Nouveau riche showing off their wealth!

(Baonghean) - In recent years, stories of high-ranking officials building excessively large and luxurious houses have stirred public opinion nationwide. Initially, it was the "mansion" of a leader in a mountainous province and another in the Red River Delta. Then came the magnificent villa of a retired high-ranking inspector in Ben Tre. And most recently, an elaborately designed villa on a 1,500m2 plot of land belongs to the former Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of a famous midland province known for assembling cars and motorcycles, near Hanoi. Leaving aside the current salaries of officials and civil servants, where do they get the money to build such large, beautiful houses like castles, since this is the responsibility of the internal affairs agencies? The only question is, what is the purpose of building such oversized houses?

Raising such a question seems redundant. After all, houses are built for living in. The bigger, more beautiful, and more spacious the house, the more enjoyable it is to live in. And it seems everyone wants to live in a big, beautiful house because, besides its practical value, its size and beauty also reflect the owner's status, extravagance, success, and wealth. The point is, if the owners of these magnificent, opulent buildings were ordinary citizens or successful businesspeople, that would be something to celebrate. It's something to be happy about and something to be praised and encouraged, inspiring others to strive and work hard to achieve similar success. Sadly, however, these are the owners of those considered "public servants." And their behavior is incomprehensible. Because, from every perspective, such ostentatious behavior has very negative consequences. If the goal is to assert achievement, it's unnecessary because the position they hold already speaks volumes. Furthermore, achievement isn't solely determined by the position and responsibilities assigned, but also by what they've truly accomplished that benefits the nation and its people. To earn recognition and praise from the people, such self-affirmation lacks humility and demonstrates a desire for personal gain. This is incompatible with the character and conduct of a revolutionary cadre.

But showing off one's status or extravagance is really not advisable, especially when the lives of the majority of the population are still...There are many difficulties. Many poor laborers still struggle to make ends meet. Yet, those who claim to be "servants of the people" live in such lavish luxury, which is extremely offensive and creates a stark contrast. This distance further widens the gap between officials and the people. Furthermore, flaunting wealth raises questions about what they do and where their money comes from. Besides being officials, they don't have any other side jobs. Their inherited wealth is certainly not that much, as most of our officials come from working-class or peasant backgrounds.

They don't raise pigs, grow vegetables, produce goods, or engage in any business or trade. Living solely on their salaries, yet they're so wealthy—there's only one explanation. Most people speculate that it's the transformation of public property into private property, and the acceptance of gifts beyond mere sentiment. Even without concrete evidence, it's impossible to deny people's belief when they see these excessively opulent buildings. And so, every time a large house belonging to an official springs up, the people's trust in the "public servants" erodes a little, accompanied by a profound sadness and deep disappointment.

Therefore, the fact that government officials, whether currently in office or retired, build excessively large and luxurious houses that are disproportionate to their income level provokes negative reactions from the public and the people. This is an act of lacking awareness of maintaining a positive image for themselves and their organization, and a lack of foresight. It could also be a case of ill-considered thinking, leading them to flaunt their wealth and status without understanding the consequences. If so, it's no different from a nouveau riche showing off their wealth. According to the Vietnamese dictionary, a nouveau riche is someone who is rich but ignorant.

Duy Huong