The problem I have with his comment, is the assertion that Westerners that labeled them. Westerners didn't label them. They labeled themselves. The assertion that they aren't communist in the textbook definition may be a point that can be debated, but to claim that "we" labeled them is a fallacy.
That's my whole point. They may not be "his" brand of communism, or they may not "fit" the ideological communism, but they claimed they were. This wasn't some ploy by the west to make us fearful of them.
"we" just played off of that name to inspire derision, and mistrust of anything based on that label. "we" then went even further, and pushed to create similar tensions with anything calling itself socialism.
That's my whole point. They may not be "his" brand of communism, or they may not "fit" the ideological communism, but they claimed they were. This wasn't some ploy by the west to make us fearful of them.
"we" just played off of that name to inspire derision, and mistrust of anything based on that label. "we" then went even further, and pushed to create similar tensions with anything calling itself socialism.
nobody ever slaughtered an entire school with a smart phone and a twitter account – they have, however, toppled governments. - Jim Wright