p After the crisis and the collapse of the Soviet Union and other Socialist countries in Eastern Europe, the evaluation of the legacy of thoughts left by Marx has been raised once again.

p Unlike the crises that happened at the beginning of the 20th Century, among forces opposing Marx this time include not a few former Marxists who, due to different reasons, have turned their backs on the communist ideals, and it is they who oppose Marx in the most wicked way.

p However, the analysis of the present situation together with the evaluation of the revolutionary and scientific theory of Marx in order to draw necessary lessons for the revolutionary movements of various countries and to create orientation for the evolution of history is a current issue of great significance.

p 1. It can be said that never has there been a collapse of a political system with such a rapid speed and on such a large scale. "Has history come to an end?" - Has the historic struggle between socialism and capitalism been finally settled with the collapse of the socialist states in Soviet Union and East Europe?

p For several years now, if people’s*perception of history had not been manipulated and if they were not “feeling” the psychological and political “shock”, it would not have been so easy to deny the vitality of marxism and the theory on scientific socialism founded by Karl Marx.

p The theory on scientific socialism, an integral part of Marxism, 58 a theory of the liberation of human kind from all forms of exploitation and enslavement is still the right thought of humanity.

p We do not deny that the theory of Marx as well as other scientific theories can not be devoid of certain limitations or imperfections due to the lack of historic experiences or accurate forecasts of the future. However, the foundations of Marx’s theory based on the crystallization of the quintessence of human-kind’s thoughts, the materialistic dialectics the law of motion of nature, society and thinking, the historical viewpoint which underlines that the mode of production of human-kind’s material wealth is the foundation for all changes in social life as well as the theory of surplus value which explains the existence and the development of law of capitalism continue to be confirmed by life itself.

p Existing socialism with all of its rights and wrongs has certain relationship with Marx’s Theory, especially in the period of time of Leninism. In spite of the fact that it was a model that deviated from Marxist ideology to a certain extent, existing socialism has made many great contributions to the development of human-kind in today’s era. The face of our humanity in this 20th Century has changed so much in comparison with that in the 19th Century. Illuminated by the ideology of Marxism, enjoying the encouragement of the October Revolution and the support from socialist countries, hundreds of nations with thousands of millions of people have stood up for national independence and they have gained to different extent the rights to life and democracy.

p It’s existing socialism that rescued our humanity from fascist catastrophe in World War II, prevented us from a nuclear war and safeguarded world peace. Not a few Western scientists have admitted that one of the reasons for the readjustments of modem capitalism on the relationship between capital and labour, between state and society, and on the regulating role of the government with regard to the economy was partly because of the existence of a counter balance represented by “Eastern” bloc as well as the experiences of existing socialism.

p Today, when talking about socialism and the proletarian revolution, wedo not talk the same way as we did of Parts Commune, but a great actual force both materially and spiritually. Despite the fact that a large part of existing socialism has already collapsed, still there are millions of people who are consistently pursuing socialist 59 goals and path. Now, in former socialist countries, the development of national and ethnic conflicts, the disintegration of economy and the crisis of the political system with its serious consequences fallen are affecting the working people. This has helped the people recognize the need of chosing their appropriate path for their development. Thus, a new struggle for communist ideals has begun.

p How then can we analyse the recent collapse of the former Soviet Union and other socialist countries in Eastern Europe? The answer lies in the fact that this collapse had its deep roots from the erroneous understanding in theory together with its leftist dogmatism in the determining of policies, forms, measures and steps in the process of socialist construction. The direct reason lies in the perestroika strategy of voluntarism and the rightist opportunism which represent an ideological and political betrayal. The opposing acts from hostile forces against socialism had quickened the pace of the collapse.

p What happened in the past is characterized by the fact that the prolonged defects and imperfections of existing socialism have resulted in the stagnation and crises in many fields. A number of opportunist elements who betrayed the communist ideals were brought to the fore by the bureaucracy of existing socialism, and a part of the masses living in the existing socialist government model (in Marx’s words) were alienated. Meanwhile, the modern scientific and technological revolution as well as the political and social changes since World War II have brought about a profound change in the social life of our human-kind, and this demands new approaches, solutions for the new problems.

