Applying method of V.I. Lenin in struggle to protect ideological foundation of Party in Vietnam

NGUYEN HUU CAN - LUONG THANH DUY

Political Academy – Defence Ministry

COMMUNIST REVIEW - In the process of revolutionary activities, V.I. Lenin was always resolute to struggle against the non-Marxist ideological trends to sabotage the revolutionary movement. This is an issue of vital significance for the communist and workers’ movement, making a contribution to protecting and developing Marxism, protecting the revolutionary movement and having left the lessons of profound theoretical and practical value on the method of struggling to protect the Party’s ideological foundation for the present time.

A brief of method of V.I. Lenin in struggle to protect Party’s ideological foundation

V.I. Lenin pointed out that the workers’ movement needs a leading revolutionary party; this must be a new-type party which is really capable of building the correct political program to lead the revolution. V.I. Lenin stressed that the new-type party was the party that took Marxism –the scientific socialist theory – as the ideological foundation, the lodestar for its action. Because “If there is not the revolutionary theory, it is impossible to have the revolutionary movement” (1) and “only such a party which has the vanguard theory for guidance then there is a possibility to fulfill the role of the vanguard fighter” (2).

The process of formation and development of Marxism shows that Marxism was not right at the beginning to have affirmed its position, but this process had always been closely associated with the intransigent struggle against the opposing ideological trends having been penetrated simultaneously into the international communist and workers’ movement. This is the law character in arising, forming, developing and perfecting of any revolutionary doctrines.

As Lenin viewed it, struggling to protect the Party’s ideological foundation was  the struggle to protect Marxism, to foil all the wrong, reactionary and anti-scientific ideological trends, to affirm the revolutionary and scientific nature of Marxism within the Party, in the international communist and workers’ movement. “If there is no all-sided determined and severe struggle against these parties – or these groups, these factions, then all the same – it is impossible to talk about the struggle against imperialism, about Marxism, about the socialist workers’ movement” (3). The revolutionary realities have shown that from 1840 to the second half of the 70s of the 19^thcentury, K. Marx and F. Engles had to fight uncompromisingly against the opposing, reactionary and anti-scientific ideological trends. From the radical young Hegel faction – the faction that disseminated the viewpoints of philosophycal idealism, to Proudhon’s economic theory that opposed the petty-bourgeois utopian socialism. From the anarchist viewpoints of the Bakunin faction and this faction was eliminated fromthe First International, to the Muynberger ideology belonging to the Lasan economist faction in Germany… From then on Marxism had been victorious over all the opposing ideologies and occupied the unequalled position in the international workers’ movement.

Following the career of K. Marx and F. Engles, in the process of leading the revolution, V.I. Lenin had always fought against the non-Marxist ideology and the opportunist elements reflected in a lot of different forms in order to protect the ideological and theoretical foundation of the revolutionary movement in general, of the Russian Communist Party in particular. This is an indispensable part in the process of developing the international communist and workers’ movement. V.I. Lenin’s struggle to protect  and develop Marxism had not only defeated directly all the opposing and hostile ideological trends against Marxism in order to make  Marxism develop and perfect constantly, becoming the ideological banner of the working class and the labouring people in the whole world for socialism and communism, but also had left behind the lessons of great value on the method of fighting to protect the ideological foundation of the Party to the international communist and workers’ parties in the world. From the realities of V.I. Lenin’s struggle to protect the Party’s ideological foundation, it is possible to generalize the method of V.I. Lenin in the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party in a number of the main features as follows:

Firstly, to propagate and educate the scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxism, making Marxism develop constantly. This is the fundamental method of V.I. Lenin used in the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party with a view to making the labour masses, the international communist and workers’ movement deeply aware of the scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxism, served as the basis to make it “immune” to any subtle and wicked plots and tricks of sabotaging by the reactionary and hostile forces. V.I. Lenin held: “The task of the democratic-social party is really in the fact that it is necessary to use the method of organizing workers, propagating and encouraging them to turn their spontaneous struggle against oppression into a struggle of the entire class, into the struggle of the definite political party so as to reach the definite socialist and political ideologies” (4). “Only when each separate worker is aware that he is the member of the whole working class, only when this worker recognizes that the daily struggle for the small demands against the separate owner and the separate mandarins, it is the struggle against the entire bourgeoisie and the whole government, then his struggle can become the class struggle.” (5).

