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p NGUEN KHANH TOAN

p CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

p Dear comrades, in the festive atmosphere of the great jubilee scientists and cultural workers of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are happy to share with their Soviet and foreign colleagues the general elation filling the hearts of millions of people on earth in connection with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.

p We offer our heartfelt thanks to the Soviet Land, the homeland of Lenin, the genius and great teacher of the working class and the oppressed peoples of the world and immortal architect of the world’s first proletarian state, who showed all the peoples the way to freedom, independence, equality, happiness, peace, and friendship.

p We are deeply grateful to the glorious Soviet people who have set and continue to set for all mankind a wonderful example of self-denial, legendary heroism, and remarkable creative endeavour in the struggle for the implementation and protection of noble, human ideals.

p Dear comrades and friends, we note with pride and joy the great difference between the way the working people in foreign countries observed anniversaries of the October 112 Revolution in the pist and the way they celebrate the jubilee today.

p Gone forever are the dark days when the downtrodden, utterly rightless colonial people of Vietnam were harshly persecuted, thrown into prison, sent to penal servitude, or sentenced to death for taking part in a demonstration or strike, or for distributing leaflets on the anniversary of the October Revolution.

p Now that the invincible red banner of socialism is triumphantly flying under the sunny Vietnamese skies and all of Vietman has been cleared of enemies, it is with boundless love, enthusiasm, and inspiration that the independent, free, united, and socialist Vietnam is observing the 60th anniversary of the greatest event in world history, to which our people are largely indebted for their complete liberation.

p All men and women-workers, peasants, servicemen, intellectuals, youth, all nationalities and all government agencies, all economic, scientific, cultural and mass institutions and organisations, the entire 50-million-strong people of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, link their work of implementing the decisions on socialist construction of the 4th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam with the celebration of the October Revolution jubilee by launching with tremendous fervour a powerful socialist emulation movement for a period .of one month in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.

p Dear comrades and friends, all this shows that in the 60 years since the victory of the October Revolution history has taken giant strides forward, that October 1917 ushered in a new era of world history, a new phase in the life of nations, a new stage in the development of the world, a stage of triumphant socialist revolution and of the building of socialism on a global scale.

p In 60 years, marching along the road of the October Revolution illuminated by Lenin, a road of hard and 113 heroic struggle for humanity’s regeneration, the nations of the world have accomplished feats that bring closer humanity’s transition from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom.

p In 60 years the working class, the peasantry, the advanced intelligentsia, and the progressive sections of the world population have scored great victories by destroying the old and laying the foundation of a new social order (which has aggravated and deepened the general crisis of capitalism) by developing and strengthening the world socialist system, limiting the sphere of imperialist domination and broadening the sphere of influence of the socialist states and independent nations, and by intensifying the struggle for universal peace.

p In 60 years decisive blows have been dealt at capitalist domination which had lasted for centuries. In 60 years onethird of humanity has freed itself from slavery and won the right to decide its own destiny.

p No doubt, it will take many more years of hard struggle to rid our planet of the forces of exploitation and enslavement. While these forces exist they will not cease to commit the most heinous crimes, causing untold suffering to people. These include aggressive wars, racial discrimination, intensified production of new weapons of mass annihilation, and incitement of bloody tribal and national conflicts, as can be seen from the current situation in some parts of the world, in particular, South and East Africa and the Middle East.

p The cynicism and violence with which these "defenders of the free world”, "advocates of human rights”, and other imperialist henchmen trample upon the vital rights of the peoples are no evidence of strength. On the contrary, they speak of impotence and dread of the future.

p The 60-year triumphant march of Marxist-Leninist theory and the spirit of the October Revolution has changed the relation of forces on the world scene in such a way that the advantage is no longer on the side of 114 imperialism, but on the side of progressive mankind. The world of today is no longer the property of exploiters and oppressors.

p This means that their attempts to reverse the course of history, no matter how refined, will end in utter failure under the combined blows of the three vigorous revolutionary streams of our time-the forces of socialism, the forces of national liberation, and the forces of democracy, social progress, and peace.

