The state of "pretending to be rude and reporting well" is a serious illness.

Dangerous consequences of the disease

In reality, there have been many very offensive incidents, typical of the disease of "acting nonsense, reporting well". There are localities that report their achievements to the superior leaders for inspection, "having reduced the poverty rate to a very proud number...", but when requesting the State to support the budget and capital, they report that the number of poverty and difficulties is much higher than the reality. A newly awarded enterprise with the title of hero, the following year was on the brink of bankruptcy due to internal strife, self-exposing shortcomings, and serious disunity. Or there is a director who has just been awarded a noble medal, but not long after that, the authorities have stepped in to inspect and check for violating the principles and regulations on financial spending. Recently, an official had his hero title revoked because of dishonest reporting of achievements, deliberately claiming achievements that were not his own... These are typical examples of the situation of "acting nonsense, reporting well".

Illustration: QUANG CUONG

The disease of “doing wrong, reporting well” leads to many harmful consequences. Organizations and individuals who “do wrong, reporting well” do everything just for achievements, are willing to do lies to be praised. They deliberately report falsely, report twice, exaggerate results, exaggerate achievements higher than what they actually did, even if they cannot do the work, they still report false results and exaggerated achievements. Some others (especially those with positions and power) use public funds and in the name of the collective to make a fuss, turning the achievements of agencies, units, and localities into personal achievements. The disease of being obsessed with achievements creates hundreds of harmful effects in the lives of cadres and party members today. The consequences are moral corruption, turning people into individualists, causing internal disunity, always being skeptical, jealous, envious, afraid of others, other organizations better than oneself, so always looking for ways to stand above others, but pushing responsibility to others... while the achievements they have are virtual achievements, fake prestige. This is the root cause of losing democracy, causing loss of trust among cadres, party members, and the masses.

More dangerously, because of their achievements, they deliberately hide their shortcomings by “drawing” their own achievements, reporting falsely, and even using tricks to deceive their superiors and the public. Because of their achievements, they hate those who expose and name their limitations and shortcomings. They use fake achievements to hide their shortcomings, polish their reputation, create fake prestige, and act as a front to advance and consolidate their position and power.

In the work “Reforming the way of working” (October 1947), under the pen name XYZ, President Ho Chi Minh seriously criticized and reminded about the habit of false reporting, a cover for frivolous work. He pointed out: “...false reporting. Little success, then almost revealed a lot. As for shortcomings, hide them, do not mention them” ⁽¹⁾ . He severely pointed out the disease: “Doing things for the sake of doing them. Doing little, then almost revealed a lot, to make a report to look impressive, but when examined closely, it is empty” ⁽²⁾ . In essence, his teaching is a warning about the dangers of dishonest reporting, “doing lies, reporting well”. It is a very dangerous disease. The consequence is that “superiors do not understand the situation clearly and set the right policy”. Uncle Ho’s reminder and warning about the disease of false reporting, false reporting nearly eighty years ago still holds true today.

Need to resolutely fight and eliminate

The disease of "acting nonsense, reporting well" has been pointed out by the Resolution of the 4th Central Committee, Session XII of the Party as one of the manifestations of moral and lifestyle degradation: Suffering from the disease of achievements, being greedy for fame, showing off, hiding shortcomings, exaggerating achievements, polishing one's name; liking to be praised and praised; "running for achievements", "running for rewards", "running for titles"... The disease of "acting nonsense, reporting well", and being fond of achievements to hide shortcomings has been causing serious consequences, causing internal disunity, loss of trust leading to the destruction of the prestige and honor of individuals and the strength of organizations. Furthermore, it also damages the Party, the State and the regime. Therefore, Party committees and organizations at all levels need to resolutely fight and eliminate the situation of "acting nonsense, reporting well" to hide shortcomings; in which, focusing on the following basic contents:

Each Party Committee, organization, cadre and Party member needs to continue to thoroughly grasp the Resolution of the 4th Central Committee, 12th tenure on Party building and rectification and Conclusion No. 01-KL/TW dated May 18, 2021 of the Politburo on continuing to implement Directive No. 05-CT/TW dated May 15, 2016 of the 12th Politburo "On promoting the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle"; organize and strictly maintain the Party's activities of agencies, units and localities in accordance with the principles of democratic centralism and strong and thorough self-criticism and criticism. Party Committees and Party cells need to develop regulations on self-criticism and criticism, overcome the situation of being respectful, avoiding, afraid of conflicts and protect people who are straightforward and dare to fight; at the same time, have specific measures to innovate the form and content of periodic and thematic Party activities, constantly improving the quality of Party cell activities. This is one of the effective measures to educate revolutionary ethics for cadres and party members in particular and to build and rectify the Party in general, contributing to strengthening the Party's fighting strength. According to President Ho Chi Minh, when Party activities are organized with quality and efficiency, all lies of cadres and party members will be exposed to light, there will be no shady acts of self-interest, no phenomenon of "doing wrong things but reporting well". Pay attention to cross-inspection within agencies, units and localities to improve the quality of commendation appraisal work. Annually or periodically, agencies, units and localities need to have close coordination between inspection, examination, appraisal and evaluation of commendation results. Focus on promoting the detection and elimination of individuals and groups that fabricate, inflate and polish achievements. Through inspection and examination work, it is discovered and eliminated from the team those cadres and party members who intentionally "run" for achievements and are greedy for fame.

Party committees and organizations at all levels need to focus on expanding democracy, promoting the supervisory power of socio-political organizations and the masses in all work. Because expanding democracy will help detect the plots and tricks of opportunistic, fame-seeking, morally degraded cadres and party members. This helps agencies, units, and localities avoid taking advantage of the masses to create factions and cliques, and lack of honesty in emulation and reward work. Along with that, it is necessary to promote the exemplary role of "diligence, thrift, integrity, uprightness, impartiality" in the performance of public duties of cadres and party members, especially the heads of Party committees, chairmen, and managers of agencies, units, and localities. Currently, there is a reality that many grassroots party organizations have not concretized resolutions into practical leadership tasks. It is common to see the phenomenon of building leadership regulations in one way but implementing them in another way; There is even a phenomenon of copying leadership regulations just for reporting.

Strengthen education , improve self-respect, sense of integrity, honesty for cadres and party members in life, study and work; resolutely say "no" to concealing shortcomings and exaggerating achievements. In fact, these are also acts of spiritual exploitation, eroding the moral qualities of revolutionaries. Accordingly, competent agencies and those working in emulation and commendation need to uphold the sense of responsibility, public ethics, ensure objectivity, impartiality and accuracy in reviewing and evaluating commendation proposals. Proactively identify, detect and promptly prevent and strictly handle cases of individuals and organizations with deviant motives, behaviors and dishonesty in emulation and commendation activities. On the other hand, it is necessary to tighten the process and procedures for commendation appraisal records to ensure substance.

Achievements and rewards are things that should be done, very beautiful and very meaningful. Achievements are one of the driving forces that urge each individual and collective to strive to constantly grow and progress. However, "acting falsely and reporting well" to cover up shortcomings is the enemy of real achievements and real rewards. Therefore, the responsibility of each cadre, party member and the masses is to resolutely criticize and eliminate this disease.

Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. DO NGOC HANH, Deputy Head of the Department of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy, Political Officer School

(1). Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, volume 5, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2011, p.341.

(2). Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, volume 5, op. cit., p. 297.