Prejudice against private sector?

Updated date: 05/24/2025 04:53:55

On May 4, 2025, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW "on private economic development". Among the many important contents of the Resolution, the Politburo considers "Completely eliminating perceptions, thoughts, concepts, and prejudices about Vietnam's private economy" as one of the core points of the "Guiding Viewpoint". There is a saying in our country: "If your thoughts are not clear, carrying a pot is still heavy". And accordingly, prejudice is the biggest obstacle to the development of the issue in question. Therefore, it is very meaningful to understand the basis for forming prejudices about the private economy in order to "eliminate" them.

View of the National Conference to disseminate and implement Resolution No. 66 dated April 30, 2025 of the Politburo on innovation in law-making and enforcement to meet the requirements of national development in the new era and Resolution No. 68 dated May 4, 2025 of the Politburo on private economic development at the Dong Thap province bridge (Photo: D.Ut)

First of all, we need to clarify the concepts related to the topic. Prejudice or prejudice is understood as opinions and views that have been formed. They are fixed opinions about people or things, originating from a distorted view or based on emotions and often tend to underestimate. The private economy is an economic component of a country's economic structure, formed and developed based on private ownership of means of production as well as personal interests. The private economy includes individual economy, smallholder economy and private capitalist economy. In the history of perception, each person, community, nation, and even mankind has had prejudices about one or several issues. Considering prejudice against the private economy in Vietnamese society, we can identify the origin of perception in communist parties and social practice.

About perception

Since its inception, the Communist Party of Vietnam has consistently chosen the path of national development as the people's national democratic revolution leading to the socialist revolution. In other words, national independence is associated with socialism. And accordingly, for many years, the majority of people in the Party have had an incorrect or childish concept of public ownership of the means of production when implementing the socialist revolution. They believe that the socialist economy is based on public ownership of the means of production with two main forms: state-owned and collective. This misconception is common in most socialist countries.

The deviation stems from applying the prediction of Marx's theory about the later stage (high stage) of the socialist socio-economic form (Lenin called it Communism) to the transitional period to socialism, including pre-capitalist developing countries. Another point is the completely opposite and extreme perception between socialist society and capitalist society, in which it is assumed that capitalist society has a market economy and private economy, while socialist society is the opposite.

In fact, quite early on, the founders of Marx's doctrine noted that it was impossible to arbitrarily eliminate the private economy. Friedrich Engels, a close friend of Marx, noted that it was necessary to: Make the capitalist horse plow on the land of socialism. Lenin, who developed Marx's doctrine into Marx-Leninism, recognized the development of the private economy in the socialist social economy when he advocated the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921. However, due to different historical circumstances in each country, these ideas were not only not followed, but were also "completely" denied. Prejudice against the private economy was widespread, heavy and prolonged.

In practice

It is undeniable that, in the market economy of capitalism, the private economy exists and develops for the selfish profit of the owners. In order to seek profits, many enterprises have increased the time and intensity of labor, exploited female and child labor; fierce competition of the type of "big fish swallowing small fish" leading to monopoly, imposition, and domination not only in the economic field, but also in aspects of social life; promoted the search and invasion of colonies leading to wars everywhere; disregarded all ethics and laws, even "even if hanged." Even in socialist countries, reality has shown that when the close collusion of "underground" and "black" forces in this economic sector with the degenerate and corrupted people of the political system has caused great damage to politics and the socio-economy. Prejudice against the private economy is not without reason.

However, the Vietnamese economy has stepped up to a new level. Although having the common characteristic of seeking profit, the Vietnamese private economy has different and specific characteristics. Currently, the Vietnamese private economy operates in a globalized environment with transparent institutions and laws. Along with the advancement of science and technology, enterprises and production and business households have gradually become modern and civilized.

On the other hand, in a socialist-oriented market economy, production and business will have opportunities for mutual support and healthy competition among economic sectors, creating harmony and synchronicity for the benefit of individuals and the common good in the development process of the country. Of course, the socialist state has a great responsibility for the cause of creating this "chorus". In particular, it is necessary to "pay great attention to training and fostering a team of entrepreneurs with ethics, business culture, courage, intelligence, dynamism, creativity, and striving to rise up", along with the spirit of "respecting the law and actively fulfilling social responsibilities".

Even if it is a pure belief, imposing old concepts and practices of previous societies on the present is lame. Over the past many years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the management of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, "Vietnam's private economy has gradually developed in both quantity and quality, becoming one of the important driving forces of the socialist-oriented market economy" as the Resolution stated. And in the near future, the economy of this sector will "be the most important driving force of the national economy". Understanding this clearly, the basis of prejudice against the private economy will disappear.

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Source: https://baodongthap.vn/chinh-tri/thanh-kien-doi-voi-kinh-te-tu-nhan--131675.aspx