p In all stages of its development world history has never before known a revolution as powerful, complete, and deep-going as the October Socialist Revolution. It resolved in a fundamental and exemplary manner, in a principled and practical way, problems posed by life, for whose solution generations had spent so much effort and shed so much blood.

p This concerns the destiny not of one country or nation. At the present historical stage of capitalism’s decline and socialism’s ascent the dialectics of our epoch and life itself demand that the question of "who beats whom" should be posed and settled on a worldwide scale.

p That is why the October Revolution shook the entire world and divided it into two opposite camps.

p On the one side were the imperialists, the reactionary bourgeoisie and their agents, and opportunists of all shades who saw in the young Soviet Republic their sworn enemy and furiously attacked it with all means at their disposal, who launched an anti-Bolshevik crusade and an armed intervention of 14 capitalist powers.

p On the other side were the revolutionary proletariat of all lands, the colonial peoples, all the oppressed, and all those who cherished freedom, social justice, peace, and brotherhood, who ardently welcomed the October Revolution, enthusiastically supported and courageously defended it at the cost of their lives, regarding it as their own revolution, the lodestar, the spring of mankind, a friend and a brother, and who knew and firmly believed that what 115 Soviet Russia was today the whole world would be tomorrow.

p All of us know the outcome of the imperialist attempts to strangle the October Revolution 60 years ago. Young Soviet Russia emerged victorious from the first fierce clash of the two worlds, and grew to become a titan, proving to the world the unquestionable superiority of socialism over capitalism. For 60 years this superiority has been repeatedly confirmed ever more forcefully and on a growing scale.

p Mankind will forever be grateful to the homeland of Lenin and the October Revolution which, marching in the vanguard of the revolutionary and democratic forces of the world and at the cost of untold sacrifice and suffering, crushed fascism, saved world civilisation, gave decisive impetus to the emergence and development of the world socialist system, and furnished the most favourable conditions for the struggle of the oppressed peoples for their national liberation, whereupon hundreds of nations shook off the imperialist yoke and achieved independence.

p These days all progressive people of the world look with admiration, respect, and love at the Soviet Union where 60 years ago a historic battle was fought that decided the destiny of mankind. Thanks to Soviet Russia’s victory in that battle and, later, in the most fearful ordeal of our century-the Second World War and the nazi aggressionsocialism, once an island in the capitalist ocean, has today become part of the everyday life of many peoples, a tangible reality and has created exceptionally favourable conditions for the struggle of the oppressed peoples to end the colonial domination of imperialism and secure their right to self-determination.

p In the course of these historic processes the Soviet Union rapidly grew into the world’s most powerful socialist country comprising 15 equal and prosperous Soviet socialist republics, a country which opened the road to outer space and has now adopted a new Constitution granting all 116 citizens the most vital and truly democratic rights-the world’s first manifesto of developed socialism illuminating the road to the triumph of communism.

p All progressive mankind regards the Soviet Union as a bulwark of freedom and civilisation, of peace and friendship among nations.

p The Vietnamese people, ever grateful to Lenin, the Great October Socialist Revolution, and the heroic and fraternal Soviet people, are marching along the path indicated by Lenin, assimilating the experience of the October Revolution and the entire world revolutionary movement, and relying on the solidarity of the Soviet people and of progressive mankind. The Vietnamese revolution led by the Communist Party of Vietnam headed by the outstanding and tested Leninist, Comrade Ho Chi Minh, has scored three historic victories in 30 years.

p The triumph of the August revolution and the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam opened for the people of Vietnam an era of independence, freedom, and socialism and put an end to the era of colonial slavery. The victory over the French colonialists and their defeat at Dien Bien Phu led to the collapse of old colonialism. Then came the victory over the strongest imperialist aggressor, mankind’s "enemy No. 1”, US imperialism. This was a complete and final victory which dealt a mighty blow at the main citadel of world imperialist domination. This victory also meant the attainment by the Vietnamese of all the aims of their century-old liberation struggle-independence, freedom, unity, peace, and socialism.

