The expression of revolutionary thought has reached the core of the truth
Ho Chi Minh, when he was a 21-year-old young man with youthful enthusiasm full of patriotism and love for the people, decided to go out and find a way to save the country. The event that Nguyen Tat Thanh left Nha Rong Wharf on June 5, 1911, worked as a cook and sailor on the ship Latouche Tréville, starting a “proletarian" working life, traveling across continents and oceans, going through more than 30 different countries and territories, working, studying and fighting for 30 years to find the way to save the country as the revolutionary path opened the door to change the fate of our nation.
From the noble purpose and motive of finding a way to save the country and the people, Nguyen Ai Quoc, with His extraordinary will and energy, scientific intelligence and independent and creative spirit, chose the way, realized the way and eventually became the guide for our Party and our people on the “Revolutionary Path". Nguyen Ai Quoc-Ho Chi Minh is an outstanding symbol of a revolutionary leader who has a far-sighted vision, a consistent and steady bravery, especially the calmness and wisdom to overcome all the dangerous challenges of the situation, creative and courage actions with a strong belief in the invincible strength of the people and in the victory of the revolutionary force. Scientific intelligence, revolutionary morality, loyalty to the country, filial piety to the people, skillful combination of strategy with tactics and methods, instilled revolutionary optimism, grasping and discerning forecasting of historical trends, etc. are the qualities and factors that make up the revolutionary characteristic in Ho Chi Minh's thought.
Ho Chi Minh introduced the concept of revolution and radical revolution as scientific definitions that are very simple but “touch" the core of the truth. He expressed His revolutionary thought in easy-to-understand language of life, not academic or scholarly, but still classic, capable of overcoming all challenges of time, becoming a sustainable value. Ho Chi Minh wrote: “What is revolution? Revolution is to break the old to exchange for the new, destroy the bad to exchange for the good". If you have done a revolution, you must do it to the end (i.e. Radically), following the example of the Russian revolution led by Lenin and His New-style Party. "... After the revolution, the power should be given to the people in the plural, not in the hands of a few. Only then will the people be happy without sacrificing many times" (1). That was His discerning presage. Even before the Party was born, the revolution was still in its infancy, He foretold the danger of the revolution being degraded, the power could be corrupted if there was no control over power from the people.
“Revolutionary Path" is a theoretical work that spreads Marxism-Leninism into Vietnam, but He put the question of the status of a revolutionary first with 23 criteria and standards which permeate basic relationships: With oneself, with others, with work and with the group, etc. He especially emphasized the requirement of “holding up communism firmly", “less covetousness for material things" (2). Those are very important requirements that show the sensitivity of a genius. The events, ups and downs of history, especially the political events that occurred in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, broke the socialist regime, the Communist Party lost its ruling role, the world socialist system disintegrated, the revolution receded (even if temporarily) three decades ago still remain a warning for each of us and for our Party. That painful lesson has highlighted the value, meaning and revolutionary characteristic of Ho Chi Minh's thought, especially the guarantees of pioneering theory and morality for politics and the ruling Communist Party.
The revolutionary characteristic is deeply reflected in the courage of self-criticism and criticism
The revolutionary characteristic in Ho Chi Minh's thought is also outstanding in terms of morality. The revolutionary people and the revolutionary Party must cultivate industriousness, thrift, integrity, righteousness, justice and impartiality throughout life, and lifetime against individualism. To successfully build socialism, individualism must be defeated. Socialist ideology is the opposite of individualist ideology. A genuine revolutionary party must represent and be exemplary in terms of morality and culture “Our Party is morality and civilization". In the theory of the ruling Communist Party, He deeply planned to pay special attention to building the Party in terms of morality and culture. Ho Chi Minh's instructions are illuminating our Party and people in the process of building and rectifying the Party and the current political system so that it is clean and strong all-around.
The revolutionary characteristic in Ho Chi Minh's thought is also strongly expressed through the courage of self-criticism and criticism of the revolutionary people and revolution Party about the shortcomings and mistakes made, having a scientific objective attitude in analyzing and evaluating the current situation, carefully examining the causes and circumstances leading to those shortcomings and mistakes in order to resolutely correct and promote the revolutionary movement forward. That is the noble and courageous quality of the true revolutionary people and revolutionary Party. Ho Chi Minh repeatedly emphasized that self-criticism and criticism is the best way to make the Party process continuously, becoming a sure and healthy Party like a person without disease, make each cadre and party member preserve and promote the exemplary revolutionary and avant-garde characteristics, gaining the trust and support of the masses, maintaining faith in the Party and tightening the flesh-and-blood relationship between the Party and the masses.
President Ho Chi Minh clearly stated the requirements, mottos, and methods of self-criticism and criticism and the key is to have the right motives and purposes, skillful, cautious, resolute but soft, reasonable and understanding methods. At the beginning of the work “Modify the way of working" (1947), He raised the issue of criticism and how to correct it, pointing out three dangerous “diseases": Subjectivity, narrow-mindedness, and bragging habit that many cadres and party members suffer from, especially narrow-mindedness in using people and in personnel work, causing waste of talents, especially not paying attention to use of talents outside the Parting, hindering unity within the Party and the people (3). He showed a resolute attitude to clean up those diseases, clean up bureaucracy and clean up individualism because it is the root disease, the “parent disease" that spawned hundreds of thousands of other diseases and other bad habits, corrupting cadres, weakening the organization, making the people depressed and skeptical. He also used to criticize the cadres and party members who had the habit of disdain theory and civil mobilization (4). Without timely and strictly correcting such mistakes, the revolutionary movement will not be able to progress. In the Testament, He advised: “(You) must have comradeship and love for each other" must maintain unity, unanimity and unification in thought and action like preserving the pupils of your eyes (5).
