Ho Chi Minh Press: Unique Identity and Mark of the Creative Subject

Unlike the field of literary and artistic creation, journalism is a political activity aimed at informing and propagating, so the role of the creative subject is revealed discreetly and within the limits of the genre. However, excellent journalists with unique qualities often creatively express the subject on the page. Ho Chi Minh is a great journalist whose journalistic career went through many stages over 50 years: the period before 1945, the period of resistance against the French, the peaceful period of building Socialism in the North, the period of resistance against the US, saving the country. His ego in journalism is expressed in many capacities: a revolutionary soldier in the period of secret activities; President after the August Revolution, a general commanding throughout the two resistance wars against invaders; a father, an uncle, an elder brother to the masses. It can be said that the subjective mark that permeates Ho Chi Minh's journalism is the strong spirit expressed through the steel of his political commentary. In the article “Impressions of Reading Thien Gia Thi”, He also required that this poetry must have the quality of steel. With journalism, that motto and principle are even clearer. The quality of steel is expressed in the firmness on issues of principle, in the enthusiasm and passion to fight for the truth to prevail, in the clear distinction of boundaries. There is no ambiguity, confusion, caution and double expression. He speaks frankly, directly, strongly, clearly about his position and viewpoint. In dialogue and debate with the enemy, He uses a sharp, principled and proactive writing style. In political discussions on major issues of the country and the nation, He uses a solemn and majestic writing style. That heroic and decisive tone of writing is typically expressed in the “Declaration of Independence”: “A nation that has courageously fought against French slavery for more than 80 years, a nation that has courageously stood with the Allies, against fascism for several years, that nation must be free, that nation must be independent”. And in the “Call for National Resistance”: “We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country, or become slaves.” That courage and style are expressed through many types of journalism, including interviews. In response to American journalist Haron Isaac, he clearly expressed his stance, intelligence and unique identity through his answers:

“Question: In your opinion, what will the negotiations between France and Bao Dai be like?

Answer: We do not need to know about that "negotiation".

Question: In your opinion, is it possible to amend the relationship between your Government and Bao Dai based on what France ceded to Bao Dai?

Answer: What is the relationship between a private individual and the elected government of the whole country?

Question: In the near future, can the Vietnamese forces defeat the French? And in the current situation, when will that attack come?

Answer: It is definitely possible to defeat the colonialists. When the time comes, I will tell you.

Question: In your opinion, will the situation in China be beneficial for independence in Vietnam?

Answer: Vietnam's independence is always thanks to Vietnam's forces.

...

Question: Are you afraid that Vietnam will become a vassal state of any country?

Answer: No, I'm not afraid.

...

Question: What is the US policy in Asia?

Answer: Speaking only from Vietnam's side, we regret that America supplied weapons to France to kill our people and destroy our country.

The above are just a few of the 45 questions of Haron Isaac; however, just that much has clearly revealed Ho Chi Minh's political mettle. The ego created from this political character and mettle is like a red thread running through all of Ho Chi Minh's writings. Ho Chi Minh's life was a life of constant struggle to liberate the nation, liberate society and liberate people, so an important part of his journalism was his accusations and denunciations of colonialism, his polemics against the enemy, his appeals to the people, and all of them bore the mark of an outstanding politician, an ego with a solemn character, a strong temperament and a close, warm love for life. President Pham Van Dong has deeply summarized the qualities of Ho Chi Minh: “Ho Chi Minh is a man of unshakable faith in the future of the nation, in humanity, in socialism,... Ho Chi Minh is a man of steadfastness in the struggle against all enemies and all difficulties and transmits that steadfast will to the whole Party and the whole nation. Ho Chi Minh is a man of dynamic and flexible dedication, wise and peaceful in soul and demeanor”. All for everyone, for the common life, in his articles, he did not talk about himself and did not want others to talk about him. As To Huu church said: He “like the peak of a high mountain, hiding his form”.

