Difference between Socialism and Democratic Socialism
Socialism vs Democratic Socialism
Socialism means equality in the society and democratic socialism means equality in a democratic state.
Socialism can be defined as a system of collective ownership and management of the means of production and the distribution of goods. Socialism also views that in a capitalist state, the wealth and power is concentrated among a small section of the society. Socialism can also be stated to be a society where all people work as equals in cooperation for the common good of all.
Democratic socialism gives more importance to a democratic character. While having almost the same principles as that of socialism, democratic socialism believes in a socialism through the ballot box. It states that any change in government and society should be through fair elections.
Socialism was a term that originated in the late 18th century and early 19th century as a result of the economic and social changes linked with the Industrial revolution. It was Henri de Saint Simon who coined the term socialisme. Noel Babeuf, Charles Fourier, Robert Owen, Karl Marx and Engels are some of the great thinkers of this theory who believed in the application of modern technology for rationalising economic activity through the elimination of capitalism. They were also critics of private ownership.
Democratic socialism became prominent in the late 19th century. It was after World War 1 that Democratic socialism had its footing in Europe. In the US also, Democratic socialism became a great movement after socialist Eugene V Debs. Democratic socialism has now spread to Latin America, Asia and many other regions.
Summary
1. Socialism can be defined as a system of collective ownership and management of the means of production and the distribution of goods. Democratic socialism gives more importance to a democratic character.
2. Socialism can also be stated to be a society where all people work as equals cooperating for the common good of all.
3. While having almost the same principles as that of socialism, democratic socialism believes in a socialism through the ballot box. It states that any change in government and society should be through fair elections.
4. Socialism was a term that originated in the late 18th century and early 19th century as a result of the economic and social changes linked with the Industrial revolution.
5. Democratic socialism became prominent in the late 19th century.
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I’m korean.at first, i’d like to say your article was awsome.
would you mind if i traslate your article to korean and post it on my blog?
Sure. Cool.
Umm socialism isn’t collectivism. What you are describing as socialism sounds like communism.
Socialism is the first step towards Communism. Think of it as being the top of a slide. Once you move in that direction, you don’t stop until you hit bottom.
Democratic socialism is in no way the downhill slide to communism. Anymore than marijuana is a gateway drug to heroin. These are pretty naive ideas in this day and age. Stupidity is the gateway to all kinds of bad things. We live in a country so desperate that DONALD TRUMP is likely to be the next president, because people are scared of Bernie. I had a recent visit to friends in Germany and they think we are loco and stupid as a nation. As does the rest of the modern world.
Americans are already Democratic Socialists. The military is socialist. We tax people and the military protects ALL citizens regardless of the ability to pay for its services. The Fire Department, Police Department, Parks and Recreation, and Freeways are all forms of Democratic Socialism. Social Security has the word Social in the name for crying out loud, so don’t pretend you aren’t a democratic socialist in America. We are also Capitalists too. Without Capitalism there would be no competition, so quit freaking out about socialism, no one is suggesting we go the way of Russia.
Are you saying that a Democratic socialist and a Democrat are the same thing? If so, why use different titles. Somebody needs to explain the difference.
If Americans are already Democratic Socialists, how come we call ourselves Democrats and Republicans? Other than Bernie Sanders, America has not had any famous Democratic Socialist in our history books. To my understanding, Democratic Socialist are consistently based in socialism. I am concerned about a Socialist, adding the word Democratic to the front of it and we all welcoming him in as a democrat. Are we really that easy? I guess so because we do have a known Democrat switch his affiliation to Republican and is now leading well above all the known Republicans. We got issues.
Actually we have had three socialist presidents
Wrong
Gunny.., What about FDR??? He was CERTAINLY a Democratic Socialist, for he’s the one who instituted Social Security and all the programs that make this a great country… the loved him so much the elected him to four terms!!!
Ever heard from of FDR and the new deal?
Wrong, fire, police, parks etc are social or public programs provided at the peoples expense through taxation, but, not all areas have police and fire services. I live in a rural area, state police are our go to, but, we never see them unless we need them. Castle doctrine is our protection for our homes.
We have a limited, 4 man fire crew, the rest is voluntary, no fire hydrants, the fire company has permission to suction water from swimming pools to fight fires in the area, with the rule being, they pay to refill your pool later.
Our military has been around for almost 250 years, providing protection for everyone, regardless of ability to pay. It was written into the constitution that, upon forming this union, each state was to govern itself, pay a small federal tax to the federal govt for protections with a national military.
You claim under Democratic socialism, each person gets a vote, well, we already have that, in our constitutional republic, 1 person, 1 vote.
