Talk:Communist state

SOCIALIST STATE or HALF-STATE

in marxism there isn't State in communism. the transiction between capitalism and communism is called Socialist State (or semi-state/half-state). 2001:B07:6471:6C4A:EDEE:9BF3:8C29:91A8 (talk) 12:54, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

Seconded ~2025-35575-54 (talk) 03:07, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

This is for the term as used by western political theorists/historians analyzing them, it doesn't have much to do with maxism Sahib-e-Qiran, EasternShah 16:58, 27 February 2026 (UTC)

partisan

If, according to the article, term "communist state" is a partisan application of external observers, then why does the article adopt it? FourLights (talk) 14:13, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

Because communist states can self-identify as socialist state (communism), people's democratic states, national democratic states or, for example, proletarian states undergoing non-capitalist development (as the USSR did until the 1930s). Communist state is a catch all term; socialist state isn't. See List of communist states. TheUzbek (talk) 22:09, 31 August 2025 (UTC)

>undergoing noncapitalist development (as the USSR did until the 1930s)

They never abolished commodities nor currency, the USSR was never socialist. Liberals don't know a thing I swear 78.208.141.49 (talk) 20:01, 2 November 2025 (UTC)

Communist states are always totalitarian dictatorships. Slovojed Silabski (talk) 21:25, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 June 2026

all the listed "communist states' aren't communist nor socialist (though listing them as socialist would be a lot less misleading), they are dictatorships of the proletariat. Denotative communism is inherently decentralized

"In the 20th century, several communist states were established, first in Russia with the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then in portions of Eastern Europe, Asia, and a few other regions after World War II."

The USSR was never "communist" they were a dictatorship of the proletariat, Marx outlines the differences in critque of the gotha program ("Between capitalist and communist society there lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other. Corresponding to this is also a political transition period in which the state can be nothing but the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat.") and the Wikipedia article about the Dictatorship of the Proletariat also states how the USSR was not "communist" (and de facto every other so-called "communist state" as they all followed the same marxist-leninist/authleft ideologies) but rather a dictatorship of the proleteriat, or just socialist.

so please change "In the 20th century, several communist states were established, first in Russia with the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then in portions of Eastern Europe, Asia, and a few other regions after World War II."

to 

"in the 20th century, several socialist states were established, first in the Russian Empire with the Russian Revolution of 1917, and then in portions of Eastern Europe, Asia, and a few other reigons after World War II."

"communists believe all state formations are under the control of a ruling class. Communist states are no different, and the ruling communist party is defined as the vanguard party"

This makes it seem like a Vanguard party is inherent to Socialist states, which is just not true. Marx never advocated for a Vangaurd party, in fact he was against it. He used the term "vanguard" to refer to the most class conscious workers, but never explicitly wrote that a political organization composed of the most class-concious workers would lead a revoloution and subsequently take power of the state. The USSR very famously took heavy criticism because of the Vangaurd party and how many people literally said it betrayed actual Marxism.

so please change "communists believe all state formations are under the control of a ruling class. Communist states are no different, and the ruling communist party is defined as the vanguard party"

to

"Socialist states historically have been no different, and the ruling communist party would be defined as the Vangaurd party, however, this went against traditional Marxist beliefs."

The communist manifesto itself details how Marxism did not advocate for a top-down revolution and therefore disproving that "communist states are no different" they have been no different historically, but not inherently. ("The Communists do not form a separate party opposed to the other working-class parties. They have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole. They do not set up any sectarian principles of their own, by which to shape and mould the proletarian movement.")

Change "The repercussions of the collapse of these states contributed to political transformations in the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and several other non-European communist states."

to

"The repercussions of the collapse of these states contributed to political transformations in the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and several other non-European socialist states."

y'know while I'm reading through this I find it quite funny how a part literally says what I'm trying to say "Communist states usually affirm that the working class is the state's ruling class and that the most class-conscious workers lead the state through the communist party, establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat as its class system and, by extension, the socialist state" so basically this article continues to refer to these states as "communist" despite acknowledging that none of them are/were. It also hyperlinks to another article the explicitly refers to the USSR as socialist.

