We’re on our way to Ha Long Bay, heading east on the Hanoi-Haiphong Expressway. We were cruising along when we passed a government billboard expressing a “Rah Rah!” message in classic propagandist style. Until I saw that billboard, I had almost forgotten – we’re in a communist country. But in today’s Vietnam, what does that even mean? Thanks to a policy known as “Doi Moi,” it’s not an easy question to answer.
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Vietnam may not look communist, but it is. By law, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has only one political party: the Communist Party of Vietnam. Its symbol is a yellow hammer and sickle on a red background. You can’t get much more communist than that. But, as described in the previous post, in 1986 the Party started making big changes.
Ever since socialist policies had been implemented in the 1970’s, Vietnam’s economy had been tanking badly. It became painfully obvious that centralized control wasn’t working.
That realization must have been tough for the Party leadership to take. Those guys had “fought the good fight” for years. They were true believers. Socialism would result in the greatest good for all. Capitalistic scourges like runaway greed, exploitation of the poor by the rich, and no one looking out for the little guy could be avoided.
The Big Change: Doi Moi
But something had to be done. Ultimately, they decided to implement a policy leading Vietnam towards a “socialist-oriented market economy.” It allowed farmers to do their own farming and sell what they produced. It allowed some degree of free enterprise, and even foreign investment. The new policy was called “Doi Moi.” (In vietnamese, “Đổi Mới.” Commonly translated as “Renovation”).
It worked spectacularly. Investors pumped money into the economy, the private sector came alive, farmers produced surpluses. The number of people living in poverty dropped dramatically year after year.
Through Doi Moi, Party leadership had changed the rules of doing business. What they didn’t change were the rules by which THEY did business. The result is a capitalistic economy functioning under a communist system of government. Interesting, eh?
But Once the Door was Opened a Crack…
Doi Moi changed the economy, but it unleashed social change, too. When people got a taste of economic freedom, they wanted social freedom, too. Freedom of the press is a good example.
There used to be just one national newspaper in Vietnam, produced by the Party for the purpose of telling people what it wanted them to hear. It was called “Nhân Dân.” Today there are hundreds of newspapers and magazines to choose from.
Two examples are Vietnam net. (https://vietnamnet.vn/en/) and Việt Nam News, (https://vietnamnews.vn/). The links are to their english-language versions. You can learn a lot about Vietnam in a short time by taking a look at either one.
The reins of Party control have loosened up over the years, but independent newspapers still need to be mindful of what they print. Take corruption, for example. In Vietnam, corruption is a hot topic. You might say it comes with the territory.
The Good, the Bad, and the Rascals
Politicians and government officials the world over have a reputation for being rascals. Sure, there are truly good ones. And probably others who are rotten to the core. But a lot of them are rascals. Their ego’s are attracted by the power and the perks.
In a democratic society with a free press, political rascals, if they’re found out, can be voted out of office, (maybe). But without meaningful elections or a free press, that can’t happen. Government officials are accountable only to their bosses. That’s gotta be a sweet deal, once you’re in, eh? But it’s an environment that fosters corruption. That’s the nature of the beast.
Now, suppose you’re the publisher of an independent newspaper. You’ve discovered that a fairly high-level government official is a rascal who’s getting rich at the community’s expense. Do you publish the story? Better be careful!
Along with the independents, the original national newpaper, Nhân Dân, is still in circulation. It bills itself as “the central organ of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the voice of the party, state, and people of Vietnam.” You can see it here: https://nhandan.com.vn/. Click on the “English” button to get the english-language version.
Nhân Dân has a “Rah Rah! Look at the good things the Party is doing!” slant on the news. I’m surprised to say that I find its optimism refreshing. I know, I know – some liberties could be taken with the facts. And it IS rather boldly one-sided. But at least Nhân Dân is up front about what side it’s rooting for.
Hey, guess what? We’re finally coming into Ha Long Bay. The huge parking lot full of big buses like ours gives it away. We don’t care. We just want to see it!
To be continued…