In theory, socialism can work. In the real world, it runs up against human nature which is primarily selfish.
One of the article’s main points is that socialism can appeal to selfish interests.
I have had several couch surfers from Germany and France in the last few months. They laugh at the idea of Donald Trump as our president. However, they do not realize how corrupt our politicians are today. More importantly, the biggest issue is how pharma and banks have such control over the decisions made in Washington. Why is marijuana becoming legal but marijuana oil will get you 30 years in prison? Because it helps with cancer and pharma has not found a way to make enough money from the oil to supplement money lost in cancer treatment. That is so sad to admit as an american. Greed trumps Health. I am not saying Trump is the answer… but career politicians are definitely not the solution.
Please name a Socialist country that is doing better than America. They may have one or two ideas that are worth commending, but overall, we have the best run country on the planet. That is why everyone is migrating here. Very seldom do you hear of Americans migrating to other countries for a better life or opportunity. Americans commonly move to other countries due to disgust, tax savings, legal avoidance, or hiding.
Yeah, germans and French think we are stupid for electing trump, yet what has Macron and Merkel done in those countries? Flooded them with Muslim and African immigrants. They are bankrupting their own country and their ppl are fed up.
Then why do people insist on immigrating here and risk everything if our country is stupid?
http://www.alternet.org/economy/why-germany-has-it-so-much-better-us
Germany runs Thierry country better than us in America. Sure they are going to be sorting out refugees for the next decade since they are doing their part in a global conflict, but beyond that part they meet or beat us in exports while not going into debt.
“According to Geoghegan, “Since 2003, it’s not China but Germany, that colossus of European socialism, that has either led the world in export sales or at least been tied for first. Even as we in the United States fall more deeply into the clutches of our foreign creditors — China foremost among them — Germany has somehow managed to create a high-wage, unionized economy without shipping all its jobs abroad or creating a massive trade deficit, or any trade deficit at all. And even as the Germans outsell the United States, they manage to take six weeks of vacation every year. They’re beating us with one hand tied behind their back.””
You wrote this over a year ago and look what immigrants are doing to Germany. Look at the political changes because things weren’t going as good as you thought.
Have you ever taken advantage of someone knowingly knowing that did not know?
They are caught up in the Amrican social history on Communism. Democratic Communism seems on a modern and upper level.
Finally someone with a brain!
“Socialism is the first step towards Communism.” Sure – kind of like Capitalism is the first step toward Fascism and Mother’s milk is the first step toward alcoholism.
False equivalency sir or madame.
Are you SERIOUSLY equating Socialism to “Mother’s Milk”??
Socialism “IS” a step towards Communism. Look at the current state of Venezuela just a decade (or so) after switching over to Socialism. There are people starving in the streets (literally) less than a generation after switching over to Socialism. That is sad.
On a small, tribal level Socialism or Communism works. Tribes of Native Americans that ranged from 50 to 100 members thrived in this type of society where they were “communed” together. It was basically an extended family that worked for the betterment of the entire tribe. However, when you try to put this on a grander scale and use the same philosophy for millions and millions over the entire country-side then you are going to run into serious problems and trouble.
For anyone who is a fan of socialism and wants to live in a socialist society – Move to a socialist country and let American continue to be a Free, Capitalist society as it always has been since its founding.
Dude. No one is advovating for socialism in the U.S., but for democratic socialism, which we’ve had and enjoyed for decades. Don’t let the term ‘socialism’ throw you.
So one could view democracy as the first step in an inexorable journey to anarchy, where everyone dies whatever she/he wants, with total freedom and absolute choice. It begins with total enfranchisement and a full bill of rights and ends in total freedom of action for any given individual, which is anarchy.
This idea that a democratic socialist government must inevasibly transform into a COMMUNIST government is the jejune thinking of someone who’s entertaining a totally callow and unrefined understanding of political theory. The idealized tendency of a system, such as that conceived of by Marx, is hardly set to be realized in a total fulfillment of an abstract theoretical system, particularly when that theory has NEVER been born out in history, in actual fact. Why do you think that Lenin and Stalin had to employ “professional revolutionaries” to give a huge ‘steroid boost’ to Marx’s “natural” dialectical process
One of the main reasons that no one knows whether or not Marx and Engels’ communist state is practicable is because it has never actually been implemented as it was spoken of in the Manifesto. People keep trashing communism when no one has ever actually been able to see a properly-founded communist state in reality. The implementation of the foundational ideas was never faithfully observed.
Russia, China and Venezuela would have been unrecognizable monstrosities to Marx and Engels, particularly as they were formed in utter contravention to their basic principles, total departures from anything resembling Marxist theory of the evolution from capitalistic to socialist to communist, all with the ease of unforced inevitability.