He always showed a spirit of self-criticism and took responsibility for his work: “I must say honestly, the successes are thanks to the efforts of the people. The above shortcomings are our fault. People are not gods, no one can avoid shortcomings”. His nature is modesty, the modesty of a noble person, deeply aware of his true values ​​and of the relationship between the individual and the community. Modesty is also expressed in the awareness of the limits in life that people can and cannot reach. Of course, the result of awareness is not sadness, passivity but initiative, confidence in oneself, in everyone in public and private work. That is why people easily recognize in him a calm, profound, and generous attitude. He has a skillful way of dealing with complicated events and words that lack goodwill.

“Someone said: “Ho Chi Minh did not know what to do, he only thanked this person today, and thanked that person tomorrow”. Yes! I am happy to accept that criticism! Moreover, I hope that I have to write many thank you letters every day, because that proves that our people have enthusiastically practiced the slogan: “Whoever has money gives money, whoever has strength gives strength”.

His straightforward, sincere, and decisive qualities were often revealed in his work. In an interview with a foreign journalist, he wrote: “Since you asked, I would like to put my modesty aside and answer honestly: I have no home, no wife, no children, Vietnam is my big family. The Vietnamese elderly are my relatives. The Vietnamese women are my sisters. I have one desire: to make my Fatherland independent, unified, and democratic. Once I achieve that goal, I will return to being a citizen who travels, reads books, and gardens.”

When talking about creative imprints in journalistic activities, we need to pay attention to the characteristics of the creative subject. In particular, the ego of President Ho Chi Minh has made political activities have their own creative character and spirit, the writings have soul, the objective material converges and is imbued with subjective elements in a harmonious way.

Since the August Revolution, we have seen more clearly his sincere, solemn, and affectionate self through the pages of the newspaper. He paid attention to the audience (who he was speaking to, who he was writing for, what he was talking about) and the appropriate way of expression to be most effective.

On the occasion of the first Mid-Autumn Festival of independent Vietnam, as President, he sent a letter to children across the country. That letter created a special sympathy and closeness with the children through the story, through the familiar way of addressing: "This is Ho Chi Minh talking to you", "Old Ho also smiles happily with you". However, he not only brought love to the children but also always reminded them of their responsibilities in life today and especially in the future. In the "Letter to students" on the first day of school in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, he wrote: "Whether Vietnam's mountains and rivers become beautiful or not, whether the Vietnamese people can step up to the stage of glory to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents or not, depends largely on your studies".

Passion, sincerity and the idea of ​​encouragement, motivation, for the common cause, are often familiar characteristics of many articles when He used his ego to share, commit, and encourage something urgent of the time, especially articles in the early period of the August Revolution. Faced with a complicated political situation, internal and external enemies, foreign invaders, famine, and ignorance raging, He passionately called, explained, and encouraged the entire people to overcome that "thousand pounds hanging by a thread" situation.

Food was scarce and hunger threatened, Ho Chi Minh called on everyone to practice thrift and he himself set an example first: “When we lift our bowls of rice to eat, thinking of the hungry and suffering, we cannot help but be moved. So I would like to propose to my compatriots across the country, and I would like to practice first:

Fast one meal every 10 days, three meals a month. Use that rice (one cup per meal) to help the poor.

In this way, the poor will have a meal of vegetables and a meal of porridge to wait for the next rice crop, and will not starve to death.” The above words reveal the love of helping each other, which has been a tradition of the Vietnamese people throughout history. In terms of economic efficiency, it is only a temporary measure, the fundamental problem is to produce food. In the newspaper Tac Dat, issue 1, December 7, 1945, he called for:

“Increase production! Increase production now! Increase production again! That is our slogan today. That is our practical way to maintain our freedom and independence. Fellow farmers, forward! Forward!”

With the same theme of food, the two paragraphs above are two streams of emotions and thoughts of a person who is both compassionate and shows sharp intelligence but is very simple and caring - still the characteristics of the ego in Ho Chi Minh's political writing.

