Ever so often I hear opinions on the differences between communism and socialism. I think that everyone agrees that both are examples of extremely strong central governments. I was surprised when, out of curiosity, I looked up the definition of communism in my two-volume World Book Dictionary which gave the usual definition of a central government that controls the production, labor, distribution and largely the social and cultural life of society. But, interestingly, it defined communism as a system of government established by force and socialism as a system of government established by legislation; otherwise they were very much the same. Not hard to see the current direction of our country is it?

Larry Illman

Ferndale