Umm Dave,
I suggest you look at the Merriam-Webster dictionary (online) to compare the words discussed in various comments above. Those words are:
1. Socialism
2. Statism
3. Communism
4. Marxism
5. Fascism
While you want to see the fine differences between them, they are so completely similar that the definitions are almost interchangeable.
Answer me this ONE question: WHO DECIDES what people are equal, and WHO are “more equal than others?
Crony Capitalism isn’t capitalism at all, it’s unfair power granting by government. After all, the ULTIMATE monopoly is the Federal Government.
Great dialogue, If capitalism is good and crony is the bad part of it, does that mean that there is such a thing as crony Socialism, Statism, communism, Marxism, and Fascism? There is no perfect form of government. My question remains the same. What is the diference between socialist Democrat and just plain ole Democrat?
The statement here that “There is not much difference between the two terms as socialism is some how related to democracy” is very misleading since in practical terms there is a world of difference when citizens are able to vote on changes to government. If the US were to begin implmenting a democratic-republic socialistic government this would mean that citizens would influence policies related to the economony via their representatives (Congress’s constituents).
To have a true socialistic state means that there isn’t a democratic process, and thus no real representatives of the people, as with a republic. Thus, logically, this other statement in the article: “It states that any change in government and society should be through fair elections” defines a true demoncracy, and not the democratic-republic of the US.
So, US citizens need to keep this in mind when they see that a candidate supports or considers himself a democratic socialist, such as with Bernie Sanders, since this could not happen in the US unless our Constitution were written. No thanks! Of course it is my opinion that we simply need to add a little bit of socialistic ideals into our governmental mix, and less the Fascist, Marxist, Communist and NAZI inevitabilities which occur with pure socialism.
Many misunderstand our current system and believe the US is an example of Capitalism when really it is a Corporatism, at best bescribed as an Oligarchy and at worst a Plutoracy. For all practical purposes the US is actually more of a pure socialistic state than what it’s citizens would like to admit or prefer; since instead of the government itself having control of the nation’s resources and means of production (true socialism) massive corporations have this control indirectly through having enormous governmental influence.
This describes US well:
“Right now, there is a lot of talk about the evils of “capitalism”. But it is not really accurate to say that we live in a capitalist system. Rather, what we have in the United States today, and what most of the world is living under, is much more accurately described as “corporatism”. Under corporatism, most wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of giant corporations and big government is used as a tool by these corporations to consolidate wealth and power even further. In a corporatist system, the wealth and power of individuals and small businesses is dwarfed by the overwhelming dominance of the corporations. Eventually, the corporations end up owning almost everything and they end up dominating nearly every aspect of society. As you will see below, this very accurately describes the United States of America today.”
By Michael Snyder, on October 21st, 2011. found at -http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/corporatism-is-not-capitalism-7-things-about-the-monolithic-predator-corporations-that-dominate-our-economy-that-every-american-should-know
The difference is Socialism names its despot while Democratic Socialism votes for one.
Spot on!
Anything with “socialism” attached to it is on its way to communism and government intervention at every level of life’s journey!
Wrong! Lighten up! Socialized medicine (i.e. Govt. sponsored health care) is commonplace now in every first world country on earth, except the U.S., where it is limited to benefits for veterans and the elderly and disabled. But nobody would claim Canada, or the U.K., for 2 examples, are “on the way to Communism”, yet they’ve been practicing socialized medicine for over 50 years. Also, a Socialist Democracy does not yield ownership of everything to the govt., only those programs that benefit and protect all citizens equally: like health care and education to name just two. And we already have public education paid for by govt. K-12, so we are already practicing it to some degree.
And how’s that socialistic education working out? I’m surprised you would want to even bring up that mess.
I would like to pay for my own health care and not everyone else’s as well. It was much cheaper that way.
Anna,
We have to a large extent soclialized post-secondary education in Canada. We are the best educated country in North America. We also have socialized medicine. We are healthiest country in North America. How is those things working for you in the US? Please educate yourself before you begin criticizing others.
Anna,
Considering that our system is corrupt and intentionally trying to underfund and destroy public education in order to privatize it, that is not a fair point.
It is not a prefect system, but if we did not have it, imagine how much more stupidity there would be in the United States. Most of us did quite well with our public education. You get out what you put into it. If it cost money, the MAJORITY of Americans would not even get educated at all!
