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<h2 class="h1" id="post-1622"><a
href="http://ouleft.sp-mesolite.tilted.net/?p=1622" rel="bookmark"
title="Permanent Link to Reflections on the Passing of Comrade General Vo Nguyen Giap – Great Hero of Humanity">
Reflections on the Passing of Comrade General Vo Nguyen Giap – Great
Hero of Humanity </a></h2>
<p><span class="i_author"><a
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title="Posts by carl4davidson" rel="author">http://ouleft.sp-mesolite.tilted.net/?p=1622<br>
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<p><img src="cid:part1.01020503.03050006@freedomarchives.org"
height="356" width="534"> </p>
<p><strong>By Merle Ratner </strong></p>
<p>I am very saddened at the passing of General Vo Nguyen Giap on
Friday! Bac Giap, as he is called as a term of great affection,
dedicated his entire life to achieving the national liberation and
independence of Vietnam. He led the victory of the Vietnamese people
against French colonialism and U.S. imperialism, making Vietnam the
first country to achieve decisive victories over colonial and
imperialist powers. Bac Giap and President Ho Chi Minh together led
the movement for national liberation and socialism which made these
victories possible. Developing Marxism Leninism creatively and
applying it to the particular conditions of Vietnam, they were able to
meld the demands for national independence and ending feudalism and
oppression into a powerful and all-sided people’s struggle. </p>
<p>Bac Giap developed a theory and practice of people’s war — an
integrated strategy of military, political and diplomatic mobilization
of the entire Vietnamese people. This unique comprehensive approach
maximized the agency of the Vietnamese masses in achieving their own
liberation, mobilizing their grass roots initiative. Some bourgeois
press obituaries of General Giap have claimed that he was “ruthless,”
willing to lose millions of people to win Vietnam’s independence. Those
who write this clearly do not understand Bac Giap or the Vietnamese
people! The French colonialists and U.S. imperialists’ scorched earth
war against the Vietnamese made the fight for liberation burn in the
heart of the people, who were willing to make incredible sacrifices to
achieve their liberation. Bac Giap successfully led this movement with
great love and respect for those he commanded and his love has been
reciprocated. The massive outpouring of people, including many youth,
this weekend in the streets of Vietnam to honor Bac Giap underscores
how beloved he is in Vietnam, as he is around the world. </p>
<p>After liberation, Bac Giap continued to fight for the development of
people’s power and socialism, particularly focusing on the empowerment
and advancement of the majority of the population — the peasant
community. He has been a consistent voice criticizing corruption and
opportunism and advocating for environmentalism. Around the world Bac
Giap embodied proletarian internationalism as an inspiration to people
struggling for independence, equality and justice </p>
<p>In an interview he gave in 1999 with PBS, Bac Giap summed up some of
the lessons which the world has drawn from his life of service to
humanity, There is a limit to power. I think the Americans and great
superpowers would do well to remember that while their power may be
great, it is inevitably limited…. Since the beginning of time, whether
in a socialist or a capitalist country, the things you do in the
interests of the people stand you in good stead, while those which go
against the interest of the people will eventually turn against you.
History bears out what I say. </p>
<p>I met Bac Giap and his wife and comrade, Dang Bich Ha, several times
over a number of years from the 90′s to 2005. The first time, I was
immediately struck by his kindness and his humility. As I shook his
hand, somewhat awestruck, he waved his hand and stopped me when I
started to say how honored I was to meet him, He said that he had come
to hear my thoughts, and the thoughts of our movement, about the
situation in Vietnam and the U.S. He asked me to tell him about the
communist and left and anti-war movements in the United States, about
how people here viewed Vietnam and about what we thought of the current
situation of the Vietnamese revolution. He was particularly interested
in how young people in the U.S. understood the situation in Vietnam and
the about basis for long term friendship and solidarity. </p>
<p>Bac Giap told me that about his research and investigation into the
living conditions of the peasants, land use issues and his desire to
ensure that they were able to improve their lives and prosper as
Vietnam developed. He expressed concern for Vietnam’s workers, saying
that in a socialist country, particularly in this stage of development,
policies must focus on the well-being of the majority- the workers and
peasants. </p>
<p>In a later meeting, we spoke about socialism and about the
challenges of political education of youth. Bac Giap was always
hopeful, even when acknowledging the contradictions that development
brings. </p>
<p>I was also privileged to spend some additional time with his wife,
Dang Bich Ha. Bac Ha is a strong revolutionary woman who took part in
all the discussions and raised many questions about the communist
movement in the U.S. Bac Giap and Bac Ha’s relationship impressed me
as an expression of the Vietnamese revolution’s emphasis on the
equality of women from the earliest days. It struck me as a marriage
of love, equality and respect, with common beliefs as well as lively
discussions and even some disagreements! </p>
<p>In my final meeting, General Giap spoke mainly of his activities in
the revolution against the French and his work together with President
Ho Chi Minh. At that time, he was resting in Do Son at a very modest
Army house. His body was becoming frail, but he still managed to climb
a flight of stairs to meet with a large group of soldiers who had come
to visit bearing flowers and great enthusiasm. With the young soldiers
Bac Giap radiated energy and warmth, making everyone feel comfortable.
I will always remember Bac Giap, Bac Ha at his side, among that group
of young men and women with their eyes shining! </p>
<p><em>Merle Ratner, former member of the CCDS national coordinating
committee, was instrumental in organizing the two CCDS study tours to
Vietnam and contributed to the CCDS pamphlet "Vietnam: From National
Liberation to 21st Century Socialism." She is a Co-coordinator of the
US-based Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign and
coordinated an international workshop on Marxist Theory and Practice in
the World Today at the Ho Chi Minh Academy in Vietnam. She also has two
articles on Vietnam today in the new CCDS book, </em><a
href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/duncan-mcfarland-et-al/vietnam-from-national-liberation-to-21st-century-socialism/paperback/product-21101814.html"
target="_blank">Vietnam: From National Liberation to 21st Century
Socialism</a></p>
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