According to V.I. Lenin, to develop Marxism, it is necessary to understand correctly, deeply and comprehensively Marxism. Especially, studying and getting deep insight of the scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxism is also the basis for the working class and the labouring people to realize clearly he reactionary nature, plots and tricks of imperialism and the hostile and reactionary forces. V.I. Lenin explained that the sense of consciousness of socialism did not arise from the spontaneous movement of workers, but it was the revolutionary Marxist Party that had put it in the workers’ movement. At the same time, a primaryimportant task of the proletarian party was to struggle to protect the purity of the socialist ideological system, against the bourgeois influence inside the working class, against the opportunists and revisionists – the propagators and the representatives of the bourgeois ideological system in the workers’ movement.

Together with His getting deep insight of Marxism, V.I. Lenin was also active in developing and actualizing Marxism, considering it the best measure to struggle to protect Maxism. According to V. I. Lenin, this demands not only courage, the exceptional efforts, the revolutionary zeal, but also the real revolutionary action of the labouring masses in the socialist building. Because the vitality of Marxism, the capability of protection and development of Marxism is not only in the strength and the abilities in itself, but it is more important that it lies within the activities of millions and millions of the masses, cadres and communist party members when they are aware of and believe deeply in the correctness of the scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxism. This has created the vehement vitality of Marxism served as the basis to win over all the opposing ideologies appeared both inside and outside the workers’ movement.

Secondly, to inspect, discover in  time, remove the oppotunists within the Party, build a new-type, pure and strong political party of the working class. This is the main, primary method taken by V.I. Lenin when struggling to protect the Party’s ideological foundation. This ideology of His had been manifested in various classical works and in many writings guiding the revolutionarymovement of the working class in the world in general and in Russia in particular.According to V.I. Lenin, the opportunists had often wormed their way into ranks of the communists to conduct sabotages against the party organization from inside out; the sabotageous actions of these elements were very dangerous, threatening directly the purity and strength of the party organization. He pointed out: “Our State apparatus, to some very great extent, is still the leftover of the old age and had been very rarely modified in a more or less considerable manner. This apparatus has only been adorned plainly outside; on the other hand, it has remained really typical of our old State apparatus” (6). “In our country, there are still many worst elements of the bourgeois intellectuals who “have wormed their way” in the Soviet administration: do drive them away”(7).

When the Communist Party had taken charge of the country, V.I. Lenin pointed out and warned about the diseases which had been the existing danger, threatening the existence of the new regime and had left the enemy to take advantage to wipe out all the fruits of the revolution. It is the disease of communit arrogance, bureaucracy, corruption, bribery, luxury and wastefulness. He pointed out: “The communist arrogance means a person in the communist party who is yet to be expelled from the party thinks that by using the communist legal orders, it is possible to setle all of his tasks” (7) and “if there is a phenomenon like bribery, if it is still possible to bribe, it is also impossible to talk about politics. In this case, even it is impossible to talk about doing politics, because all the measures will be poised in mid air and will not bring about any results” (9).

V.I. Lenin had put forth the definite viewpoint concerning the process of purging the State apparatus: “All the common standards in terms of quantity of the staff of the agencies of that Ministry must be eliminated immediately.Cadres of the workers-peasants Inspection Ministry must be especially carefully selected, by basing on the strictest examination, not otherwise” (10). That means that it is necessary to select the really outstanding persons in the social regime to be used in the State apparatus, particularly the members of the Central Inspection Committee. These persons must be used in the right job with careful deliberation, considering the establishment of the workers-peasants Inspection Ministry the necessity. Therefore, V.I. Lenin affirmed that the Party had to be resolute in the uncompromising struggle to make a clean sweep of the degenerated elements in its organization in order to purify the Party. He also pointed out that it was necessary to select the revolutionary cadres with the revolutionary quality and good knowledge to serve the revolution.