p Mankind’s impressive achievements in the past 60 years have been possible because our epoch, the epoch of socialism’s triumph on a global scale, is permeated with the spirit of Leninist proletarian internationalism as embodied in the Great October Socialist Revolution.

p Implementing the basic principles of the Marxist-Leninist theory in the concrete conditions of Vietnam, the Communist Party of Vietnam has always linked our struggle 117 for national independence with the struggle for social liberation and for socialism. The Vietnamese revolution fulfils both its national duty and its international obligations.

p The solidarity of all revolutionary forces in the world is spearheaded against imperialism, the common enemy. This is the basis of the growing friendship and co-operation among nations and a powerful factor in the victory of the socialist revolution on a world scale.

p The hearts of Vietnamese people were filled with joy and gratitude when General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Comrade Brezhnev said that solidarity with Vietnam has been and remains foremost in the hearts and minds of Soviet Communists, of all Soviet people.

p Dear comrades and friends, world history in the past 60 years has provided daily confirmation of all that Lenin had said even before the October Revolution about the great changes in the life of peoples in our epoch, for which the October Revolution provided the initial stimulus.

p This means that Lenin’s teachings constitute the only correct revolutionary science of the proletariat and all oppressed people. This was confirmed by the leader of the Vietnamese revolution. Comrade Ho Chi Minh, who said: "There are many teachings, many ‘isms’, but the most correct, most reliable, most revolutionary is Leninism.”

p What Lenin said about the position of the exploited masses under capitalism are not general phrases or abstract speculation about good and evil, but concrete and real facts. Every hired worker, be he an American or a labourer on a coffee plantation in Africa, readily understood that this directly concerned him.

p The revolutionary strategy and tactics elaborated by Lenin for the overthrow of capitalism and the building of socialism provide the revolutionaries of the whole world 118 with a definite and correct answer to the question of how the enemy is to be conquered and how to create a new life for the working people.

p The triumph of the Great October Socialist Revolution was above all a triumph of the most revolutionary world outlook of our time-the scientific socialism of Marx, Engels, and Lenin. This was well understood by the leader of the Vietnamese revolution, Comrade Ho Chi Minh, who said: "For us Vietnamese revolutionaries, for the entire Vietnamese people, Leninism is more than a compass. It is the sun lighting our way to the final victory, to socialism, to communism.”

p Of the October Revolution he said: "It opened a new epoch, an epoch of transition from capitalism to socialism on a worldwide scale.”

p Lenin and the October Revolution have shown the modern world what it needs for implementing the historic mission of the proletariat-overthrowing capitalism and building a classless society. This includes a consistent and staunch revolutionary spirit; uncompromising struggle against all varieties of opportunism; solidarity with all revolutionary and progressive forces, and, what is most important and decisive, the militant vanguard of the working class-a truly revolutionary Marxist-Leninist party-to guide the revolution.

p In vain are the attempts of imperialists and all kinds of opportunists to deny the universal character and essence of Leninism, to belittle, distort, and slander the great cause of the October Revolution. Lenin’s sun is shining brighter than ever in all parts of the world. The inextinguishable torch of the Great October Revolution is lighting the way for more and more millions of people throughout the world.

p Comrade Ho Chi Minh said: "The Vietnamese people have scored outstanding victories along the road indicated by the great Lenin, the road of the October Revolution. That is why we feel so close and so thankful to the glorious 119 October Revolution, to the great Lenin, and the Soviet people.”

p On the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, allow me to express our deep gratitude to Lenin’s Communist Party of the Soviet Union led by the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Comrade Brezhnev, to the Soviet Government, and the Soviet people. We warmly congratulate the fraternal Soviet people and wish them great successes in implementing the historic decisions of the 25th CPSU Congress, new outstanding victories in building the material and technical basis of communism and in strengthening their position as the bulwark of the peoples’ struggle for independence, democracy, peace, and socialism.

p Long live Leninism!

p Long live the Great October Socialist Revolution!

Long live communism!