Luu Van Sung

Source: The Communist Review

I. SOCIALISM – OPTIONS IN THE 20^TH CENTURY

At the end of the 19^th and early 20^th century, capitalism exposed its brutal and ruthless nature completely. Private capitalist ownership led to the degradation and pauperization of the working class and working people. Free market capitalism resulted in periodical economic crisis and destruction of social infrastructure. Imperialist countries conquered backward countries and turned them into colonies. They brutally oppressed and exploited colonial and dependent countries. Imperialists countries waged wars to redivide global market, caused physical damage and loss of lives.

Socialism showed the capacity of people for humanitarianism, as opposed to capitalist ruthlessness. It was a social model that is opposite to capitalism. It eradicated private ownership, established public ownership, annihilated the free market, and regulated and managed the economy with plans. The State directly controlled all social activities. In reality, it was the model of Soviet socialism.

This model, which existed for 74 years from 1917 to 1991, recorded great achievements:

First, there was no class in Soviet society. Labourers worked to earn their wages under the leadership and management of communists. They wholeheartedly participated in labour movement, thus building socio-economic achievement.

Second, the State controlled all social resources so it could concentrate investment in developing heavy industry, building infrastructure and solving education, health and social welfare issues.

Third, the whole society was as one under a unified leadership thus creating a strong force capable of defeating all attack by foreign invaders

Fourth, it helped colonial and dependant countries to struggle against imperialism to seize national independence and saved humanity from the scourge of fascism.

However, during its existence and development, the realistic Soviet socialism had the following constraints:

- It want only eradicated private ownership, and the free market, which hampered motivation for development and to a certain extent restricted of democracy. This led to an increasing scarcity of social assets. Equality was exercised by egalitarianism and equal division of poverty.

- The State directly regulated the economy, deciding all social issues. It became increasingly bureaucratic, while the economy and society always changed and develop. To manage all socio-economic activities, the State apparatus was forced to expand, but proved to be more bureaucratic and powerless.

- The political system was organized in the tower shape, with concentrated power. However, it lacked power balance and control mechanisms. Thus it did not only limit the system’s adaptability and adjustment but also enhanced bureaucracy, corruption, and power abuse and degradation. Political and State power that was originally of the people became opposite and strange to the people.

The above-mentioned constraints became apparent in the context of the modern scientific and technology revolution, globalization and international economic integration and caused a crisis in the socialist system. From the 1980 onwards, reform and renovation have taken place in the former socialist countries. However, successes are also found in countries which choose to continue socialist construction at that time.

Differently to the communists that implemented Marxism through revolution, seizure of power, establishment of a proletariat state, and the building of new a society, social democrats chose gradual reform of the capitalist society. The values of Social Democratic Parties originated with the humanitarian values of Marxism, which aimed at liberating the working people. When the Socialist Democratic Parties were not yet in power, they relied on the trade union movement – a pressure group - to realize the interests of the working people. However, when in power they established plural democracy, developed a mixed economy, built a welfare society and coordinated to solve differences between employers and laborers.

Although Northern European countries are following the model of capitalist society, their Social Democratic Parties have been in power for years so the above-mentioned policies have proven effective. Compared to Eastern European and Northern American countries, their society is more democratic, equitable, humanitarian and unanimous. These policies also raise problems, such as increase in Government debts, and labourers becoming lazy and relying on social subsidies. Furthermore, social democratic regimes are also falling into crisis.

The above-mentioned analysis shows that the Soviet socialist model, social democratic regimes or any other social model are not a complete model. They are considered to be options to solve social problems in certain historical conditions. These options can be successful or can contain weaknesses. When social conditions change, they must be renewed or replaced by other models.

