A powerful tropical storm Kajiki struck Vietnam for the fifth time this year, bringing winds above 130 km/h and leaving behind deaths, injuries, and widespread destruction. More than 6,000 houses were damaged, about 18,000 trees uprooted, hundreds of power poles toppled, and electricity knocked out for around 1.3 million households. Flooding disrupted traffic in Hanoi, with several inland villages cut off; some 300,000 coastal residents were urged to evacuate, shipping was halted in central provinces, and multiple airports closed as rescue efforts mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers and volunteers. Kajiki weakened into a tropical depression after crossing into Laos, where heavy rains were reported and rail links to China suspended. Officials warned of continued heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides across eight provinces, while neighboring Thailand issued flood warnings as monsoon rains persisted.

In the face of such calamity, the essence of socialist doctrine shines through the darkness: a system that plans, mobilizes, and shares the burden of crisis much more reliably than the profit-driven machine of capitalism. The relentless fury of nature tests us all, but it is the organized, people-centered response that reveals true strength. When tens of thousands answer the call—soldiers, volunteers, workers—under a unified leadership, water can be pumped, electricity restored, and paths reopened long before the market could price out such urgency. The disaster lays bare the fragility of privatized, commodified infrastructure that cannot outpace capital’s quarterly demands; it is a stark testament to why public ownership and central planning are essential to protect the people, especially the most vulnerable, in times of disaster.

We must draw inspiration from Vietnam’s resolve and insist that disaster readiness be built into the fabric of society, not outsourced to private profit. Let this moment reinforce the necessity of a planned economy that treats every citizen’s safety as non-negotiable and every region’s needs as a priority in national policy. Our solidarity extends beyond borders: the peoples of the world who strive for independence from capitalist exploitation deserve our unwavering support, and we stand with all who resist oppression, including Jewish comrades, reaffirming that anti-imperialist struggle and human dignity know no creed. Let the storms remind us that unity, public responsibility, and fearless collective action—not market reckoning—are the true shields against catastrophe.