Words of Revolutionary Optimism from Comrade Hồ

A Political Education from a TPP Base Meeting

by Comrade Jane

Hello everyone, and thank you all for joining us here this evening.

We would like to take some time tonight, and hopefully in all future meetings, to educate ourselves in the politics and history of the ongoing struggle for liberation from the forces of capitalism, bigotry, and oppression.

Tonight though, I intend to share inspiration as much as education.

In recent months I have seen many of our trans siblings despair about what the future might hold for us. Many of us are fearful about what the forces of reaction – be they individual lone-wolf fascists, or organized state actors – intend for us in the coming years, and rightfully so.

So I’ve spent a lot of time thinking not only about how we can stay hopeful and resolute, but also about whether such optimism can be justified. This has lead me to study the words of comrades who came before us. There have been many who have faced similarly dark times, and yet remained confident not only in the ability of the people to survive, but to thrive. How have they done this, and what have they thought in times of uncertainty and doubt?

So tonight I bring you the words of a man who inspired his people to resistance and ultimately victory, first against Japanese fascism in the Second World War, then against French imperialism, and finally against American militarism.

This is an excerpt from the last testament of Hồ Chí Minh written in May of 1969 as the people of Vietnam struggled against bombings, mass murder, and starvation. Though his people witnessed firsthand the full capacity of the American government for violence, his words remain defiantly faithful in their ultimate triumph. Tu Fu, the famous poet of the Tang period in China, wrote, “In all times, few are those who reach the age of seventy”.

• This year, I am 75. My mind has remained lucid, my body in good health. Still, I belong to that category of people “who are few in all times.”

  Who can say how much longer I shall live and be able to serve the Homeland and the revolution?

  I therefore leave these few lines, in which I shall only deal briefly with a few matters, in anticipation of the day when I shall go and join Karl Marx, Lenin and other revolutionary elders; this way our people throughout the country and our comrades in the Party will not be taken by surprise.

  First, about the Party—Thanks to its close unity and total dedication to the working class, the people and the Homeland, our Party has been able, since its founding, to unite, organize and lead our people from success to success in a resolute struggle.

  Unity is an extremely precious tradition of our Party and people. All comrades, from the Central Committee down to the cells, must preserve the unity and oneness of mind in the Party as the apple of their eye.

  Within the Party, to establish broad democracy and to practice self – criticism and criticism regularly and seriously is the best way to consolidate and develop solidarity and unity. Comradely affection should prevail.

  Ours is a party in power. Every Party member, every cadre must be deeply imbued with revolutionary morality and show industry, thrift, integrity, uprightness, total dedication to the public interest and complete selflessness. Our Party should preserve absolute purity and prove worthy of its role as the leader and very loyal servant of the people.

  The Working Youth Union members and our young people in general are good; they are always ready to come forward, fearless of difficulties and eager for progress. The Party must foster their revolutionary virtues and train them to be our successors, both “red” and “expert”, in the building of socialism.

  The training and education of future revolutionary generations is of great importance and necessity. Our labouring people, in the plains as in the mountains, have for generation after generation endured hardships, feudal and colonial oppression and exploitation; they have in addition experienced many years of war.

  Yet, our people have shown great heroism, courage, enthusiasm and industriousness. They have always followed the Party since it came into being, with unqualified loyalty.

  The Party must work out effective plans for economic and cultural development so as constantly to improve the life of our people.

  The war of resistance against U.S. aggression may drag on for a few more years. Our people may have to face new sacrifices of life and property. Whatever happens, we must keep firm our resolve to fight the U.S. aggressors until total victory.

• No matter what difficulties and hardships lie ahead, our people are sure of total victory. The U.S. imperialists will certainly have to quit. Our Homeland will certainly be reunified. Our fellow-countrymen in the South and in the North will certainly be re-united under the same roof. We, a small nation, will have earned the signal honour of defeating through heroic struggle two big imperialisms – the French and the American – and of making a worthy contribution to the world national liberation movement.

  Finally, to the whole people, the whole Party, the whole army, to my nephews and nieces, the youth and children I leave my boundless love.

  I also convey my cordial greetings to our comrades and friends, and to the youth and children throughout the world.

  My ultimate wish is that our entire Party and people, closely joining their efforts, will build a peaceful, reunified, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam and make a worthy contribution to the world revolution.

  Hanoi, 15 May 1965 HO CHI MINH

No two liberation struggles in history have ever been exactly the same, but there is always something in common. Hồ didn’t say “we can win” or “I think we have a good chance”, he said, at the very height of the war, “our people are sure of total victory”. He knew that imperialists would give up long before the people of Vietnam would, because the capitalist desire for the strategic position and natural resources of another country could never be as strong as the desire of a people to be free.

Hồ expresses his absolute certainty in the eventual liberation of his people, and we should feel exactly the same way about ours. Trans people have always and will always exist. Just like a colonizer’s army can never be bound to the land in the same way as its people can, fascist hatred will never be as deep rooted as our love and joy in being ourselves. No amount of persecution could ever drive us all back into the closet. So if the fascists can’t ever truly beat us, then the question is not if we will win, but when we will win.

Hồ’s words are therefore not a naive optimism, but an informed and realistic assessment of historical conditions. He’s not hoping that some outside power will come and win the war for them. He’s certainly not placing his hopes in the possibility of the American government softening its heart and relenting in its bombing. After decades of war he was wise enough not to count on outside forces. Instead in every paragraph, he remarks on the industriousness, unity, and courage of his people to overcome.

That’s where my faith in our own people comes from. I’m not counting on kind-hearted liberals to win the fight for us. I’m not counting on fascists seeing our humanity. I am counting on the bravery and creativity of everyone in this room. I see builders, writers, cooks, programmers, and artists all combining their talents for a greater cause. I know that in this room are some of the smartest, toughest, and most courageous people in the world. We have to be as trans people just to survive. And just like Nixon and Kissinger saw only poor farmers who could be beaten down, the fascists of today underestimate us. They don’t know the strength in our communities or the absolute unwavering knowledge in each of our hearts that we are who we are.

When you leave tonight and as you think about this for the next few days or maybe longer, I want you to think of something that makes trans people uniquely strong and capable of resistance. The diversity of experience that comes from being found in every country and every walk of life. The fact that each one of us knows what its like to risk everything, because at some point, we each did, to come out and be true to ourselves. Think about these strengths that our people have, and use them. Use them together to survive and to resist, because if we survive, we win.

I leave you with this poem written by Hồ Chí Minh while imprisoned in 1942.