According to the Party’s Central Resolution No.4 (XII tenure), the laziness in political theory studying in al portion of cadres and party members is one of the signs of degradation in political ideology, and it is very dangerous. Therefore, one of the important aspects in Party building and ratification is to find out solutions to this matter. 

During the process of leading Vietnam revolution, President Ho Chi Minh regularly advised our cadres and party members to attach importance to the study and, to consider it an important work. He clearly stated: “studying is the life-long work”, and should be conducted comprehensively; political studying should be conducted enthusiastically and persistently to firmly grasp the Party and Government policies, to work, serve the people and improve yourself. Following his instruction, generations of cadres and party members have proactively studied, trained themselves, and tried their utmost to be preeminent party members and the people’s servants, making enormous contribution to the victory of the cause of liberating the country, and building and defending the Socialist Homeland of Vietnam.

However, reviewing the revolutionary process, particularly after 30 years of renovation, the Party’s Central Resolution No.4 (XII tenure) on Party building and rectification pointed out manifestations of deterioration in political ideology, of which “the laziness in political theory studying” is a dangerous “disease” in a significance portion of cadres and party members. It may sound general, but be manifested quite clearly in several aspects.

On awareness, a portion of cadres and party members think that in the era of market economy and information, political theory studying is “frivolous” and a waste of time. They palliate that “a number of people who have never attended any political course, but they are really good businessmen and active in social activities…”, and that “political theory is just a theory with no practical application”. It should only be an important subject for researchers and political cadres. This thinking was identified early by President Ho Chi Minh. He said “There are able and experienced cadres and party members. They are really a valuable resource for the Party. However, their problem is that they do not pay enough attention to political theory”. They forget that if their experience is combined with the theory, they can be much better cadres.

On manifestations, a number of political cadres and party members do not attach importance to studying and doing research on political theory. They prepare dozens of different reasons for being absent from participating in political classes. Another popular manifestation of laziness in political theory study is the distraction from self-study to enhance knowledge.

The “laziness in political theory studying” can have great impact on the self-training and task performance of each cadre and party member, in particular and the task of Party building and rectification, in general.

President Ho Chi Minh pointed out that: due to the weakness in political theory, a number of cadres and party members were subjective. They did not know how to solve a difficult work in a sound manner, and even did not understand the situation. So the outcomes were their failures. The “laziness in political theory studying” of party members would cause a lack of scientific knowledge background to build their worldview, scientific methodology, and political beliefs in the revolutionary cause. At least, in their daily job, it would lead them to be subjective and make unsound solutions.

In addition, it also leads them to be selfish, even be ambiguous, weak in political persistence so they do not dare to protect the right doings and to protest the wrong doings; and might lead to a change in their political stance and view. And this change means the abandonment of the worker class stance, the revolutionary cause of the Party and the people, and the scientific revolutionary theories of Marxist-Leninism, as well as Ho Chi Minh's thought.

Meanwhile, the hostile forces are trying to sabotage the Party’s political background, taking advantages of weaknesses in political theory education to lure cadres and support their laziness in political studying. Therefore, fighting against and recovering from the laziness in political theory studying among a portion of cadres and party members is to make contribution to defeat the plot of encouraging internal “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” of hostile forces.. To do so, it is necessary to make changes in political theory education and awareness of the cadres and party members of their responsibilities and behaviors.

First, to foster the work of education to improve the awareness of position and role of political theory for cadres and party members. One of the reasons leading to the “laziness in political theory studying” is cadres and party members’ incompetent understanding of the role of political theory in daily activities. So, one of the important methods to raise their awareness is fostering the work of education on political theory to help them understand that it is their responsibility to improve their political theory knowledge, and their interests, their obligation, and regular and daily work in their life. It is also important to resolutely fight against the thinking that political theory studying is only to get certificate and promotion. Furthermore, units should take the result of annual political theory studying as an important criterion to evaluate the quality of cadres, party members, and party organizations.

In addition, to overcome the “laziness in political theory studying” of a certain portion of cadres and party members, it is necessary to comprehensively renew political theory education within the whole party and political system. This is an important solution directly impacting on political theory “teaching and studying”. In recent years, there have been renovations in the program, content, and document on political theory. However, the method of teaching and studying is still primarily focusing on theory and general knowledge at macro scope. Less attention is paid to new policy, typical practices and innovations at certain localities and agencies, particularly the management skills of cadres.

To address it, in the time to come, it is important for agencies, military schools and academies, the instructors and reporters to pay attention to renewing program and contents of political education in direction that are close to daily life. It means that theory should be closely attached to reality, serving the requirements of cadres and party members.

The purpose of studying political theory is to acknowledge the guidelines of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, the Party’s guidelines and the State’s law and policy, to apply them in the daily life, so it is also necessary to renew methods of teaching political theory in order to attract more attention of the learners and encourage them to regularly review it to meet the demand of the revolutionary cause.

Moreover, due regard should also be paid to training and improving the quality of political theory instructors and reporters in military schools and academies. Because, when a reporter or an instructor explains about the pioneering role of cadres and party members, but he himself is not a typical model, then he could hardly persuade anyone. Moreover, political theory is difficult to understand; therefore, the instructors and reporters should regularly train themselves to be really typical models on political quality, morality and lifestyle.

More than ever before, cadres and party members should understand that it is their responsibility to study political theory so that they can fulfil their obligation for the Party, the State, and the people, making contribution to building clean and strong Party, meeting the demand of the country in the new era.

Sr. Col. Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Sy Hoa, PhD, Army Academy