Constant upheavals all over the world in several past decades have greatly impacted on everyone’s’ mind and perception. Especially after the collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe countries and Soviet Union, a large number of reactionaries and people believe that socialism and Communist ideal are totally out of date, claiming that Vietnam shall follow capitalism to develop itself in line with the trend of the times.

It is easy for us to realise that is such a wicked argument. Both theoretically and practically, we have sufficient valid grounds to prove that our selection of the path towards socialism is right, extremely creative, and in accordance with Vietnam’s practical condition and the development trend of the times.

1. National impendence associated with socialist is a right unique choice. In the 19^th and 20^th centuries, there was a fact that capitalism was spreading its “probosces” across all continents to “suck blood” of labourers in both metropolitan countries and colonies. The Vietnamese people suffered under the yoke of colonialism and imperialism; therefore, they were all aware of the nature of capitalism. Since French colonialists had invaded our country, patriotic movements developed rapidly but all failed. At that time, the liberation of the Vietnamese people was in a difficult situation without any exit.

But then history had an answer. Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh initiated and developed the Vietnamese revolution. In his journey to seek the way of saving the nation, Nguyen Ai Quoc found his guiding light in V.I. Lenin’s Platform on national and colonial issues. He believed that “only socialism and communism could liberate the oppressed nations and the labouring people all over the world from the yoke of slavery.” Thanks to leader Nguyen Ai Quoc’s tireless efforts, Marxism-Leninism combined with Vietnam’s patriotic movement and labouring movement was transformed into a significant event: on March 2^nd, 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) was founded. Immediately after its foundation, our CPV announced its policy on “carrying out a bourgeois revolution of civil rights and a land revolution towards a communist society.” That announcement meant an outright rejection of feudalism and capitalism; socialism was not only a goal but also the momentum for the development of the Vietnamese people’s history. It is the path and the trend of the times that Vietnam has been following. Logically, the goal of national independence and socialism set by our CPV and people is an inevitable choice. Historically, it is completely in accordance with the movement of the Vietnamese revolution and the trend of the times. More importantly, it derives from the specific condition of a semi-feudal colony and the Vietnamese people’s burning desire. Socially, it is the largest fundamental system of values that decide the development of our country nowadays and in the future. Therefore, the CPV’s Platform on national construction in the transitional period towards socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011) stated that “under the law of historical evolution, human race will certainly move forward to socialism,” adding that “socialism is our people’s aspirations and a right choice of our CPV and President Ho Chi Minh in accordance with the development trend of history.”

2. Capitalist society is no good one. Since its inception, capitalism has continuously made adjustments to adapt itself to new contexts and gained a lot of successes to carry on. Nevertheless, it has been unable to deal with its chronic shortcomings and drawbacks. Brzezinski,  a Polish-American diplomat, U.S. President Jimmy Carter's former National Security Advisor, published the book titled “Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the 21^st Century.” This book provides a large number of arguments for the U.S. strategies. In spite of his effort to embroider American capitalism, he himself had to admit 20 thorny issues of the U.S. society, such as debt, poor healthcare service, poor secondary education, a greedy affluent class, increasingly severe discrimination and poverty, rampant crime and violence, and popularisation of mental corruption via audiovisual means.

Although capitalism nowadays has certain adjustments in forms of ownership, management, and distribution, it is still unable to handle its inherent contradictions as follows.

First, a contradiction between capital and labour. The gap between rich and poor as well as social injustices are increased, which proves that the exploitation of surplus value still exists. In addition, the absolute or relative impoverishment of the working class still remains. In the capitalist society, social inequalities and evils are popular, while social, cultural and moral corruption is more and more serious. Discrimination and injustice lead to an increase in social evils and become a major challenge, while crime and violence are widespread. Nowadays, within the capitalist society, corruption not only takes place in labour but also in all aspects of the social life. Both natural and social environments are being polluted and destroyed. It could be said that the capitalist society’s cultural and moral life is seriously degenerating.

Second, a contradiction between colonies and imperialism. Nowadays, that contradiction is transformed into a conflict between dependent under-developed countries and imperial nations.

Third, a contradiction between capitalist countries themselves, mainly between the three leading economic and political centres of the world (the U.S., Japan, and Western Europe), and between transnational capitalist corporations.

