In search of a path for the advance of our nation
The writer starts with certain famous sentences of Friedrich List:
"In the science of economics, theory and practice are virtually divorced from one another -- to the detriment of both. Economists condemn practical men as mere followers of routine who fail to appreciate either the truth or the grandeur of the doctrines enunciated by economists. Practical men, on the other hand, regard economists as mere doctrinaires who ignore the facts of life and inhabit a dream world of economic theories that exists only in their imagination".
(Friedrich List: The Natural System of Political Economy, 1837).
And another famous paragraph by John Maynard Keynes:
"It is not a correct deduction from the Principles of Economics that enlightened self-interest always operates in the public interest... Many of the greatest economic evils of our time are the fruits of risk, uncertainty, and ignorance. It is because peculiar individuals fortunate in situation or abilities, are able to take advantage of uncertainty or ignorance, and also because for the same reason, big business is often a lottery, that great inequalities of wealth come about; and these same factors are also the cause of the unemployment of labor, or the disappointment of reasonable business expectations, and
the impairment of efficiency and production. Yet the cure lies outside the operation of individuals. It may even be to the interests of individuals to aggrevate the disease".
(John Maynard Keynes: The End of Laissez-Faire, 1926)
Karl Polanyi, a great writer, has another point of view:
"The idea of a self-adjusting market implied a stark utopia. Such an institution could not exist for any length of time without annihilating the human and material substance of society... To allow the market mechanism to be the sole director of the fate of human beings and their natural environment, indeed, even of the amount and use of purchasing power, would result in the demolition of society"
(Karl Polanya, the Great Transformation, 1944)
What destination is the world aiming to? What progressive trend has humankind adopted in today's world?
Should Vietnam move to the world's main stream or should it find a separate path?
Why were the French colonists driven away a half century ago, the Americans and the Saigon government out almost 30 years, most Vietnamese are still very poor today?
Why are the group of rulers so rich, in the meantime the masses so poor ?
To find the answers to these questions, the writer will study the moving path of humankind that has taken place in the new era.
The quoted paragraphs above are only some introductory notes to an extremely difficult task of development...
Hach Cao Nguyen
VNI
Soaïn giaû môû ñaàu baèng maáy caâu noåi tieáng cuûa Friedrich List:
"Trong khoa kinh teá hoïc, lyù thuyeát vaø thöïc haønh gaàn nhö hoaøn toaøn caùch bieät -
khieán cho caû lyù thuyeát vaø thöïc haønh ñeàu bò thieät. Lyù thuyeát gia chæ trích ngöôøi
thöïc haønh laø chæ bieát theo thoùi quen cuûa veát xe cuõ neân khoâng thöôûng thöùc ñöôïc
söï thaät hay laø khiaù caïnh cao caû cuûa caùc lyù thuyeát do kinh teá gia dieãn giaûng. Nhöng
ngöôøi thöïc thi kinh teá laïi nghó raèng caùc kinh teá gia chæ chuyeân moân veà lyù thuyeát
neân khoâng bieát gì veà söï thaät cuûa cuoäc soáng; hoï vuøng vaãy trong söï mô töôûng cuûa
caùc lyù thuyeát kinh teá maø trí töôûng töôïng cuûa hoï ñaõ taïo ra."
Nguyeân vaên nhö sau:
"In the science of economics, theory and practice are virtually divorced from one another -- to the detriment of both. Economists condemn practical men as mere followers of routine who fail to appreciate either the truth or the grandeur of the doctrines enunciated by economists. Practical men, on the other hand, regard economists as mere doctrinaires who ignore the facts of life and inhabit a dream world of economic theories that exists only in their imagination". (Friedrich List: The Natural System of Political Economy, 1837).