p Dogmatism was a starting-point for the deformations and deviations of the model leading to bureaucratism and gradual shift from the communist goals. In the new situation, in the face of bitter confrontation by the anti-communist forces, and under the pressure of a small number of people holding power, bureaucratism in its turn rapidly degenerated to opportunism and betrayal leading to catastrophe for socialism.

p 2. For many times, Karl Marx and Engels had stressed that their theory was not a dogma and that they did not have the intention to provide a detailed design for a future society; instead, their theory only brought forth fundamental guidelines and issues of 60 methodological significance so tha 1 their followers could study and develop that theory further and make it conform to the subsequent historical conditions.

p Unfortunately, these important teachings have been put aside or neglected. Not a few theoretical points of Marx, even his unfinished forecasts or personal notes which were not for the purpose of publishing have been turned into creeds and absolute truths. All these have made a lively theory become a sclerotic one; a guiding theory has become a force that held back any creative search.

p According to Marx, the birth of socialism was not something outside the general law of our humanity. It was not a capitalist metaphysical negation but a dialectical one. Yet, it did not mean that subjective efforts of human-beings were just interplays of destiny. According to V.I.Lenin, revolutionary dialectical viewpoints constituted the theory of Marx, enabling the working class and toiling mass as well as the oppressed nations to have preconditions for a shorter and less painful path of development than that of capitalism.

p The simple understanding of that general law has led to the establishment of a socialist model containing many deviations in theory and many shortcomings in reality right after the success of the October Revolution. Lenin had earlier revealed these deviations and shortcomings and put forth the New Economic Policy (NEP) as a way for solving them. Unfortunately, the successors of Lenin did not know how to maintain and develop these valuable ideas contained in NEP; on the contrary, they pushed up the building of socialism with the model of socialist government. They did not put into practice Marx’s instructions on the parallel existence of two economic structures, on the role of bourgeois jurisdiction in the period of transition to communism, and valuable experiences on the use of state capitalism, on the restoration and development of the commodity economy at the time of new economic policy as well. The mistakes made in the perceiving of socialist model have resulted in one system of subjective, voluntary decision and policies on, for example, the abolishment of the commodity economy and the market mechanism, the imposition of only two forms of ownership, i.e. state-owned and collective ones. All these have gradually made socialism fall into stagnation and increasingly grave crisis.

p 3. For the time being, communists and Marxists have to exert more efforts in defending the achievements of revolution and the results of the working people’s struggle in order to apply and develop Marx’s Theory in conformity with the new conditions of this era.

p The historical era in which classical scholars had created their theories was quite different from today’s era in termsof content and nature of the problems facing humanity. The struggle to liberate the working class, toilingmasses and oppressed nations had changed into new forms. More than ever before, the teachings of Marx and Lenin on the diversification of various forms of revolutionary struggle that people can use and on the possibility of choosing different paths to Communist goals for nations have become so valuable for us. In his life time, Marx had already mentioned "the Asian production mode" as a typical one; also, V.I. Lenin had referred to distinctive features due to the fact that the proletarian revolution in the future might be different from the October revolution. These ideas should be studied in a thorough manner.

p The modem scientific and technological revolution has deeply changed the face of our planet, from social relationship to natural environment. The emergence of global problems such as the danger of a nuclear war of complete extermination, environmental deterioration, population growth, dangerous diseases... require joint efforts from our humankind in dealing with them. However, Marxists should not forget that the oppression of classes and nations is still a reality in different continents; and with this regard, we must understand clearly that there is no general solution for all specific issues.

p 4. Comrade Ho Chi Minh, the prominent son of our nation had found in Marxism-Leninism the path to liberate our nation and working people. He founded the Communist Party of Vietnam and laid the foundation for the Platform of our Party. After one third of a century of carrying out the revolution for national liberation, the Vietnamese people have scored many great achievements and then started their socialist construction. Like many other socialist countries and for different reasons, Vietnam was also influenced by the old-style socialist model and found itself in crisis.