Thirdly, to criticize and struggle with zero-tolerance, face to face and directly, against the sabotageous viewpoints, ideologies, plots and tricks of imperialism and the reactionary and hostile forces to protect the ideological foundation of the Party, of the revolutionary movement. This is the fundamental, important and regular method used by V.I. Lenin in the struggle to protect the Party’s ideological foundation. V.I. Lenin is the leader of the international communist and workers’ movement, the pioneer in the struggle to foil all the wicked attacks of the reactionary and hostile forces on the theoretical and ideological front. However, in each period, their sabotageous contents, forms, forces, facilities and tricks against Marxism were not similar to each other. That is why, to struggle to protect effectively Marxism, V.I. Lenin had drawn attention that first of all, it was necessary to full aware of the objectives, plots, tricks, forces and facilities used by the reactionary, anti-scientific and hostile forces to sabotage Marxism.

With His sharp polemic mindset, V.I. Lenin had a face-to-face, direct struggle against each sabotageous viewpoint and ideology against Marxism. He requested that the real communists had to show their definite attitude without the least vagueness, compromise and their determination to struggle face-to-face and directly against the reactionary viewpoints and ideologies of the hostile forces. For instance, in the struggle against opportunism, by denouncing the opportunist elements, V.I. Lenin had the direct polemics, exposing their reactionary nature and plots. He affirmed: “It is this time, leader of the Second International Karl Kautsky had published a book on the proletarian dictatorship, an ignoble, hateful and berayed book, beyond compare with the famous book titled ‘The premises of socialism’ by Bextin” (11) and “Kautsky had become a complete traitor, a servant of the boursgeoisie” (12). In the struggle against Krixepski, Martinov and their accomplices who had stimulated trade unionism, V.I. Lenin had struggle face to face with the thế opportunist elements: “ I have no doubt at all about the purity ò your intention; I đi say that people can become the demagogues because ò their political innocence. But I did point out that you have fallen into demagogic place. I have ceaselessly repeated that the demagogues are the most perverse enemies of the working class” (13).

Fourthly, to resolutely overcome the wrong manifestations in consciousness; to apply and develop Marxism. The cognitive activities, the application of Marxism of each communist have reflected both the results of propaganda and education and manifested the vitality of Marxism in realities. The wrong consciousness, the incorrect application in realities can make great impacts on the prestige and vitality of Marxism as well as the capability of the struggle to protect the Party’s ideological foundation. This negative influence gets ever bigger if the range of that wrong consciousness and application is on the large scale and lasts for a long time, particularly in regards to the party members who hold the important role and position in the international communist and workers’ movement. V.I. Lenin vehemently condemned the comprehension of Marxism in a dogmatic and banausic way, in an impulsive act and an empirical mindset. They had simplified Marxism in a number of principles, laws and categories, so they had violated the the objective principle. The result of this state of affairs would also reduce seriously the prestige and vitality of Marxism, even it had directly created the opportunist elements to sabotage the revolution.

In the 1895-1898 stage, the “economic” faction that comprised the opportunist, compromising elements, the first in the rank of the Marxist organizations in Russia. V.I. Lenin considered the allegations of propaganda of the “economic” faction was in opposition to Marxism, their denial of the necessity to set up an independent political party of the working class; their scheme to turn the working class into a politically dependent things of the bourgeoisie. V.I. Lenin held that the “economic” faction was the centre of the compromising and opportunist policy; in the workers’ movement, if the “economic” faction won, it meant that the revolutionary movement would be disintegrated and Marxism failed. That was why, if a political party of the proletarian class was to be set up, the “economic” faction” had to be defeated.

Orientating application of method of V.I. Lenin in struggle to protect ideological foundation of Communist Party of Vietnam at present

Firstly, to improve awareness of the entire Party, people, of each cadre and party member about the scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought. This is the fundamental orientation in the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Because, if the contingent of cadres, party members and masses are not consistent, lack awareness or if any, awareness is not correct in terms of the revolutionary and scientific nature of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, it will the opportunity for the increase of the bourgeois ideological system in the Party and the society. As for this issue, V.I. Lenin once stressed: “the problem here is that: the bourgeois ideological system or the socialist ideological system. There is no neutral ideological system. Therefore, whenever the socialist ideological system is to be made light of or to be separated, it means that the bourgeois ideological system is to be promoted” (14). The fall of the socialist model in the former Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries is the lesson proving to the lack of consistency in Marxism-Leninism; the communist parties in Easern European countries and the Soviet Union had been landed in deep crisis in ideology abd organization and geared to the direction of the democratic and social parties.

