The 4^th Central Resolution (12^th tenure) considers the hesitant learning of political theories as a manifestation of ideological degradation among cadres and party members. Unfortunately, a part of young military officers have been infected with this “disease” in different manifestations and degrees. This is a dangerous issue which needs to be criticised, struggled and timely solved.

In the present structure of military cadres, young officers account for a large proportion, who have acquired basic education, and been contributing greatly to the cause of building and safeguarding the Fatherland. In general, young military officers have good political qualities, morality and lifestyle; they are highly responsible in doing their tasks; self-aware and exemplary in self-improving and self-training their revolutionary morality; enthusiastic and energetic, etc.. Together with other components, they are maintaining and promoting the qualities and image of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”. However, some of them have shown sign of hesitantly learning political theories – a dangerous manifestation of political-ideological degradation, which needs to be resolutely countered.

One of the most obvious manifestations is that they underestimate the roles and importance of political theories, considering the learning of politics as “a waste of time”. As a result, they are not active and attentive in the concentrated learning of political theories and the Party’s resolutions and directions. Especially, together with their limited self-study and research, they have hardly actively researched Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, the Party’s policies and guidelines and the State’s law to assist their assigned tasks. The report on implementing Direction No. 124-CT/ QUTW concluded that “the self-study, self-training and responsibility of a part of cadres, especially the exemplary role of a part of cadres and party members are limited”. Those expressions are harmful and opposed to the regulations of the Party and the Military, easily leading to political degradation, negatively affecting the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”.

To be worst, because of being lazy in learning theories, some young officers have degraded in political ideology, morality and lifestyle. They feel unsecure and do not commit to their work and unit, abandon their ideals and careers. Facing the social problems and the hostile forces’ sabotage, some young military officers become disoriented. As lacking political theories, they fail to clear their mind, and unable to protect the Party’s ideological foundation, counter the wrong and hostile viewpoints and arguments. They, even “change their opinion”, give up Marxism -Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought; stay away the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints, the State’s policies and laws. As a consequence, they are easily led to “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”, etc.

Exchange on the operation of "Young theoretical club" in the Political College

It has been shown that theories are a torch lighting the actions; a lack of theories causes uncertainties and errors. Learning political theories not only equips cadres and party members with knowledge, but also provides them with methodology to effectively solve any issues arising in the real life. President Ho Chi Minh once said: “Theories are like a compass, guiding us in our real work. Without theories, we are likely to walk with our closed eyes”. The Charter of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 4^th Resolution of the Party Central Committee (12^th and 13^th tenures) on building and rectifying the Party have stipulated that party members have the duties of “continuously learning, training and improving their knowledge, working competence, etc.”.

Inevitably, the consequences of hesitantly learning political theories in general, the Party’s resolutions and directions in particular have directly affected the task performance of individuals and units. Some resolutions of the Party, though being correct, have been slowly and ineffectively executed. Especially, there are even some misunderstandings and violations of the Party’s guidelines, resolutions and discipline which have been punished, affecting the building of the pure and strong party organisations and the comprehensively strong units. President Ho Chi Minh clearly said that “as many cadres and party members are weak at theories, when dealing with problems, they cannot think clearly and make sound decisions”. Therefore, the learning of political theories is very important, a necessary, urgent, regular and long-term issue.

The hesitant learning of political theories among young military officers is caused by both objective and subjective reasons, in which the latter are dominant. To struggle against and criticise the manifestation of hesitantly learning political theories among young military officers, firstly, party committees and party organisations need to enhance the struggle against wrong motivation and thinking, at the same time, more attention should be paid to education to improve the awareness of the position, role and importance of political learning in the Military. Leaders and commanders at all levels need to pay more attention to educating young officers to deeply understand the position and role of political theories in the cause of Military building; and that the political learning should be led by the party committees and party organisations, the management and operation of the political commissars, junior political commissars, commanders and political offices at all levels. Political learning is the duty and right of all soldiers and organisations which need to strictly follow the Regulations on political education and the Party’s resolutions and directions.

Together with struggling, criticising and improving the awareness for young officers, it is necessary to enhance the basic and comprehensive renovation of political education in units. It is widely known that political theories are tedious and hard to understand, meanwhile the education forms and methods have shown their shortcomings. Hence, to criticise and struggle against the hesitant learning, offices and units need to “Basically renovate the educating contents, programmes and methods of political theories in a scientific, creative and modern way, combining the theories with the practice”. Accordingly, the contents and programmes need to clarify new and urgent issues of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints, the State’s policies and laws, and the military and defence tasks in the new situation; combine the political theories with solving specific tasks of the units, the education of political theories with learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle, implementing Resolution No. 847-NQ/ QUTW of the Central Military Commission on Promoting the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, firmly preventing individualism in the new situation; educate the morality, lifestyle, discipline observance, and the improvement of quality and effectiveness in all working fields for young offices. The education methods of political theories need to be modern, encouraging the spirit of self-studying and reforming the thinking for young officers, firmly preventing the dogmas and empty theories. The evaluation needs to be honest, taking the results as the criteria to evaluate the capacity of task completion of young officers. It is also necessary to conduct the summary and learn from experience of political theory education in order to make solutions for cultivating cadres who are doing the political theory education to have enough qualities, ability, deep knowledge of political theories, stable political spirit, bright revolutionary morality, rich working experience, good pedagogical skills to attract learners.

It has been shown that the above-mentioned hesitant learning of political theories is caused by not only the individual awareness and limitations in conducting education within organisations, but also the methods, behaviours, simple thinking, pleasure indulgence and weak willpower of a part of young officers. Consequently, the criticism and struggle against this “disease” require offices and units to make the young military officers regularly and self-consciously define their right targets, goals, and actively learn political theories. Through the creative methods and the reality of military and defence activities in units, young military officers shall understand that learning is a lifelong activity, the knowledge equipped in schools are basics and foundations for their self-study and self-research, and it is vital to consider “self-study as the core” in order to avoid being left behind. In the process of learning political theories, they need to have suitable methods, a right attitude, and a proactive manner. Learning political theories is for not only adding and updating knowledge, but also for improving their thought, making them more active and determined, and enhancing their willpower, spirit, methods and behaviours. To make this process effective, each young officer needs to build their own study plan, taking it as an important task, and resolutely avoiding the arrogant and subjective thinking.

Young military officers are the successive force; and the main force in educating and training soldiers and in building all-strong units. Therefore, the hesitant learning of political theories among this staff is harmful to their training and development. Therefore, criticising and repelling this phenomenon with many solutions is an urgent, regular and long-term task for building the contingent of military cadres on a par with tasks.

Dr. VU VAN BACH, The Political College