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At Large
Capitalist Excess, Communist Style
No place does it as crudely and coldly as Vietnam.
There is something about communist Asian nations that encourages their political elite to exploit the advantages their party status affords them — contrary to the repeatedly claimed equality of their political philosophy. A typical case of special treatment for the princes and princesses of communist Vietnam was most fashionably displayed last spring by the attractive 25-year-old daughter of a member of the country’s politburo. Wearing a pink near-thigh length dress with matching high heeled shoes, To Linh Huong toured a construction project in her role as the recently appointed head of a state building enterprise. Her principal qualification for the job was the hard hat she wore most splendidly.
This absurd sense of privilege that used to be a major complaint against the often corrupt South Vietnamese government — and a constant theme of the anti-war left in the U.S. — is now part and parcel of the new communist ruling class in today’s “democratic” Vietnam. It seems that except for the Spartan period of Ho Chi Minh’s authoritarian wartime rule, the leadership class of Vietnam’s triumphant communist power cadre has outdone in “capitalist” excess the defeated South Vietnamese bureaucrats and politicians.
The power of the communist elite is such that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who presided over the collapse of various state-owned companies in his first term, was given another five-year term in 2011. His daughter and sons have been particularly successful in the private sector as well as the state-run enterprises. It seems that there is something in these heirs of the revolutionary greats that drives them to the nepotism and slick business practices that were the worst aspects of Saigon’s late unbridled effort to accrue wealth.
At the same time that scandals and outright criminality in state-run corporations plague Hanoi’s governance, the worst aspects of Vietnamese communism remain active. In its political paranoia, Vietnam’s judiciary and security community remains convinced that any dissenting voices in the population must be part of some externally directed cabal. As was the case in the North going back all the way to the 1954 Geneva Accords and the original division of the country along the 17th parallel, the Roman Catholic Church is seen as a source of much anti-government dissent. It’s a very convenient charge as organized Christianity in all forms is viewed as intrinsically anti-communist and thus a continuing enemy of Vietnam.
Of various Vietnamese groups in exile, Viet Tan is considered one of the most aggressive when it comes to building support for what the authorities call political dissidence. Human Rights groups defend activists supposedly associated with the exile organization as interested only in “community improvement.” The government sees these mostly Catholic adherents of Viet Tan as working toward attempting to encourage revolt against Vietnam’s lawful policies. Thirteen activists were jailed recently for up to 13 years on charges of spreading propaganda aimed at undermining the state.
The official preoccupation with perceived anti-government activity runs directly counter to its apparent disregard of the abuse of privilege by Communist Party members and their families. Another characteristic of the vast gap between the poor and the wealthy is the discrepancy of living standards in urban and rural Vietnamese communities. Despite more than a decade of highly stimulated financial and industrial growth, the farmers of the countryside — still the majority of the population — remain in their traditional peasant environment. There is little or no chance for ordinary farm families to rise up in a society that firmly continues to exclude them from the advantages of advanced education and other social services. These seemingly are a limited prerogative of the politically acceptable, more sophisticated, party members.
The reality is that the communist governance of Vietnam carries with it the same sense of special privilege for the party elite, its family members, and close friends as did the similar class in the Soviet Union and is continuing in China today. The veneer of private enterprise that the West — and the United States in particular — seeks to extol in contemporary Vietnam provides no bridge to overcoming class distinction between the poor and rich, the disadvantaged and the advantaged. The leadership in Hanoi may make use of recent self-criticism to pretend to show its awareness of the socio-economic discrepancies, but this is nothing more than a replay of early Maoist theological self-flagellation. It is pure propaganda that will not be believable until the rigid political regimentation ends.
Unfortunately Vietnamese communism does not allow for any such change, at least in a peaceful manner. Perhaps the entire issue was best summed up in 1981 by then prime minister, Pham Van Dong, himself an old and trusted associate of the late Ho Chi Minh. Pham told the author, Stanley Karnow: “You know, waging a war is simple, but running a country is very difficult.” As Vietnam slides backward today, one wonders what Pham Van Dong would say. Uncle Ho would certainly be furious.
About the Author
George H. Wittman writes a weekly column on international affairs for The American Spectator online. He was the founding chairman of the National Institute for Public Policy.
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c. j. acworth| 1.18.13 @ 8:30AM
Well, maybe things aren't perfect, but they make good T-shirts over there.
Hardcard| 1.18.13 @ 8:50AM
they should stew in their own shyt.
PolishKnight| 1.18.13 @ 9:44AM
Fun film about communist elite privileges and farcical logic: "What will you do if you catch me?" In the film, the wife of a factory director gets a pet project to promote more use of the metro system putting up banners "Public Transit is Convenient!" but to do so, she shuts down the system for 2 days to hang them up.
KennesawJack| 1.18.13 @ 10:12AM
Well, the pigs DO get to sleep in the beds, don't they?
