Vietnam’s Bourgeois Mythology

 [note: The mythology in question here is unrelated to the Sorelian conception of myth.]


The most revered figure in Vietnamese politics is the guerilla fighter. The guerilla fighter, with their conical hat and second-hand firearm, is an idol of the nation, but one who is horribly disfigured. Rather than the nationalist republican they were, the guerilla is presented as a mystical proletarian partisan who, with their comrades, fought the forces of world capital itself. 


In fact the fighter, given their role in Vietnamese conflicts, is propped up as the basis for Vietnam itself. They are given festivals, ceremonies, processions, and museums innumerable.[1][2] And their politics, thoroughly maimed and separated from them, are propped up as the basis for Vietnam’s politics. Like the creation myths of old, the fighter is made the personal creator of the nation, and so the characteristics of the creator are passed down to creation. In this way a link is forged between the fighter and Vietnam.


This is a sort of Bourgeois Mythology. The creation of a mythical element, here the false communist guerilla, to reinforce a false present, in this case Vietnam’s socialism. It is an art that Vietnam has mastered almost perfectly, and one it uses to seduce wanna-be Stalinists. Every ritual held by the “C”.P.V. solidifies this mythology, and keeps the illusions going. Reunification Day, which commemorates the conquest of Saigon by Stalinists, is one of the more blatant examples of this. It is a day where the watchword is “national reunification” and honoring the “heroes of the people’s armed forces” is the foremost task of the day.[3] All the 


The problem is that, even if the assertions of Vietnam’s Mythology were true, the premise would be false. Just because something has a proletarian origin doesn’t mean it’s immune to bourgeois ideology or bourgeoisification. The U.S.S.R. is a prime example. Founded in a thoroughly communist revolution, it eventually lost it’s proletarian character and soviet power (something even some Stalinists must admit to).


Faced with this propaganda, what can communists do? Our agenda must be demystification. Uniting in communist organizations will allow us to dispel the lies peddled by modern bourgeois governments and will let us stimulate the proletariat of all countries to self-organize and revolt. Revealing the true history of the bourgeoisie, it’s real legacy, will be crucial if world revolution is to smash capitalism to pieces.


[1] 65th anniversary of Ba To uprising (dangcongsan.vn)


[2] Over 300 photos about General Vo Nguyen Giap showcased (dangcongsan.vn)


[3] National Reunification Day observed in HCM City (dangcongsan.vn)

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