Im not sure if I have to individually type out each instance in this article where a socialist state is referred to as a "communist" one cause like I know you guys seem pretty serious about the "format it as change x to y" thing, but Im just gonna hope you make the requested changes and maybe also change every use of "communist, communism, communist state" in the context of irl applications (when referring to communist parties is fine tho) to "socialist, socialism, socialist state" 👀👀👀 Susiethegoat (talk) 23:01, 1 June 2026 (UTC)

 Not done – Some of the suggested changes are not worded in an encyclopedic manner. Regardless, even if they were, interpreting primary sources is original research, and I don't think you're talking about the same things as the article is. I don't think a communist would say they don't identify as a communist because we haven't achieved a communist society yet. For the same reason, I understand a communist party and a communist state to be "communist" in the sense that they're trying to achieve communism, not because they've actually reached a communist society. Yue🌙 (talk) 05:20, 2 June 2026 (UTC)

True. Left-leaning younger gens in the West confuse this all the time. They try to find an excuse by saying "Oh, that wasn't real communism!" These are communist states in the sense that they aim to achieve a communist society, and their entire central planning is organized around the doctrine of communism. Plain and simple. Don't try to redefine a term to mean what you want it to mean. ~2026-32767-39 (talk) 08:06, 2 June 2026 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 7 July 2026

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_state#Constitutional_supervision You forgot the DPRK (aka North Korea) ~2026-38617-12 (talk) 20:55, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

 Done Day Creature (talk) 21:22, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

Socialist or communist states are always totalitarian dictatorships, Wikipedia must be objective and always describe them as totalitarianisms. Slovojed Silabski (talk) 21:26, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

Not sure why you replied to me with this. Is there a specific change you are proposing to the article? Day Creature (talk) 21:33, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

I replied you firstly as a free man that I am.

Secondly, I just affirmed what, as far as I can see, is already mentioned in the article.

Have a wonderful day my Wiki brother from another side of the Globe! Slovojed Silabski (talk) 21:51, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

Removal of North Korea

North Korea is not a communist state at all ideologically anymore. They removed Marxism-Leninism from their constitution in 2009 and the state no longer makes any references to it whatsoever. Instead, the official narrative is that Marxism/communism, while right in many ways, is old and doesn't address things completely, which only the juche ideology does. Juche is the official ideology of North Korea, and when they say "socialism" they are referring to economics (whether or not it is actually socialist is up for debate and personal opinion).

This is why I think that North Korea should be removed from the map and no longer highlighted in red. Every other country listed is ideologically communist, but North Korea has very openly rejected communism. A compromise could be having a sub-section about North Korea that goes over the history and differentiates the ideology of juche. BlueOtaku8000 (talk) 19:10, 19 July 2026 (UTC)

I will also add this issue is present throughout the article. North Korea is not a "communist state" officially, even if some think it is. There are also people who think the United Kingdom is a socialist state, remember. BlueOtaku8000 (talk) 19:39, 19 July 2026 (UTC)

The Workers' Party of Korea does not adhere to Marxism–Leninism, but it does call itself a communist party once more under Kim Jong Un. I would not personally describe North Korea as a communist state using the definition in this article, which states in the first sentence that the government subscribes to Marxism–Leninism. Yue🌙 (talk) 20:27, 19 July 2026 (UTC)

I have since made edits to the article fixing the issue for the most part. However, I think the top attached picture also needs to be fixed by un-highlighting North Korea. BlueOtaku8000 (talk) 23:42, 19 July 2026 (UTC)

Or a compromise could be highlighting North Korea in orange instead. BlueOtaku8000 (talk) 23:42, 19 July 2026 (UTC)

@BlueOtaku8000 North Korea is communist . Cadres are still educated in M-L and the state is organized like a communist state.The other four also treat the DPRK as communist. TheUzbek (talk) 05:04, 21 July 2026 (UTC)

North Korea has not rejected communism. It still calls communism as its ultimate goal. Xi Jinping himself defined China and North Korea as "socialist countries led by communist parties" just last month. The Account 2 (talk) 20:41, 22 July 2026 (UTC)