Fourth, a contradiction between capitalism and socialism. That contradiction still exists objectively during the transitional period towards socialism on a global scale. In fact, that contradiction is expressed in the imperial forces’ conspiracies. They have been taking advantage of the collapse of socialism in several countries to enhance their counter-attack via all artifices (including military intervention), with a view to eliminating the remaining socialist states. However, due to changes in the world, a number of socialist countries have established official relations with capitalist nations; they are both cooperating and competing with one another in various areas. Therefore, that contradiction is manifested mainly in “peaceful evolution” and “peaceful evolution” combat. Despite different manifestations, the contradiction between socialism and capitalism is a very fierce struggle.

After the collapse of their socialist regime, a number of Eastern Europe states and Soviet Union have followed capitalism. However, in the past 30 years, they have sought no way to become wealthier. They have been even confronted with numerous socio-economic difficulties and a lot of their citizens have shown their regret over the bygone socialist system. To better understand the reason why we have chosen the path towards socialism, we could quote extremely convincing arguments by Professor, Dr Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the CPV’s Central Committee in his article entitled “A number of theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam”: “We need a society in which development is truly for humans, not for exploitation and dehumanisation for the sake of profit. We need economic development accompanied by social progress and equality, not an increase in the gap between the rich and the poor or greater social inequity. We need a society of compassion, solidarity and mutual assistance towards progressive and humanistic values, not unfair competition where ‘the weak are meat, and the strong do eat’ to satisfy the selfish interest of a few individuals and cliques. We need sustainable development in harmony with nature to secure a clean living environment for present and future generations, instead of unlimited exploitation and possession of resources, unrestrained consumption and destruction of the environment. And we need a political system where power truly belongs to the people, is enforced by the people and serve the people, not merely in the interest of the wealthy few.” He also confirms that “national independence associated with socialism is the fundamental guideline of Vietnam's revolution.”

3. Vietnam has successfully and resolutely maintained national independence associated with socialism. National independence and socialism have become Vietnam’s system of development values under the CPV’s flag in the modern time. That is also a logic of historical development of the Vietnamese people under the CPV’s leadership, while helping create Vietnam’s particularities, Vietnam’s resilience, and Vietnam’s status in the world. Following that path and system of values, since 1930, the CPV founded and trained by President Ho Chi Minh has led our people to conduct a durable revolutionary struggle, surmount numerous difficulties and challenges, and obtain great victories. Typical examples include the victory of the August Revolution in 1945 smashing the yoke of feudalism and colonialism, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, bringing our country to a new era of independence and freedom, and the victories of our resistance wars, particularly the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and the Great Spring Victory of 1975 liberating the nation, unifying the country, and firmly protecting the Homeland.

Over the past 75 years of gaining and maintaining national independence, building socialism, and defending the Homeland, especially in the past 35 years of national renewal, with such a system of values, our CPV has deservedly typified Vietnam’s steadfastness in socialism. It has clearly expressed self-reliance in the country’s foreign and domestic policies, while transforming Vietnam from a semi-feudal colony into an independent socialist-oriented nation. Our country has escaped from the state of underdevelopment and it is accelerating industrialisation, modernisation, and international integration. Its diplomatic relations are increasingly expanded, while its status in the international arena is unceasingly raised. In the past 35 years of national renewal and in the past 30 years of execution of the Platform on national construction in the transitional period towards socialism, we have earned historic achievements. Our country has never had such fortune, potential international position and prestige as it does today. That proves the absolute rightness of the path towards socialism selected by our Party and people.

To conclude, national independence and socialism in Vietnam is not only a goal, a demand, an action platform, and a flag, but also the Vietnamese people’s incentive and faith. National independence and socialism as a combination of two sources of strength is the source of all victories of the Vietnamese revolution in the past, nowadays and in the future.

The first two decades of the 21^st century have elapsed and opened up a new era of integration and intense competition of the international community. The world has witnessed tragedies of many nations in Africa or Middle East. In spite of gaining independence, their countries have been devastated by civil conflicts and external interventions. Even some countries have achieved independence, but competition between domestic political forces has led to catastrophic consequences for the people’s life. Hence, no matter how times change and globalisation produces positive or negative effects, the system of values of national independence and socialism is still a goal, an ideal, and a national treasure in accordance with the trend of the times. Upholding the flag of national independence and socialism under the CPV’s leadership, our people will keep gaining greater victories in the country’s national renewal, construction and protection to fulfil the goal of wealthy people, strong nation, equality, and civilisation and enable our nation to walk abreast of others in the region and the world.

Prof. VU VAN HIEN, PhD, Deputy Head of the Central Theoretical Council