All editors who mean to contribute significantly to the Wikipedia article on Cuba should read entries in other mainstream encyclopedias. This can serve as a guide to encyclopedic writing styles, and may help to find NPOV solutions for depicting difficult content.
Wikipedia editors should agree to present each of these views fairly, and not make our articles assert any one of them as correct.
The term "Communist State" is often used as shorthand for a state where the Communist Party are the sole political organisation. The term is most commonly in use in the United States. However there are particular issues with this description.
Castro's lasting dominance over Cuban political life has been described by some observers as a de facto leadership, or dictatorship. For instance, see Condoleeza Rice’s statement here
Another example comes from the appointed US transition co-ordinator for Cuba, Caleb McCarry, who refers to Cuba’s
These are notable views that could be considered for inclusion in Wikipedia if souced and attributed. It would be advisable to cite sources and quotes from notable figures, which appear in mainstream media outlets, rather than media opinion pieces. This will help minimise potential charges of bias. It could be deemed less controversial if the statment can be found in a news source from outside the US. It may also help to cite a non-US political figure, for example former Czech Premier Václav Havel, who wrote an open letter on the matter here.
By following Wikipedia policies and guidelines, it should be possible for a discussion on these matters to take place within the article if deemed relevant by an editor. But the following must be stressed;
They should be clearly attributed and identified as opinions. This is because there are different interpretations of what the term dictatorship means.
Respected analysts Carl Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzezinski outlined their criteria for describing a state as a "Dictatorship" here. The criteria would appear to support the opinion that Cuba is a dictatorship. On the other hand Venezualan President Hugo Chavez replied when asked the question “how I can support Fidel if he’s a dictator,” with “But Cuba doesn’t have a dictatorship — it’s a revolutionary democracy.” [5]
All editors who mean to contribute significantly to the Wikipedia article on Cuba should read entries in other mainstream encyclopedias. This can serve as a guide to encyclopedic writing styles, and may help to find NPOV solutions for depicting difficult content.
Wikipedia editors should agree to present each of these views fairly, and not make our articles assert any one of them as correct.
The term "Communist State" is often used as shorthand for a state where the Communist Party are the sole political organisation. The term is most commonly in use in the United States. However there are particular issues with this description.
Castro's lasting dominance over Cuban political life has been described by some observers as a de facto leadership, or dictatorship. For instance, see Condoleeza Rice’s statement here
Another example comes from the appointed US transition co-ordinator for Cuba, Caleb McCarry, who refers to Cuba’s
These are notable views that could be considered for inclusion in Wikipedia if souced and attributed. It would be advisable to cite sources and quotes from notable figures, which appear in mainstream media outlets, rather than media opinion pieces. This will help minimise potential charges of bias. It could be deemed less controversial if the statment can be found in a news source from outside the US. It may also help to cite a non-US political figure, for example former Czech Premier Václav Havel, who wrote an open letter on the matter here.
By following Wikipedia policies and guidelines, it should be possible for a discussion on these matters to take place within the article if deemed relevant by an editor. But the following must be stressed;
They should be clearly attributed and identified as opinions. This is because there are different interpretations of what the term dictatorship means.
Respected analysts Carl Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzezinski outlined their criteria for describing a state as a "Dictatorship" here. The criteria would appear to support the opinion that Cuba is a dictatorship. On the other hand Venezualan President Hugo Chavez replied when asked the question “how I can support Fidel if he’s a dictator,” with “But Cuba doesn’t have a dictatorship — it’s a revolutionary democracy.” [5]