and conflicts at an early time and from a far; to be determined and persistent to protect firmly the independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; to ensure the national security, social safety”(6). To closely combine the economic and social development with the consolidation and enhancement of national defence and security. To continue to build the people’s Army, the regular, elite revolutionary people’s Public Security, step by step modernize a number of services, arms and forces to advance straight to modernity. By the year 2025, basically the army and public security will be built to be streamlined, strong, creating the firm precondition so as to strive to the year 2030, the People’s Army, the revolutionary People’s Public Security will be built into the regular, elite and modern ones. To build the battle array of the will of the people, the battle array of the all-people defence, the battle array of solid people’s security to serve as the foundation for the defence of the Fatherland. “To discover in time, to be proactive to handle effectively the complicated cases in security and order without letting the “hot spots” happen. To crack down in time and effectively all kinds of criminals, particularly the organized criminals, the trans-national criminals, the high-tech using criminals, the heroine gangs”(7).

On foreign relations: “Today’s foreign relations is not only the continuity of the domestic policy, but also the strong impetus for the development of the nation, the country”(8). Accordingly, it is necessary to push ahead and improve the effectiveness of the foreign relations; improve the capacities of integration, particularly the regional level and the local and enterprises level; to make the fullest use the opportunities brought about by the process of integration, particularly the signed free trade agreements (FTA). To build the modern diplomacy, to pay attention to promoting the defence, security diplomacy to defend the Fatherland at an earlier time and from a far. To enhance the economic diplomacy in service of development; to expand and improve the effectiveness of the cultural diplomacy, thus making the practical contribution to advertising the national images and brands and promoting the general strength of building and protecting the Fatherland.

Stoking aspirations to realize socialism in Vietnam

The work “A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and path to advance towards socialism in Vietnam” has the power of moving, spreading, inspiring, making great impact on ideology, confidence and acton of each Party organization, cadre, party member and people of different strata.

On the theoretical and conscious respect, right after the work was published (on February 2022), the majority of people of all strata, cadres and party members, scientists, theoretical researchers have paid attention and made response to it. The work has dealth directly with the fundamental and complicated issues with the lively and scientific evidences; from which it affirms the value of immortality and development, enriches the theory of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, applies it to realities of the renovation, builds and protects the Fatherland, thus taking the country to the stage of new development.

On the political ideology respect, the work has made an important contribution to consolidate firmly the confidence in socialism and the path to advance towards socialism for cadres, party members and the people of all strata. Marxism-Leninism came into being, socialist realism had the stages of development, making great contributions to the historical flow of mankind in the 20^th century. The collapse of the model of socialist realism in the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries was the event that made deep impact on the confidence of many people who by nature were yet to have the sufficient consciousness of socialism. A number of cadres and party members showed the doubt and wavering of their ideological standpoint, even they came to be degenerated in the political ideology. So far, socialism and the path to advance towards socialism is still the extremely important theoretical and practical subject. Since its birth, the theory of scientific socialism has always met the sabotage of the hostile and reactionary ideologies. Having taken advantage of the collapse of the model of socialist realism in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Europe, the sabotageous activities have become ever fiercer. In recent time, a number of scholars having the capitalist world outlook, the elements of “political opportunities”, “reactionaries” have striven hard to lash out and sabotage the Party and the path to advance towards socialism, made their attempt to promote the “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” within the Party. However, the great achievements of important historical significance through the practical struggle and the national renovation have proven: “Only socialism and communism can be able to settle thoroughly the issue of national independence, can be able to bring about the real free, prosperous and happy life for all people, all nations”. The work not only systemizes and explains scientifically the theoretical and practical isues, but also spreads the confidence and aspirations of the nation, consolidates the firm political ideology for cadres, party members and people in the path that the nation is aiming to.

On the pradtical aspect, the spread of spirit and ideology in the work has helped consolidate the high unity and unification in ideology and action, in economic and social development, push head the renovation, industrialization and modernization, strive to realize the aspirasion to take the country to the ever more prosperous and happy development, thus firmly advancing towards socialism.

On the basis of profound consciousness and grasping of the guiding ideologies and viewpoints in the work of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, in order to contribute to implementing successfully the cause of protection the national ssecurity, ensuring the social order and safety, in the coming time, the people’s public security force needs to carry out satisfactorily a number of basic, key issues as follows:

Firstly, to continue to ensure the Party’s absolute and direct leadership in all aspects in the combat and construction of the people’s pubclis security force. All the Party Committee levels, the Party organizations at all levels in the people’s public security have to abide by strictly the Political Program, the Party’s Rules, the resolutions, instructions, stipulations and mechanisms of the Party, the policies and laws of the State; absolutely be loyal to the Party, the State, the Fatherland and the people. To be deeply conscious, to creatively apply in leadership, in guidace to carry out the task of protecting the national security, ensuring the national order and safety and building the force, making a contribution to implementing successfully the political task assigned by the Party, the State and the people.

Secondly, absolutely not to be subjective, neglective, not to be passive, unexpected, to firmly keep the national security, ensure the social order and safety in all situations. To be proactive to have the early prediction, the correct assessment of the situation, identify the dangers and threats to the national interests, political security, the social order and safety; to give the timely advices to the Party and State concerning the great advocacies, policies and solutions of strategic character in handling the security and order problems. To constantly renew all the aspects of the work so as to be able to be proactive in guarding against, struggling and stopping all the plots and sabotageous activities of the hostile forces, to effectively respond to all the threats to the non-traditional security and the complicated problems in security and order. To prevent well, resolutely struggle, attack, crack down, prevent and handle the violations of the laws and criminals, to ensure the order, disciplines, the peaceful, safe and happy life of the people.

Thirdly, to concentrate on the guidance, the resolutely and synchronously carry out the solutions of building the elite, regular revolutionary people’s public security force, to step by step mondernize some services, arm and forces to advance straight towards modernity. To build and implement effectively the schemes of building the strong, streamlined people’s public security force by 2025. To create the firm preconditions, to strive to the years 2030 to build the modern, elite, regular revolutionary people’s public security force. Officers and men, party members of the people’s public security have to be exemplary in the political ideologies, morality, lifestyle, to constantly set an example, to self-criticize, to self-correct, to foster and train, to constantly improve abilities and effectiveness in the public security work, thus striving to fulfill remarkably all the assigned tasks./.

--------------------

(1), (2), (3) Nguyen Phu Trong: A number of theoretical and oractical issue on socialism and oath to advance towards socialism in Vietnam, the National Political Publishing House Su That, Hanoi, 2022, P. 24, 20, 22

(4) Nguyen Phu Trong: A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialiosm and path to advance towards socialism in Vietnam, Ibid, p. 158-159

(5), (6), (7), (8) Nguyen Phu Trong: A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and path to advance towards socialism in Vietnam, Ibid, p. 28, 54, 61, 180

This article was published in the Communist Review No. 999 (October 2022)