[derleth]

> Socialism is an economic system; democracy is a system of governance.

Except throughout the Cold War, the socialist states looked more like other socialist states (to wit: The USSR, the PRC, clients thereof, and non-aligned socialist states like Albania) than like non-socialist states around them. These states often called themselves "People's Republics".

Of course, if you take that definition of 'socialist', then India most certainly isn't socialist.

My point: Language isn't simple. Politics isn't simple. Mixing the two simplifies neither.

[cgoddard]

They looked very much alike because most of them were socialist dictatorships, or socialist oligarchies. Their economic system didn't decide the shape of government.

[derleth]

> Their economic system didn't decide the shape of government.

Decide? No. Correlate strongly with? Yes.