The question posed by the Beeb to its readers: Is communism dead in Africa?. The reader responses are--as they always are to these open questions--entertaining and enlightening (if, at times, utterly maddening).

Communism is not dead in Africa or anywhere: it can not die. The question indicates a poor acquaintance with the prophetic propositions of Karl Marx: an essentially formless and therefore indestructible movement has been confused with socialism as a physical mode of political organization. Just as corrupted and obsolete socialist structures fell apart, so will the evil, exploitative and violent capitalist political infrastructures. Then a state of world communism and peace will usher.

Communism is never dead. When a new tyrant comes to power, communism is typically one of the tenets they grab hold of. Just look at what has happened in Venezuela. Communism always fails the people, but it never fails the leaders.

There was never really any communism in Africa. Some African nationalists pretended to be communist in order to get aid from the Soviet Union. It would never have taken root anyway. Africans love their freedom too much. Africans are also natural traders.

Communalism-yes. Communism-no.

This is, of course, just a small sampling of the opinions. What is most enlightening is the insight the answers can give to the minds of Africans--it’s rarely a friendly place for the west in general and for America in specific.