Paul A'Barge | 1.18.13 @ 12:02PM
She is major hot.
What would you prefer, one of the butch American feminists in their Subaru Outbacks and their plaid flannel two-sizes-too-large hunting shirts?
Alan| 1.18.13 @ 12:09PM
Agree on the hot comment, I googled some more pics of her and she's an extremely well put together piece of communist machinery. How about we trade the Communist in the WH for her, at least I could stand looking at here while she's sending us down the river to disaster.
KennesawJack| 1.18.13 @ 6:42PM
I was referring to the status of the ruling class pigs in Animal Farm, not the physical attributes of this young lady. Apparently, you're not very well read.
Qwilly| 1.18.13 @ 1:30PM
This proves you can lead a horse to water but you cant make them drink. Fighting for your freedom is too hard.
Simon Templar| 1.18.13 @ 1:38PM
Should this surprise us?
The bum Marx, who was a son of a very wealthy industrialist and never worked a day in his life along with his pal, Hegel, were all the products of elite.
Socialism was never a democratic form of government nor an advocate of individuals and their rights to liberty and opportunity or their welfare. It was, as the bum, stated an inevitable replacement of one elitist system monarchy for another, statism, and the promotion of a new dictatorship and control by a new elite. This new elite took power by overthrow and the propaganda of the "people revolution" and their supposed concern for human rights and equality.
Marx was an educated lazy thug and all those that followed were the same, educated criminals and thieves.
Ralph Novy| 1.19.13 @ 2:19PM
You are lying, Simon, and you know it.
Yes, Marx and Hegel were "privileged" individuals in their society.
So what?
That afforded them the time to "step back" and think and write about things.
Duh!
What? Do you have some sort of perverted "fetish" that only starving slaves or peons can write truthfully?
What?
SteveInFL| 1.20.13 @ 4:26AM
Duh. That sums up your post pretty well. It's the same old song a bunch of left wing elites exploit the working class into believing they are liberating them. From Marx to the various witless celebrities parading around the Occupy thugs. You liberals always whine about the one percent unless there on your side.
Doctor Right| 1.18.13 @ 2:47PM
"Meet the new boss! Same as the old boss!"
Simon Templar| 1.18.13 @ 4:35PM
...and we will get on our knees and pray,
We don't get FOOLED again!
Simon Templar| 1.18.13 @ 4:38PM
Listen...should be our national anthem....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhrZgojY1Q
Simon Templar| 1.18.13 @ 4:40PM
The Tea Party Revolution! The Second American Revolution!
Ralph Novy| 1.19.13 @ 12:48PM
Time for your warm milk and Ambien, Simon.
Brad| 1.20.13 @ 8:08PM
Time for your Prozac, ralphie. And remember to take off your helmet before going to bed. It's only for wearing outside so you don't hurt yourself...
cicero| 1.18.13 @ 4:26PM
So what is so different about them and us? We have a pollitical class that can enter leadership positions without ever having held a real job, or earned a living; spend a few years in a political polition; and voila!, multi-millionaires. Why, our current president never held a real job until he weaseled his way into a state legislature, that paid, maybe $50k per year. After 2 years, he got a Senate seat in the bigs, and make $170k for 4 years. Then, wonder of wonders, he snagged the top job, paying $400k before taxes. All at once he is shopping around for a $37,500,000.00 shack to retire to in his home state. Not bad. I,m sure his bond portfolio is kicking out enougn to qualify him for one of the jumbo mortgages.
And as for the kids, well, look at young Chelsea. Or perhaps the Kennedy kids. Even that buffoon, Al Gore is now worth about a billion.cool. And you are taking shots ot the commies. They learned everything they know from us. They really sad thing is that both their people and ours sit still for this. At least their folks have the excuse that they don't have guns.
hrgfue | 1.18.13 @ 10:17PM
2013 Happy New Year,NFL,NBA,Fashion kickoff for u
Ralph Novy| 1.19.13 @ 12:47PM
"communist Asian nations"
Plural.
Then goes on, quickly and clueless to reveal that he's talking merely about Viet Nam. (Or was the plural supposed to be a subtle allusion to China?)
Blah, blah, blah ....
And then:
"The reality is that the communist governance of Vietnam carries with it the same sense of special privilege for the party elite, its family members, and close friends as did the similar class in the Soviet Union and is continuing in China today."
... without a hint of recognition that this applies, at least doubly, to the American political situation.
How much more witless and hypocritical could one be?
Is this the new standard of "American Exceptionalism"? -- not even a veneer of respectability? No hint of philanthropism? Just some racial/jingoistic "Americans are better, ipso facto"?
Pretty goddamned pathetic.
SteveInFL| 1.20.13 @ 4:27AM
How much more witless and hypocritical could one be?
I think you've set a new standard on that one
Michele San Pietro| 1.20.13 @ 11:10AM
In Vietnam, nothing has essentially changed. It remains a disgusting communist dictatorship that must come to an end.