Moreover, this is also the issue of principle in building the Party. The Communist Party of Vietnam has taken Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought as the ideological foundation, the lodestar for all of its activities. The documents of the 12^th Party Congress affirm: “Persistent in Marxism-Leninism is the first and foremost issue of principle of our Party” (15). Only by doing so that the Party can be unified and united politically, ideologically and organizationally, and it can be able to play well its role to lead the revolution to the final victory. Because, the political nature of a party is always dependent on the character and content of the ideological and theoretical system on which that party relies as its ideological foundation and the lodestar for its activities. Without the ideological and theoretical system, the political party is only the accidental, disconnected, disunified and less strong assembly. President Ho Chi Minh pointed out: “If the Party wants to be strong and solid, it must have the key –ism, in the party, all have to understand, have to do in accordance with that –ism. The Party without –ism is like man without wisdom, the ship without a compass” (16). If the Party is not consistent in Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, it is really the change in the Party’s political and class nature; the party no longer keeps its communist character, is no longer the vanguard of the working class.

To ensure that consistency, it requires the synchronous implementation of a lot of suitable, scientific contents and measures, in which it concentrates on the principal contents and measures: To improve the quality of study and education of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought in the entire Party, people and army; making Marxism-Leninsm, Ho Chi Minh thought maintain their leading role in politics and ideology within the Party and the entire society. Persistent in the fundamental principles, the basic views of Marcism-Leninism. This is the especially important measure, helping the Party always keep its political nature without any wavering in whatever conditions and circumstances, particularly before the distorting and sabotaging allegations of the opportunist elements and the reactionary and hostile forces.

Secondly, to struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party, all these issues of principle character must be observed: To maintain firmly the Party nature in the ideological and theoretical struggle; to apply skillfully the principle of unification between theory and practice; the political and scientific character in the ideological and theoretical struggle; persistent in following Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought; to be proactive, creative, regular, continuous, consistent, resolute, to fight uncompromisingly in the ideological and theoretical struggle. To implement this orientation will ensure the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party, of all organizations and the forces will always maintain their political orientation, turning to complete the objectives of the struggle, making the quality and effectiveness of this struggle constantly be improved. At the same time, to overcome the casual, unprincipled, less convincing, less effective ideas and actions; not to praise, distribute the wrong, hostile viewpoints on the mass media in an unintentional or deliberate manner.

To grasp thoroughly and implement seriously this requirement in the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party, all organizations and forces are demanded to be placed under the close leadership of the Party committee levels; to be absolutely loyal and firmly grasp the lines, viewpoints and advocacies of the Party, firmly maintain the nature of the working class, without having any vagueness about the nature of the working class of our Party. Together with this, when taking part in the struggle against the wrong, hostile viewpoints and ideologies, in whatever forms and methods, it demands that it is to be proactive in following closely the practical situation and the theoretical study must start from realities. When waging the struggle, it is not to separate from the political objectives and principles, to be firm in the political abilities, at the same time to increase the scientific content in each form and method of the struggle. Consistent in the theoretical principles and the scientific methods of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought and the scientific and revolutionary nature of these doctrines and ideologies must be affirmed; at the same time, it is necessary to lay bare the anti-scientific, reactionary character of the wrong viewpoints and ideologies which have been appearing ever a lot more on the current mass media.

All organizations and forces taking part in the struggle must always grasp constantly the revolutionary ideology, be proactive to attack, at the same time must always be creative and flexible in method, resolutely win victories and have zero-tolerance and compromise with the wrong, hostile viewpoints and ideologies; must heighten the forecast, the plan and proactiveness in organizing the forces to struggle; must struggle contantly, continuously, persistently, increase the scope, the depth, the height; constantly heighten the vigilance so as to foil all schemes and tricks of the hostile forces, to protect firmly the ideological foundation of the Party.