If those countries you mention are doing it well, how come they are not leaders in medical treatment advancement as the U.S. is? The best medical care in the world happens right here in the United States. People die in Canada because of shortages of facilities and equipment. That’s because of their socialism in medicine. They are NOT leaders in medical advancements. Canadians have been known to come HERE when they want the best treament, or can’t get it soon enough in their own country. If you choose socialized medicine you are choosing lesser for yourself. You are saying you want rationing, and fewer places to get treatment.
Cynthia “Govt. sponsored health care) is commonplace now in every first world country on earth, except the U.S., where it is limited to benefits for veterans and the elderly and disabled.”
And how are those systems working? Veterans are waiting months to see doctors, and many have died in the process. Want to make our healthcare system better? Get GOVERNMENT out of the healthcare business!
Canada is on its way to socialism, as we also are. The reason why you didn’t notice is because they are giving it to us in small dosages until we will wake up one day and realize that we do live in a communist nation. BTW, if Canadian socialized medicine is so good, how come the Canadians come to the US for treatment? Could it be because it is so rationed that it takes a year on a waiting list for an MRI?
And the UK and Canada are among dead last in cancer survival rates. The US has been first four a long time. There’s nothing wrong with our health-care system, in general, but how it has become limited to just anyone because of years and years of regulations against the insurance companies. If you get the government out of health-care altogether, and put it back into the hands of the people to be able to chose and shop around freely, it will work out better for all people and the insurance companies, because of the free market. Just think of it as how auto insurance is. There are many out there wanting our business, but WE choose who we want based on the research we do, the best rates, reliable customer service and so forth. Restaurants, movie theaters, stores in shopping malls, cellphone service and our choice in phones. These are all things that we are not forced to participate in. Yet. Once a socialist decides that Olive Garden is doing better than Chipotle, and they decide that it would be better for all of us to eat at Chipotle, to help it make money (even though that place is garbage), our right to choose had now been replaced by someone who thinks they know better than us. No thank you.
Look at the socialized medicine in Canada and England, look at the great healthcare available to veterans.
I’ve known a few Canadians and Brits, they like the fact that they get “free” health care (even though they don’t like paying almost 70% of their wages to taxes) when it is routine minor issues. But when it comes to more than just dealing with the flu, they have to wait sometime months to see a specialist. In both countries, the people I know hate the dental care in all aspects.
Plus, if you want to see just how well our government would run the healthcare system, just look at how many vets died waiting for care. Look how many were moved ahead in line for political reasons.
Yes! Thank you!
Katy,
Please, do yourself a favour before commenting on what goes on in other countries. Inform yourself. Have you talked to Canadians about their system? Have you used it? Data? An overwhelming majority of Canadians support their single-payer system and do not want to move towards a multi-payer system. What does this tell you? And while there can sometimes be significant wait times for elective surgery, I can tell you that more folks die in the US waiting for care because they do not have insurance at all. What’s more, Canadians do not come to the US in large numbers for health care. Show me the data. Finally, health outcomes in both countries are roughly the same. So there goes your argument about quality of care. Please don’t just repeat things you’ve heard in order to reinforce your world view. And if you are not qualified to speak to an issue, please refrain from doing so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYOf6hXGx6M
Joe,
I have relatives in Toronto, and they told me that most of the people they know, including themselves, hate the health care single payer system. I want you to give me 1 example of any US citizen who died because they were turned away and refused medical attention at a hospital E.R. let me help you, there isn’t one, everybody is accepted at a hospital E.R. Free market has a higher quality product and drives prices down. We know that because we have lived it in the last 10 years. 10 years ago my insurance was cheaper with better benefits. So don rin your supper unless you have lived it. Keep the government out of everything except the military, and you could see for yourself, better and cheaper products and a higher working wage.
Having spoken to friends from both Canada and England I have found there are two different groups with very different opinions on healthcare in their home country. Those who are wealthier seem to support their state sponsored healthcare and those who are lower middle-class or poor seem to have issues with both Canada’s and England’s free healthcare. Sadly, it appears that the countries Socialists like to point to for having auperior systems suffer from the same issues as our system does. If you have money you can get the care you need, and if you don’t have money you are left to depend on the system and must hope it works out for you.
It doesn’t matter if you vote to steal from some (socialized medicine or anything else) to give to others, in my long life I have seen many of the best and brightest refusing to be slaves on the politicians plantation and simply living without contributing what they could. The first one I met was a night watchman at a plant gate where I had to wait and he invited me into his building to visit. He was such an intelligent young man that I got curious and asked him why he didn’t have a better job. And he said “Taxes are too high. We have a little place in the country and with what I make here we do just fine.”
And through the years I have met others who did the same thing. This was in 1953 when I talked to this young man.
