There are presently five countries that operate under a communist state system...

[kentuck]

...with a single Communist Party.

They are China, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea, and Cuba.

Cuba? Communist?

Is this part of a larger narrative? A communist is bad so they can be taken over. Is this the run-up to his military takeover of Cuba?

[usonian]

1. This is street politics, not Graduate School of Diplomacy studies.

It's a dogwhistle.

When one says, and most here agree: "Never underestimate the stupidity of voters", it's as "meaningful" as

welfare mother
soft on crime
Broken windows
unfit for duty
worldwide Democrat pedo abduction ring
(unprintable)

In politics, things "MEAN" what the propaganda machine says they mean.
It doesn't really mean countries. It means his enemies in the U.S.

Better to fight back with counter-propaganda than run to the dictionary.

Did anyone miss the statement "Never underestimate the stupidity of voters"?

[Stacey Grove]

13. Damn straight

You have a gift for distilling issues to basic reality.

[dalton99a]

2. And almost all of those people have universal health coverage

(not sure about the number for Laos)

[indusurb]

3. And China, Vietnam Laos and Cuba are, to a greater or lesser extent, communist in name only.

Each has opened up, to one degree or another, a market economy complete with private profit.

[dalton99a]

4. And they periodically execute rapacious billionaires

Money does not guarantee power in China or Vietnam

[kentuck]

5. Probably out of necessity?

The people want certain things that they cannot get from a communist system. When the USSR collapsed, that was more or less the end of communism as we have known it.

[rampartd]

6. well, yes

and by calling us commies he can denaturalize and worse as aid and comfort to cuban commies.

[gab13by13]

7. The #1 reason for calling us commies

is portrayed in a huge billboard on Rt. 28 in Pa. on my way to visit my daughter.

The billboard reads; to paraphrase; We work so Democrats don't have to.

Magats believe that their taxes go to pay for Democrats welfare and Medicaid and food stamps.

The problem is that more Magats are on welfare than Democrats.

[DFW]

8. Ask any Republican what communism is

The percentage of Republicans that could give a coherent answer is 1.) over 1% 2.) under 1%. 3.) not far from either, in any case. Pick a card, any card.

They sure know they don’t like it, too bad they have no earthly clue just what it is that they dislike so intensely.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. None of those are true communist countries by textbook definition.

[Grins]

10. But the only true Communist state is Cuba.

The others mentioned are "communist," but a modified communism to accommodate economic growth.

[EX500rider]

11. I think N Korea would count, the state owns everything there

[kentuck]

12. But, doesn't Trump love North Korea?

..and its leader?

[EX500rider]

14. I'm just responding to the statement Cuba is the only communist of the bunch

I think they have even less free enterprise than Cuba does