Thirdly, to bring into full play the strength of organization and forces in the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party. The strength of the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party is the synergy of the whole country, the nation, of all classes, all sectors, forces, resources of the country. It is impossible to have any single force that can be able to conduct successfully this struggle without the close coordination with the other forces and resources of the whole political system. To struggle to protect the Party‘s ideological foundation is the extremely difficult, complicated task, that demands the promotion of synergy of organizations and forces of the whole political system. By grasping firmly this requirement, to flexibly and creatively deploy in the realities of the struggle will help create further the new striking force to help organizations and forces struggle in an ever more practical and effective manner.

The facts of the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party in Vietnam show that “A number of the party committee levels are yet to pay real attention and attach imoportance to te ideological work; there are manifestations of right-wing deviation, regards or avoidance towards the wrong viewpoints of principle character” (17). Therefore, to carry out well this orientation, it is necessary to raise the high sense of responsibility, promote the role of the party committee levels in the organization, guide and lead the struggle; the role of the steering boards from the Central level to the localities in giving advice, guidance and in operation; the role of the subjects and the forces of the indirect and direct struggle, particularly the key force like the contingent of theoretical cadres, the research cadres, the scientists, the leading experts, the agencies, the research institutes, the news agency, the press, the radio and relevision stations, the role of the instruments and means, the educational and propaganda institutions and so on. There must be the close coordination and organization among the levels, sectors and the forces in the political system to be able to form the uninterrupted  battle-array in the struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party with the high efficiency.

Fourthly, to use diversely the forms and methods of struggle to protect the ideological foundation of the Party. This is the very important orientation, particularly in the context that the struggle on the ideological and theoretical front is under the governance and deep impact from the fourth industrial revolution. Grasping and effectively implementing this orientation will help arouse and promote to the highest degree the possibilities, the strong position and forte of the organizations and forces taking part in this complicated struggle; to directly improve the effectiveness of the struggle, to stop and push back the wrong and hostile viewpoints and ideologies.

At present, the sabotageous activities in the ideological and theoretical fields are extremely diverse, abundant and complicated; they are deployed in an intensive and extensive way with the rapid, unpredictable developments. This is the battle with no gun fire; it strikes straight to the human hearts and minds, so it is very dangerous, complicated, hard to recognize and has become ever more sophisticated and wicked. They have sabotaged in all fields, with all available tricks, contents, forms and methods. If the forces participating in the struggle to protect the Party’s ideological foundation follow only one direction in a stereotypical way, in accordance with the predetermined formula without paying attention to the new issues arisen from realities, without using the diservity of suitable forms and methods of struggle, it will be difficult to have convincing strength, and at the same time it cannot arouse and promote the independence and creativity of the forces participating in the struggle, thus making the struggle more difficult to reach the determined goals.

To implement this orientation, it is required that the organizations and forces particioating in the struggle to protect the Party’s ideological foundation must regularly cultivate and improve the scientific knowledge, the political abilities, the skill of recognition and struggle on the ideological and theoretical fronts; constantly follow closely the realities of the struggle, particularly the sabotageous activities of the hostile forces so as to select the suitable and effective forms and methods of struggle; organize well the preliminary sum-up and review, the experience withdrawal,exchange and impart experience so as to help subjects find out the forms and methods of organizing the more effective struggle./.

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(1), (2) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, the National Political Publishing House Sự Thật, Hanoi, 2005, tomb 6, p. 30-32

(3) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 30, p.227

(4), (5) V.I. Lenin: Complee works, Ibid, tomb 4, p. 237

(6) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 45, p. 435

(7) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 37, p. 233

(8), (9) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 44, p. 217, 218

(10) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 45, P. 446

(11), (12) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 37, p.119, 124

(13) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 6, p. 157

(14) V.I. Lenin: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 6, p. 49-50

(15) Complete works of documents of the Party, the National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2006, tomb 51, p. 33

(16) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, the National Political Publishing House Su That, Hanoi, 2011, tomb 2, p. 289

(17) The documents of the 5^th Plenum, the 10^th Party tenure, the National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2007, p. 38

Source: COMMUNIST REVIEW, No. 992 (June 2022)