[WikiEN-l] Please, no more personal attacks

[Jimmy Wales]

jlk7e at juno.com wrote:
> The idea of the Communist state page, as I understand it, is that
>there is a particular type of governmental system called a "Communist
>state", practiced in the USSR, its satellites, the PRC, etc. etc.
>This governmental system is characterized by certain things, such as
>the entwining of the state with the Communist party, and the embrace
>of Marxist-Leninist ideology.  Political scientists use the term
>"Communist state" to refer to this type of governmental system.  I
>believe this is the argument that was put forth by jtd, 172, and
>others (although they should correct me if I'm mischaracterizing
>them).

It sounds like the title should be "Definining characteristics of a
communist state" or some such, then, to alleviate the ambiguity.
These are the necessary and sufficient conditions for a state to be
called a communist state.

Things like 'suppression of dissent' happen in some kinds of
non-Communist states, so even thought it's true that communist states
have a track record in this area, it is not a defining characteristic.

Calling the articles "Communist state" versus "Communist government"
is probably not helpful in preventing the kinds of controversies we
have seen.

--Jimbo