Language isn't precise and one should be careful in using vague terms. One should also think about what one means to say and what one is actually saying. Example: I am not exactly vocal in expressing my political opinions. In fact, I'm probably one of the more apathetic people out there so perhaps I just don't have good opinions to express. But even so, I get pretty annoyed when people say things like (but not limited to) "yeah, but isn't China communist?"

OK, what the hell does that mean? Unless we're discussing the specifics of Chinese government and its workings, I don't see how a comment like that makes sense. Yes, China is still (kind of) communist and I'll confirm that but how is that supposed to add to your argument? I hear this sometimes, when the fact that China is communist is somehow roped into being evidence for China being evil in some way or another. I have no problem with people condemning China. I might even agree with much of what people say. But communism is, for the most part, completely irrelevant.

So communism isn't even the issue here. It's that people are often lazy and use terms just by vauge association. Communism = bad. China = communsim. Therefore China = bad? No. And yet another fallacy (to continue with the communism example, I guess): communism is not bad. Aren't we out of the McCarthy era already? Communism might be an overly idealistic theoretical framework that fails in reality but it is not inherently evil. And by condemning communism, people often erect the other side of the binarism (democracy) as a pillar of all things good, which is also a point that is hardly tenable without a slew of caveats. The world is not black and white, nor us against the reds.

I'm probably more sensitive to this issue than some because I spend my days trying to hone my writing and ideas to be precise. But come on people (at least, those of you who still think we like to murder our baby girls), start thinking just a little bit deeper about what you're saying. And if you don't want to, that's fine, but then don't spout categorical imperatives left and right. You never know which one of us crazies is going to come after you. I mean, we could be "communist" for all you know...