The Outline of Vietnamese Culture (1943) not only aimed to create and build a revolutionary culture, fight against colonial and fascist cultural policies and reactionary ideologies at that time, but also continued to illuminate the struggle to protect the Party's ideological foundation and refute erroneous and hostile views in the cultural field in the current situation.
President Ho Chi Minh attended the opening ceremony of the Cultural Exhibition Week, October 1945. Photo: Internet
Nationalization, popularization, scientization
The Outline on Vietnamese Culture (hereinafter referred to as the Outline) drafted by General Secretary Truong Chinh in 1943 put forward three principles of movement for the new culture, namely: "Nationalization", "Popularization", and "Scientization".
The word “transformation” in the three principles mentioned above has a broader meaning, including both “construction” and “resistance”, but the task of “resistance” has the meaning of indicating the urgent work of culture at that time. Only by opposing the reactionary cultural policies of the French colonialists and Japanese fascists, who both politically dominated, socially oppressed, and culturally enslaved, could the greatest obstacle be eliminated to pave the way for the cultural revolution, making a new culture flourish and develop.
The outline affirms the position and role of culture in the national liberation revolution and socialist revolution, that is: "The cultural front is one of the three fronts (economic, political, cultural) where communists must operate"; "Not only must we make a political revolution but we must also make a cultural revolution".
The content of the Outline shows that the Party uses many methods of cultural leadership, such as leadership through: ideological work, organization, individual party members, propaganda, education, persuasion, protection of practical interests for intellectuals, artists...; direct and indirect forms of struggle through legal and semi-legal mass movements.
The struggle in the field of ideology and culture is a very complicated field. Without a correct methodological basis, ideological and cultural weapons will not be effective. The outline affirms that the struggle against literary and artistic doctrines, ideologies, and sects must be based on dialectical materialism and historical materialism. Only on the basis of Marxist ideology and cultural and artistic theories can we expose the nature of the tricks of the French and Japanese; handle the relationship between culture and politics in accordance with the reality of the work of national salvation and liberation; and reasonably resolve the urgent tasks ahead and the tasks of the cultural revolution after national independence is achieved.
The "Outline on Vietnamese Culture" drafted by General Secretary Truong Chinh in 1943. Photo: baotanglichsu.vn
Urgent situation
The outline has affirmed the sharp thinking, far-sighted vision, intelligence and mettle of our Party in terms of revolution and culture; like a lamp illuminating the path for communists and all people to see the path they are on and will take.
Currently, hostile forces are always looking for ways to deny the ideological foundation and leadership role of the Party in the cultural field. They take full advantage of issues of democracy, human rights, ethnicity, and religion to claim that the Party and the State are stifling creative freedom, demanding the establishment of cultural and artistic associations and groups that are independent from politics and away from the leadership of the Party.
They make full use of the Internet, social networks, Vietnamese radio stations abroad, and many publications, especially videos on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, etc., to convey false and hostile content to entice and incite people to lose trust in the Party, State, and regime in Vietnam.
Hostile forces also take advantage of the psychology and need to assert the ego of artists to incite, persuade, and entice a number of artists and intellectuals into subversive activities at many levels... This is a very dangerous transformation from issues of art and entertainment to the deepest level of culture, which is ideology, creating different streams of perception in society and the intellectual community.
In addition, reactionary political parties abroad and political opportunists at home and abroad constantly attack the creative organization, management, and leadership of culture; promote a lifestyle of pursuing enjoyment and entertainment; deepen the spirit of emptiness, skepticism, and denial of the Party's leadership role in the cultural field. This reality is extremely harmful to the Party's political career as well as threatening the survival of national independence.
Scientific workshop "Protecting the Party's ideological foundation, fighting against erroneous and hostile views - Some basic theoretical issues" organized by Tran Phu Political School in October 2023.
Struggle to protect the Party's ideological foundation
To promote the value of the Outline on Vietnamese Culture in protecting the Party's ideological foundation and fighting against erroneous and hostile views in the cultural field in the current period, it is necessary to pay attention and focus on the following issues:
First: Every cadre, party member and citizen needs to be alert and courageous to clearly identify the harmful effects and dangerous level of "peaceful evolution" in the cultural field to national security and the survival of the regime, thereby raising awareness and sense of responsibility to prevent and combat the activities of anti-regime elements.
Second: Party committees and management agencies need to improve their leadership and management capacity, ensure political orientation in the cultural field, overcome the phenomena of lack of democracy or excessive intervention in cultural activities or, on the contrary, laxity, avoidance, confusion, and passivity in handling cultural issues.
Regularly foster Marxist-Leninist theory, Ho Chi Minh thought, the Party's guidelines and viewpoints for cultural workers, ensuring the Party's leadership role in cultural and artistic activities.
Third: To fight effectively, we must correctly identify manifestations of sabotage, opportunism, political and ideological degradation, or behaviors that are harmful to ideology and culture, and on that basis, determine the correct method of fighting each target. Cyberspace is becoming the main front in the struggle for ideology, culture, and literature, which we must make the most of, maintain initiative, and organize the fighting force resolutely and synchronously.
Every cadre, party member and citizen needs to be alert and courageous to clearly identify the harmful effects and dangerous level of "peaceful evolution" in the cultural field. Photo dangcongsan.vn
Fourth: It is necessary to enhance the internal strength, resistance and mettle of the entire Party and people in the great national unity bloc. It is necessary to seriously implement the Party's cultural guidelines, attach importance to building a culture of ethics, integrity, dedication, aspiration for development and the spirit of respect for the law, for the national interest from within the Party, in State agencies, in enterprises, organizations, communities and families.
Highlight the role of setting an example as well as clarify the responsibility of leaders, individuals and collectives in performing tasks. Promote the role of political and social organizations in gathering, organizing and motivating the creativity of the people and artists. Encourage young talents, honor artists who have contributed to the cause of building and developing culture.
Fifth: Preserving and promoting national cultural identity in the process of international exchange and integration. To enrich national culture, we must always have a strong will and a correct cultural development strategy, otherwise it will lead to the risk of worshiping foreign things and losing national cultural identity.
Nguyen Xuan Hai
Deputy Head of Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, Chairman of Provincial Journalists Association
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