Norway is the most Socialist nation on earth

Marx was a great analyst, but he never gave us a formula for running a country…socialism is whatever bring happiness to the people

This chapter explores the central question: Is Vietnam transitioning out of socialism and/or transforming socialism? For decades, commentators have confidently predicted that Vietnam is transitioning out of socialism towards ‘market-Leninism’. This chapter argues that political, legal and economic changes have not entirely transformed the institutional structures and epistemic settings that supported socialism. Reforms changed some structures while leaving others relatively intact. Case studies considered in this chapter demonstrate striking continuities in the objectives and methods used by the party-state to govern the pre- and post-doi moi economies. They suggest that, rather than experiencing a linear transition out of socialism, Vietnam is undergoing a highly variegated and complex transformation of socialism.

The myth of Nordic socialism is partially created by a confusion between socialism, meaning government exerting control or ownership of businesses, and the welfare state in the form of government-provided social safety net programs. However, the left’s embrace of socialism is not merely a case of redefining a word. Simply look at the long-running affinity of leftists with socialist dictators in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela for proof many on the left long for real socialism.