Do you think this article is misleading? And questions

[Blackbird123]

So a friend and I were having a debate over the Internet involving if a country has ever been communist. I said no and my friend said yes. He used this website (geography.about.com/od/lists/tp/communistcountries.htm)as proof that there were communist countires and how the website is worded and his general background of knowledge of ideologies (Which is small), I couldn't blame him for coming to that conculsion.
I have contacted the author of this article to show that this arcile is misleading and incorrect but he hasn't replied yet. I also see a lot of articles that say the same thing.
I know about both red scares and how it emblazed a picture of communism into the minds that is not true but I would like your guys opinion.
It has been 20 years since the end of the cold war. The propaganda techniques used during that time still show on amercians.
Why do people still think that there has been communist countires?
What are the benifets of the US government form parroting the lie that there has ever been communist countires?

[Questionable]

If by "communist," you mean a stateless, classless post-scarcity society, no, no such society has ever existed. A lot of people use "communist" to describe the USSR and whatnot because they simply don't know the difference (And let's be honest, a lot of Soviet officials described themselves as that as well). They're the same types who will say communism is a totalitarian government that forces everyone to be equal in everything ever.

The US government has everything to benefit from blurring the history of the Soviet Union. If nobody knows what truly happened, you can convince them of anything. They want to be able to say, "See? All those communist countries failed. That proves it's a waste of time to even try," without actually saying why they failed.

[The Idler]

K4Tq4VE8eHQ

[Blackbird123]

They're the same types who will say communism is a totalitarian government that forces everyone to be equal in everything ever.

That is funny, that is the same definition my civics textbook said communism is.....or pretty much anyway.
Mcarthy and Hoover took a toll on our cause in America huh?

[Blake's Baby]

If 'communism' is the same as 'whatever a party called Communist does' then that means by the same token, that 'democracy' must mean 'whatever a party called Democratic does'. I'm sure your friend will get the point that the name of a party doesn't necessarily tell one very much about the system of government or economy that the country has. Unless he wants to define 'democracy' as 'whatever Barak Obama decides to do'.

[Blackbird123]

If 'communism' is the same as 'whatever a party called Communist does' then that means by the same token, that 'democracy' must mean 'whatever a party called Democratic does'. I'm sure your friend will get the point that the name of a party doesn't necessarily tell one very much about the system of government or economy that the country has. Unless he wants to define 'democracy' as 'whatever Barak Obama decides to do'.

I don't know he is pretty slow when it comes to this stuff like politics but I try to enlighten everyone I can if they ask anyway.Awake the proletarian masses if you will.