[readthenotes1]

"But in some corners of Hanoi, government officials still have exclusive access to special shops selling goods at subsidized rates. "

Surely in a communist government access would be equal to all? Why would there be elites?

[vkou]

You'll be really shocked to discover that in the Soviet Union, people also got different pay and company benefits and different retirement ages for doing different work.

[Mainan_Tagonist]

it's because it's not real communism.

[Muromec]

Believe it or not, but there were different quality grades of commieblocks. You can guess who got the ones from the first, more quality batch.