II - SOCIALIST ORIENTATION – CURRENT TRENDS

1. Trends in countries which are changing their social models

It is possible to say that the collapse of Soviet socialist model in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe was a big failure of socialism. Nevertheless, it does not mean that the path to socialism is a cul-de-sac or a of historical mistake. Advancing to socialism is advancing to a humanitarian and complete society, eradicating degradation, oppression, exploitation and injustice, ensuring the conditions for complete development of man. Is socialism, with these objectives, an error of history? If that path is a cul-de-sac, where does mankind go? The collapse of socialism in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe is the collapse of a concrete model of socialism in the process of development. Or in other words, options chosen to solve problems arising from social life in the 20^th century were successful in certain periods but are no longer suitable and should be replaced with other options.

As we all know, in the 1980s and 1990s, many socialist countries successfully carried out reform to replace social models, and change their politices to solve social problems. They used the following measures:

- Changing from an economy based on public ownership that is in the form of people ownership and collective ownership to the multi-sectoral and multi-ownership economy.

- Changing the centrally-planned economy to a market economy to integrate into the global economy.

- Changing the Soviet-type State into a law-governed State.

The cause of reform and renovation in China and Vietnam respectively and some other countries has maintained the socialist objectives and continued to materialize the objectives through new methods. The renewal of the former Soviet and Eastern European countries led to the renouncement of socialist objectives. China’s reform and Vietnam’s renovation have gained initial successes. Their Communist Parties have been in power. Their political situation has been stable and their economies have escape crisis to develope at a high growth rate. In the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the Communist Parties lost power. Economic crisis resulted in political crisis which in turn, worsen the economic crisis. Currently, despite economic growth, their political situation is unstable. They are threatened by secessionism and terrorism.

By comparing the two trends, we find that the path to socialism is more superior and has quicker development. Although it has made initial successes and is facing difficulties, realistic socialism shows new vitality.

2. Trends in capitalist countries

Social market trends are playing an increasingly important role. In late the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the free market was the superior trend. At that time, its was thought that private ownership of production material was individual freedom towards what they had, that free market and competition would lead to social harmony and maximum social wealth. After some time, contrary results were found. Free competition led to the situation where "the small fish is swallowed by the big fish". Thus, freedom was the freedom of the rich and the owners. The poor had only their bare hands. Their only freedom was the freedom to sell their labour. The consequences of this were inequality and injustice. Class and national conflicts were fierce and grave. In addition, the free market was not a machine that automatically created harmony but, on the contrary, was a factor causing periodical crisis, and destruction of social material and production force. Of course, the capitalist society overcame certain consequences of the free market.

Since the mid-20^th century, some capitalist countries have implemented a free market society. The market has played an important role in socio-economic development. But then, it was put under the State regulation. The State managed the market by the following measures: 1. Creating legal framework such as strategies, laws and policies. 2. Ensuring labourer’s participation in the policy-making process of companies, and giving trade unions a voice in labour contracts. 3. Enterprises should respond to the market but also should realise their obligations to society. 4. Consumers’ judgment had direct effect on market relations.

Through economic strength, the State exercises its regulation towards he market economy which often develops in a curve-shaped model. While the economy grows, the State can increase its revenue so that at during recession, it can use the budget to stimulate demand. That funds can be sunk into infrastructure, training programs and improving people’s living standards. This also heightens demands to revitalise the economy. If the economy develops too quickly, the State applies measures to control its growth. By using these solutions, the State can control the market and minimize the consequences of a crisis.

Regulating the market economy and through policies and laws, the State guarantees four insurance systems for laborers. 1. Health insurance. 2. Pension insurance. 3. Unemployment insurance and 4. Insurance for loss of working capacity.

Currently, in capitalist countries there are two trends of market, namely the free market and social market with the former playing a superior role. The social market first operated in Northern European countries then in many other countries. It is subject to State control which helps reduce bad effects on the market, and ensure social security. To a certain extent, human dignity is respected. In other word, humanitarianism is realized in current social life at a certain level.