In his speech to senior military officers, President Ho Chi Minh talked about the correlation between position and force, an issue that is both familiar and has profound philosophical meaning. Talking about position and force means talking about the nature and strength of an object in its own existence and in the dialectical movement in space and time. President Ho Chi Minh explained the above issue in an easy-to-understand and convincing way: “A weight of only one kilogram, in an advantageous position, its force increases a lot, has the power to lift an object weighing hundreds of kilograms. That is position over force. We fought the Americans, using less to win more thanks to our very advantageous position. Our victory was clear. The enemy's defeat was clear; but they were still very stubborn, not willing to give up their plot to invade our country”. Although the page did not directly contain the word "I", the way of thinking with philosophical depth, concrete, simple and flexible images bore the mark of Ho Chi Minh.

For a topic, a thought and a feeling mentioned many times, the author always has a new way of speaking that is both specific, profound and impressive.

During his time abroad, the author always kept in mind his love for his country. Under the pen name Nguyen Ai Quoc, many literary and journalistic works were deeply imbued with that thought. At the Tours Congress, as a representative of Indochina, he said: “Dear comrades, today, I should have come here to join you in contributing to the world revolutionary cause, but with deep sadness, I come here as a socialist party member, to protest against the heinous crimes in my homeland”. Present at a large congress, the young man in the colony did not lose his composure but still proactively expressed his honest and profound ideas.

Also during this period, when reading “The First Draft of Theses on the National and Colonial Questions” by VI Lenin, that young revolutionary found the way to save the country: “How moved, excited, enlightened, and confident the Theses made me! I was so moved that I cried. Sitting alone in my room, I spoke loudly as if speaking before a large crowd: “My suffering and exiled compatriots, this is what we need, this is the path to our liberation.” Those were the thoughts that marked a fundamental turning point in Nguyen Ai Quoc’s political awareness, carrying with them the atmosphere, breath, and aspirations of the entire nation. That was a special moment when the author expressed himself fully and created special impressions of content and language.

There are also many other major arguments that the author has left a unique personal mark on. First of all, the letter “Respectfully reported to compatriots”,Written on June 6, 1941, signed by Nguyen Ai Quoc, highlighted the characteristics of the times. That was when the enemy's power was in decline, so they were even more ferocious. The uprisings in Nam Ky, Bac Son, and Do Luong, following the tradition of their predecessors Hoang Hoa Tham and Phan Dinh Phung, were drowned in a pool of blood. But this was also the opportunity for liberation, so the author called on all people to unite: "Dear compatriots! Saving the country is a common task. Every Vietnamese must shoulder a part of the responsibility: those who have money contribute money, those who have property contribute property, those who have strength contribute strength, those who have talent contribute talent. As for me, I would like to devote all my heart and soul to go with you, for my compatriots to gain freedom and independence, even if I have to sacrifice my life."

Nguyen Ai Quoc's letter was a call for the entire people to awaken and unite to kill the enemy. The letter was like a prediction of the great social movements that were about to happen both at home and abroad. The letter emphasized the element of opportunity, analyzed the correlation of forces between us and the enemy, and affirmed our strength: "The time of liberation has come. Let's raise high the flag of independence, lead the entire people to defeat the common enemy."

The August Revolution succeeded, with the position of President, his position was a high position, his words were orders, his thoughts were strategic guidance. However, we still met a sincere, close self, devoted to the people and the country. For decades, the people of the South lived under the rule of the US puppets, had to endure the situation of boiling water and fire. Understanding that situation, he always reserved the warmest feelings for the South: "The image of the South is always in my heart".

And in the last days of his life, he still had deep ideas and feelings about the people and the nation, especially the people of the South:

“In South Vietnam, people under 25 years old do not know the meaning of the wordFree.Each person, each family has their own suffering and the combined sufferings of each person and each family become my suffering.

Thus, between me and life is one, I am a fraction, or a multiple of the common life when the individual has completely harmonized and devoted himself to the common life. He affirmed: I dedicate my whole life to my people.

It is a sacred, noble life for the people and the country.