Vaø sau ñaây laø moät ñoaïn vaên noåi tieáng khaùc cuûa John Maynard Keynes:
"Töø cuoán saùch coå ñieån Principles of Economics, nhieàu ngöôøi ñaõ suy luaän sai laàm laø
khi quyeàn lôïi tö kyû ñöôïc suy ñoaùn moät caùch saùng suoát thì bao giôø noù cuõng phuø
hôïp vôùi quyeàn lôïi chung. Nhieàu cuoäc suy traàm kinh teá khuûng khieáp cuûa thôøi ñaïi
hoaøng kim laø keát quaû cuûa ruûi may, baát traéc vaø baát tri. Chính vì coù moät soá caù
nhaân ñaëc bieät, gaëp tình theá may maén hoaëc coù khaû naêng vöôït chuùng, ñuû söùc suy
ñoaùn ñeå xeùt roõ trong nhöõng tröôøng hôïp baát traéc hoaëc toái taêm, vaø cuõng vì caùc
cuoäc ñaïi kinh doanh nhieàu khi chaúng khaùc gì moät cuoäc xoå soá, neân môùi coù nhöõng
keû giaøu ngöôøi ngheøo caùch bieät nhau quùa xa. Vaø caùc yeáu toá ñoù cuõng laø nguyeân
do ñöa tôùi nhaân coâng thieåu duïng, vaø noù cuõng gaây thaát baïi cho nhieàu cuoäc kinh
doanh ñaõ ñöôïc khaûo cöùu kyõ löôõng, noù khieán cho khaû naêng saûn xuaát hôïp lyù vaø
keát quaû thöïc teá nhieàu khi khoâng ñi ñoâi. Nhöng khoâng caù nhaân naøo ñuû khaû naêng
giaûi quyeát caùc vaán ñeà ñoù; nhieàu khi quyeàn lôïi caù nhaân xuùi duïc ngöôøi ta coá laøm
taêng caên beänh"
("It is not a correct deduction from the Principles of Economics that enlightened self-interest always operates in the public interest... Many of the greatest economic evils of our time are the fruits of risk, uncertainty, and ignorance. It is because peculiar individuals fortunate in situation or abilities, are able to take advantage of uncertainty or ignorance, and also because for the same reason, big business is often a lottery, that great inequalities of wealth come about; and these same factors are also the cause of the unemployment of labor, or the disappointment of reasonable business expectations, and the impairment of efficiency and production. Yet the cure lies outside the operation of individuals. It may even be to the interests of individuals to aggrevate the disease")
(John Maynard Keynes: The End of Laissez-Faire, 1926)
Vaên haøo Karl Polanyi ñaõ coù moät nhaän xeùt khaùc:
"Quan nieäm raèng thò tröôøng töï ñoäng thích nghi laø moät aûo töôûng thoâ keäch. Moät
ñònh cheá nhö theá khoâng theå toàn taïi laâu daøi maø laïi khoâng huõy dieät tinh tuùy cuûa
xaõ hoäi caû veà nhaân phaåm laãn vaät chaát... Ñeå maëc cho guoàng maùy thò tröôøng ñoäc
chuyeân ñieàu khieån soá phaän cuûa nhaân loaïi vaø caû hoaøn caûnh chung quanh, ñieàu
khieån caû soá löôïng vaø caùch xöû duïng maõi löïc, taát ñi tôùi söï huõy hoaïi caû xaõ hoäi"
("The idea of a self-adjusting market implied a stark utopia. Such an institution could not
exist for any length of time without annihilating the human and material substance of
society... To allow the market mechanism to be the sole director of the fate of human
beings and their natural environment, indeed, even of the amount and use of purchasing
power, would result in the demolition of society")
(Karl Polanya, the Great Transformation, 1944)
Theá giôùi ñang ñi veà ñaâu? Traøo löu tieán hoùa cuûa nhaân loaïi ñang theo chieàu
höôùng naøo?
Vieät Nam theo chieàu höôùng chung hay laø tìm moät ñöôøng ñi rieâng reõ?
Taïi sao ñuoåi heát thöïc daân Phaùp ñaõ nöûa theá kyû roài, "Myõ cuùt, nguïy nhaøo" ñaõ
gaàn 30 naêm, maø ñaïi chuùng Vieät Nam vaãn ngheøo maït reäp?
Taïi sao nhoùm caàm quyeàn quaù giaøu coù, maø ñaïi chuùng laïi cöïc kyø ngheøo khoå?
Ñeå thöû tìm moät caâu traû lôøi, soaïn giaû seõ nghieân cöùu höôùng tieán hieän nay
cuûa nhaân loaïi.
Maáy ñoaïn vaên trích daãn treân ñaây chæ laø vaøi caâu daãn nhaäp cho moät baøi toaùn
quaù khoù khaên...
GS Nguyeãn Cao Haùch
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