The knowledge economy has created a premise to overcome partial labor degradation. Since the appearance of private ownership and class division, human society underwent wonderful stages of evolution, and development. However, human suffering has not vanished. Labour degradation has developed as follows: commodity value is human labour that is crystallized in the commodity. Nevertheless, the value is alien to the labourers. When it become the asset of a certain group of people it is turned into a tool to exploit the labourers. The exploiting class uses what they take off the labourers to continue to do so. The exploited class, having no production material, have to hire themselves out, sell their labour and continue to be exploited. Labour degradation is linked with ethical degradation, meaning that people’s natures are degraded.

Capitalism generates conditions and social environment for degradation to reach its height, while also creating premises to partially overcome it. The key premise is the coming into being of the knowledge –based economy - an economy that directly relies on production, distribution and use. In the knowledge economy, labourers are resources of knowledge. Their knowledge and wisdom are major production materials which are not separated from them, belong to them and no one can take it off them.

The knowledge economy’s development bring about conditions for people to be both labourers and owners of inseparable production material. So, the knowledge economy will partially overcome labour degradation and create premises for free and complete human development. This is one of the objectives of humanitarianism or socialism.

Political civilisation generates preconditions for eradicating power degradation, which is a human suffering on the path of evolution. Public power is the society and the people. In a society where there are class divisions and struggles, public power is organised into the State run by a class. It stands above society, becomes alien to society and a tool to oppress the people. The ruling class wants to use that power for its interests while the people struggle to demand the ruling class to use that power in the common societal interests. That is a fierce and hard struggle, since society has been divided into classes. In fact, it is the struggle for democracy staged by the people. Its victory leads to the evolution of democracy and advancement to political civilization. It brings about conditions for partially overcoming power degradation. The political civilization comprises the values of civilization and human assets. Political civilization is demonstrated in the following values:

1. Establishing three factors, including market economy, law-governed State and civil society to ensure social harmony, stability and development. The modern political model identifies the scale of State power, of individual freedom and civil society – a gap between State power and individual freedom. In particular, that model ensures maximum individual freedom, common welfare and increases social responsibility. Thus, non governmental and non-profit organisations (civil society) can develop within the framework of legislation. The political working principle is of consensus and persuasion.

2. The supreme power rests with the people. This is stipulated in the constitutions of many countries and demonstrated firstly in their right to make laws. Concretely, the establishment and revision of the constitutions are often done through referendum with high consensus. The stability of the constitutions -the basic laws - is the first factor to ensure political stability. Currently in many countries, referendums are used to make decisions on important national issues.

3. Ensuring authorized legitimacy. Public and State power are contributed toby all members of society, by assigning part of their rights. Authorization is made through elections. Thus, elections should be free, democratic and transparent to guarantee the legitimacy of authorization. All attempts to manipulate power and division of power among factions are illegal and invalid.

4. Ensuring political freedom, which is manifested in the following points:

- Establishing and realizing the State power in necessary limit without violation and restriction of individual freedom. The State can only do what the laws allow and the people can do what the laws do not prohibit. Identifying and realizing the State power without any limit is against political freedom.

- Establishing the mechanisms of power delegation and control right in the system of political power to guarantee political power for everybody.

- Ensuring equal competition between social forces and individuals in the political arena and the people are the eventual judges of that competition.

- Public opinions ensure objectivity, transparency and democracy in socio-political life through the mass media.

- Socio-political decisions are made with the agreement of the majority and in the interests of the majority. However, the opinions of the minority are preserved and their interests protected.

- Building a mechanism to engage the people in political life. For example, the people’s readiness to go to the polls and vote in referenda, supervise the construction process, promulgate policies and control and assess the implementation of policies. They can monitor authorized agencies and individuals to exercise power and vote for the credibility of agencies or individuals.

Thus, in many developed capitalist countries, the trend of socialist-oriented development in economy, politics and social life is becoming clearer. It is a premise for forming a completely humanitarian society and a socialist society. To establish realistic socialism in those countries, according to Marxist-Leninism, a comprehensive social revolution should be carried out and the leaders of that revolution should be genuine Communist Parties - the vanguard force of the modern working class.