p Our Party quickly recognized the mistakes and deviations of the old-style socialist model and tried to find ways to overcome 62 these gradually. The Sixth Congress of our Party (12-1988) has mapped out the policy of all-round social renovation. The Seventh Congress (6-1991) has officially adopted Party’s Political Platform, determining the targets and the transitional path to socialism. That Political Platform has reflected a new development in the theoretical understanding of the Vietnamese communists.

p It is safe to say that philosophical spirit of the renovation process in Vietnam is the restoration and development of the Marxist thoughts, that is liberation, creation and development Renovation, first and foremost, is the liberation of the productive forces. To this end, there must be a need to promote a multi-sectoral commodity economy that works by the market mechanism with the control of the socialist government. Lenin has shown that a commodity economy still has potentialities to develop in a new society. But the question here is that of who regulates whom in that economy? And for the interest of the majority or for only small sections of the society?

p Our renovation process places man in the focus of the social policies. It is man who is liberated in every sphere will be the main resource for generating other resources. The power of the community, of the great national unity and the power of each Vietnamese will be the most powerful driving force and the unlimited potentiality for the development of socialism. This idea once again comes back to the declaration of Communist Party which underlines that the free development of each person is the condition for the free development of all persons. The motive for all creative activities is the actual response to the material and spiritual interests of man. That’s why, in each stage of the revolution, communists should not only aim at the final targets but also meet the vital interests of the people in order to increasingly improve and raise people’s material and cultural life.

p After becoming a Party in power, communists’ responsibility increasesmanifold. The Party should be responsible for the general development of the whole nation. The unity of interests of the nation and of the classes demands that the party should become a force leading the whole society. The journey to socialism must be the one participated by every class and by every strata of the working people, the core of which is the alliance between workers, fanners and intellectuals; that journey strives for the abolishing of 63 every form of oppression, exploitation and injustice, for the wellbeing of the people and the nation, for a civilized society and the happiness of man.

p President Ho Chi Minn was the one who applied creatively and developed the revolutionary and scientific theory put forth by Marx and Lenin for Liberating peoples of various colonies, linking the revolution of national liberation with socialist revolution, and connecting national independence to socialism.

p According to Ho Chi Minh, the building of socialism must go through transitional political and economical steps in conformity with certain historical conditions of each nation, each state. It is a must to build a clean and strong party being both a worthy leader and a faithful servant of the people, and a government really of the people, by the people and for the people. The great national unity should be implemented, the new socialist man built. It is the essential need to recapitulate lessons of history which have been proved by life, to crystallize the values of our human civilization and to maintain our national character.

p The initial achievements madeby the Vietnamese peopleduring the last 6 years have affirmed the correctness of our party’s renovation policy. From our own experiences, our party has determined that there must be principles in the process of renovation and the most important of which is the maintenance of the socialist orientation and the leading role of the Party. The renovation strategy is aimed at overcoming those mistakes committed in the past, bringing into play achievements and taking the country out of the socioeconomic crisis. The accurately established processes of that strategy are as follows: to maintain political stability, to shift to multisectored commodity economy operated by market mechanism with the management of the government, to democratize social life in an allrounded manner, to build a socialist government governed by law, and to implement a foreign strategy of "Vietnam wants to be a friend with all states for peace, independence and development”. We are in strong belief that we will successfully build a prosperous, strong and civilized Vietnam.

p The experiences of our own of the whole revolutionary movement of the working class and toiling masses of various countries have proved that any complacency of the achievements made can become a danger to the revolution, because human-kind is 64 witnessing a historic competition between socialism and capitalism.

p In the present international context, more than ever before, the pronouncements of Marx and Lenin on the unity of revolutionary forces become so important. The Communist Party of Vietnam and people, faithful to internationalism of the working class, have contributed and will constantly contribute to the common cause of the international proletarian class, striving untiringly for the communist ideals.

Marx once said that his theory was a theory of development, and everything in development is always imperfect Certainly, the platform and policy of renovation in the spirit of Marxism- Leninism and Ho Chi Minn’s Thoughts have and will be perfected with the movement of national and international life in today’s era.