Ho Chi Minh's journalism often revealed a cheerful and witty ego. Before the August Revolution, Ho Chi Minh's literary style was full of satire and irony. Through the pages of "The Verdict of the French Colonial Regime" and essays discussing the so-called French colonial justice in Indochina, journalist Ho Chi Minh proved to be an excellent satirical and ironic writer. The satirical and ironic style is a quality and characteristic of Ho Chi Minh, expressed in all his poetry, short stories and political writings. In many political writings, he directly attacked French colonialism with strong, sharp, rich and convincing satirical blows, profound and sophisticated ideas, and a sarcastic smile, both of an oppressed person and of a person who grasped justice. Satire and irony became Ho Chi Minh's familiar writing style to attack the enemy. From French colonialism to the natives, to the French colonialists, then the American imperialists... for over half a century, the enemy has always appeared, restrained, surrounded, and invaded our country. His pen, under many pen names from Nguyen Ai Quoc to Chien Si, Tran Luc, CB, D.X., etc., has always been proactive in attacking the enemy. Since the August Revolution, in his position as President, he did not use satire and satire in familiar ways, but mainly debated with the heads of the French and American states, directly criticizing the invasion plots and crimes of the enemy. As for the people, he rarely used satirical and satirical language. He often revealed a cheerful and witty side when talking to the masses. One can find in him,Along with an intelligent, steadfast, and strong personality is a benevolent, cheerful smile, which easily creates an atmosphere of solidarity and harmony among people. If it is a critical opinion, the listener will easily accept it. If it is a humorous smile, everything will be easier to get along with. In a conversation with a cadre of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, in a humorous, humorous but strict way, he criticized the drinking during meetings: “Although the practice of “partying and drinking” has decreased compared to before, it is still widespread. People have to pay money to feed the cadres but they themselves cannot eat; that means not helping the cadres to “live forever”. In one place that Uncle visited, the cadres slaughtered a whole cow and said that it was to “entertain President Ho”; so they “ate” President Ho. We must actively correct this”.

In the reply to comrade Martha Rohat - reporter of the newspaperGranma(Cuba), He has a very humorous way of speaking, which is easy to penetrate people's hearts and creates very specific educational effects: "Currently, women are doing tasks and maintaining leadership positions that they have never held before. We can meet many women who are currently heads of cooperatives. Do you know, women are even more effective than men, because when men achieve achievements in work, they often organize parties, drink, and sometimes spend more than the extra money they have earned. Women do not do such things.

Don't tell the men what I just said, but women really do work very well."

It can be said that in his writings, Ho Chi Minh paid great attention to the subjects he wrote to, the people he was talking to, and had an appropriate way of behaving. It can be said that he respected the cultural behavior in his writings and speeches, but did not fall into formality or mannerism. Being friendly and close while still following the rules of cultural behavior created a unique appeal and charm for his writings.

Through thousands of articles, the identity and mark of the creative subject can be revealed in many ways. Sometimes it is the direct words of the author. But more commonly and comprehensively, the characteristics of the author's thinking, method, style, language... are deeply imbued in the articles. Chairman Pham Van Dong commented:

On Ho Chi Minh's thinking: "The outstanding feature in Ho Chi Minh's theoretical thinking is the systematic viewpoint" and "an extremely important thing to emphasize is the style, the response that matches historical developments".

On the theory of human beings: "In Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary thesis, the center is the thesis of human beings", "communist humanism" and in the practice of directing the revolution is "trusting in the people, relying on the people, nurturing the people's strength, promoting the people's capacity", "Ho Chi Minh's human qualities are Vietnamese qualities, revolutionary qualities, communist qualities, humanistic qualities...".

Regarding methodology: “Ho Chi Minh made theory come alive in practice and made practice imbued with theory”. Ho Chi Minh was a theorist and practitioner of Marxism-Leninism. The above qualities and characteristics are revealed at different levels through his works, contributing to creating Ho Chi Minh’s identity and mark through his writings.

The identity and mark of the creative subject are not closed or only concentrated in one individual journalist Ho Chi Minh, but are a common example that can and has been replicated in many revolutionary journalists.