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To the editor: Jeffrey Engel's Op-Ed article oversimplified the reality. ("U.S., Russia, Europe, China have different views on Berlin Wall's fall," Op-Ed, Nov. 1)

East Germans gave their government high marks for meeting immediate postwar needs. Its failure was due to the inherent failures of communist governments to meet long-term economic growth needs. The result was massive passive resistance and further economic decline.

When confronted with similar failures, both Russia and China faced massive opposition. It was not that the communist leaders in Russia lacked the courage to fire on their own people, it was that the troops failed to open fire. Similarly, in Tiananmen Square, Beijing brought in ethnic Mongolians to clear out the protesters.

Vietnam has transitioned from a failed communist economic system to a Western-style mixed economy with single-party authoritarian political rule without revolt. But as Hong Kong demonstrates, meeting economic needs without some degree of popular political participation will not succeed in the long term.

The reality is that while meeting the economic needs of the people is important, long-term stability requires popular political participation in governance.

Norm Rodewald, Moorpark

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Why communism eventually fails