Nobody calls berkeley student marxists 'bandits'.
'Communist' and 'ba'athist' are ideological affiliations, as are affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party or the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party specifically.
'Syrian' and 'Chinese' are not ideological affiliations.
The people making that comment are talking about the government and the nation, not an ideology (which is barely even followed in practice, anyways).
Whether these political organizations adhere to their own professed principles is completely irrelevant; neither do. Whether these political organizations tolerate opposition is completely irrelevant; neither do.