The revolutionary characteristic in Ho Chi Minh's thought, through his self-criticism and criticism courage, is the Party characteristic and an important factor and condition for the revolution to have the power to defend itself as said by Lenin. Ho Chi Minh also emphasized that the revolution takes strength from the hearts of the people. The Party and each cadre and party member must make the people believe, admire, love, help, support and protect, then everything will be successful.
Steadfast on the stance and upholding revolutionary point of view
The revolutionary characteristic in Ho Chi Minh's thought that we must instill and resolutely defend is also boundless loyalty to communist ideals and goals, which is directly expressed in the steadfastness on the revolutionary stance and point of view, steadfastness on the path to “national independence associated with socialism" of Vietnam. To go to the end of that path, bringing independence, freedom and happiness to the fatherland, nation and people, we must first uphold and protect the purity of Marxism-Leninism, the ideological foundation of the Party, must be creatively loyal, overcome rigid dogmas, and creatively apply and develop Marxism-Leninism in accordance with Vietnam's historical conditions and circumstances.
Ho Chi Minh showed us how to use Marxism-Leninism's point of view, stance, scientific and revolutionary methods to accurately analyze the situation and characteristics of our country, independently and creatively find out how to solve the problems posed by the revolution by what way, under what conditions, and what measures to realize the goals and ideals of national independence and socialism in Vietnam, without mechanically copying, imitating or stereotyping experiences from outside, even though it is necessary and valuable to learn and apply those experiences. Ho Chi Minh's spirit of independence, self-reliance, creativity and bravery is to show the loyalty to communism with the power of scientific intelligence, revolutionary morality, and wise political line that our Party is trying to implement according to His instructions.
The loyalty is expressed in consistency in thoughts, methods, unwavering will and determination and resilient, courage actions, willing to sacrifice to win. All for the happiness of the people. Through historical periods of the Vietnamese revolution, Ho Chi Minh upheld the will and strength of the entire nation. At turning points, He delivered sacred messages related to the nation's destiny and the Party's responsibilities, and concurrently conveyed every person strong faith.
Typically: “Even if we have to burn the whole Truong Son mountain range, we must achieve national independence" (on the eve of the August Revolution in 1945); “It is better to sacrifice everything than live in slavery" (The Nationwide call for resistance on December 19th, 1946); “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" (The Appeal for national resistance against the US invaders on July 17th, 1966); “Fight to kick America out, fight to topple the puppet regime" (Poetry to celebrate the Spring of the Rooster in 1969); “Even though our people's struggle against U.S. aggression for national salvation may have to go through more hardships and sacrifices, we are bound to win total victory. It is a certainty." (Testament), etc.
The resolute and radical revolutionary characteristic in the struggle to take power back to the people must also be continued in building the polity, protecting of the regime and all revolutionary achievements, for the happiness and mastery of the people. Being wise and resolute in recognizing and handling recessions when power is in danger of being deformed, not for the sake of the people's democracy but turning into “mandarin's democracy", failing to fulfill the duties of servants of the people and showing “revolutionary mandarin" in a number of cadres and civil servants in the apparatus, President Ho Chi Minh decided to set up a Government Inspection Committee, selected people with sufficient virtue and talent, assigning them authority and binding them with sanctions to strictly handle cases of bureaucracy, bossiness, oppressing the people, accepting bribes, and committing crime of embezzlement and corruption. He condemned and demanded strict punishment according to the law for embezzlement, corruption, waste and bureaucracy like punishing a crime.
As the Government President, the State President, the Head of State, from the early days of building the republic polity, He issued national orders, rewarded and treated people with meritorious services and punished the guilty ones. In the 12 punishments, He clearly stated “death penalty". The law must be strict, the handling must be clear, strictness, clarity and fair is to protect the greatest good which is the people. Rule of law goes hand in hand with virtue. It is necessary to diligently educate people about conscience, responsibility, respect for honor, respect for integrity to keep a pure heart. That is the radical revolutionary characteristic of Ho Chi Minh's thought in building and rectifying the Party, building the democracy and the rule of law.
(To be continued)
Professor, PhD. HOANG CHI BAO, Senior expert, former Member of the Central Theoretical Council
(1) Ho Chi Minh Complete Collection, cited book, volume 2, p.284, 292.
(2) Ho Chi Minh Complete Collection, cited book, volume 2, p.280.
(3) Ho Chi Minh, cited book, volume 5, p.271-346 (Modify the way of working).
(4) Ho Chi Minh, cited book, volume 6, p.232-234 (Civil mobilization).
(5) Ho Chi Minh, cited book, volume 15, p.622.
According to the People's Army newspaper online
https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-chong-tu-dien-bien-tu-chuyen-hoa/bai-3-tinh-cach-mang-trong-tu-tuong-ho-chi-minh-tam-nhin-ban-linh-va-hanh-dong-695093
