How to expand the country's prosperity and happiness?

The official name of Vietnam is associated with the slogan "Independence - Freedom - Happiness," which represents the value system, the ultimate and lasting goal of all Vietnamese people at home and abroad. This is the journey, the driving force, and the most basic foundation to earn national prosperity and happiness.

To fuel the people’s aspiration to reform the country, the state must first express its desire, which must a great ambition, an iron will, an only choice to survive. That inspiration and determination were transmitted from the state to the people like the king's megaphone asking the people to sacrifice their interest to help the country in Vietnamese folk of Thanh Giong. Ph.D. Vu Minh Khuong focuses on that state’s megaphone in a recent interview with Vietnam Times.

The market economy is not only the most effective way to organize the economy nowadays, but also a driving force and a decisive factor in the form and structure of cultural, social, and political development of the human race. When properly perceived and regulated, its operation will create solidarity and cooperation, stimulate creativity, freedom of thought, and community responsibility, distribute benefits transparently and reasonably. If an advanced and rich culture is built, prosperity and happiness will come.

In the process of development, our nation created many respectable values, but true prosperity seems to be out of our grasp. Happiness only comes in each moment and often came after cost of a lot of pain and loss paid. However, this current time creates us all the fulfilled conditions to reach prosperity and happiness. This is the most special moment in the nation's history.

Dr. Le Duc Thinh, head of the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, believes the viewpoint that “the state must walk along with its people” is the key to achieve prosperity and happiness. The Vietnam Times spoke with the distingushed professor about his philosphy and his wishes for Vietnamese society.