Oh. Yeah. Let’s ask some vets and elderly how Tricare and Medicare work for them. I’m sure they have nothing but swell things to say about it. Wait a minute…I have Tricare. Oh, let’s count the blessings.
Haven’t been able to get my wife a Primary Care Manager appointment in the past, 3 years. But wait, why don’t I just call Tricare and demand one? “We don’t know what to tell you.” After a particular strenous period of time in the Army, went to the clinic to see the PA about my feet (see a doctor? HAHAHAHAHAHA). He said my feet were “in the worst shape I’ve ever seen.” That was comforting to have that problem acknowledged. Even more comforting was the prescription. “Jergens, you can buy it at Walmart.” Nice.
The only people who want the government to run ANY aspect of their life are the people who haven’t had to suffer the TREMENDOUS inadequacies of government run anything.
My mother-in-law is a Canadian citizen by birth but has lived in California most of her life. When she had some moderate health issues she decided to take advantage of her Canadian citizenship to check out that country’s socialized health care system. She found it sorely lacking in accepted coverage for diagnoses, tests and treatment. After her experience she is extremely grateful for the private insurance she has in California. As a California resident with an auto-immune disease, I’m glad I live in a country that offers the type of private health insurance that is best for me, however the premium rates are prohibitively expensive. The rising cost of health insurance in California and the US are a result of the high cost of increasing medical malpractice suits as well as a number of other things and a federally run health care system hasn’t and isn’t going to change that. Insurance reform needs to be front and center.
And in both countries you cite, they have long wait times to see doctors. In Canada if you have a major medical issue, you go south the a doctor in America. If our medical care is so horrible here, then why do thousands form other countries come here for treatment. Mayo clinics see people form all over the world, how can that be if the healthcare is leaps and bounds better there, than it is here. Is our medical system perfect, far from it, but the problem isnt in the treatment or access it is in the cost, and the governments latest attempt to control healthcare does nothing to solve the cost issue, b ut instead as many have found out, make it more expensive
Any form of government is on its way towards corruption. A nice change towards Democratic Socialism might buy us some time before corruption sets in. At that that time we look at other options. Bottom line is the need for removal of corruption and putting the power back into the hands of the people. Not the special interest groups.
yes—in socialism every0ne (except the party fatcats running your life) is equal alright….equally miserable! See Cuba & North Korea. They are the horrifying end game for socialism. Communism killed more people in the 20th century than the horrific Hitler regime. Obama’s background illustrates a closet Marxist. The media never called him on it. Bernie is right out in the open with it.
I totally agree with your opinion. By the way, did you write “as socialism somehow related to democracy is very misleading”?
Well said! If America wants the government to control everything, even what you can do or earn, then why don’t they move to Greece or Sweden. Ask people with those systems how they like healthcare. Even Canadians were coming here until Obama started ruining it. The best doctors are leaving because there is No incentive to be the best and be exceptional. Under Obama, no one or no country should be exceptional. We should all just be mediocre clones who believe lies. He has taken us to the toilet and Hilary or Sanders will just put the flush on it. At 20 trillion in debt, we cannot afford a big government president. Cruz is the best candidate that will fight for our constitution , Rubio is a great second. May the best candidate win.
I totally agree. The politicians are padding their pockets with special interest groups monies. That is all they worry about and take care of. They are not protecting us or our country. Washington is broken and Donald Trump is the only qualified candidate that can turn our country around and make it strong again. Bernie Sanders is jumping on the ban wagon that we the people are upset about they way our present govt hasn’t done for us. He wouldn’t even be in the race if Clinton was being investigated by the FBI. Sanders is a joke. Free stuff really? Who is going to pay for all that? We are. If the people can’t afford an education. Let them get an education and then work for the state or govt to pay off their debt. Ben Carson is intelligent but it stops there. He isn’t strong enough to take care of the problems facing our country. Cruz speaks well but again he is a politician. He used children in a political ad. I can’t believe he did that. That was a low life action on his part. He lies. He told people at the Iowa polls that Carson dropped out of the race. You can’t trust him. Maybe Bloomberg will run and become the vice president with Trump! Rubio is a politician and he has a bad voting record. He is to young and to entrenched in politics to help our country. Lord knows we don’t need another round of the Bush’s. Our system is the best in the world but it needs fixing. Trump will fix it!
Are you serious?? First of all it’s not “free”. He wants to reform what our current taxes are spent on. He wants to return this country to the way it should be ran, by the people for the people. Not ran by large corporations that donate hefty amounts of money to politicians campaigns, in turn, keeping those politicians in their pocket. Why would you think that a billionaire who has never know financial hardship would have “YOU” and your needs in mind when making decisions?! Trump flip flops on everything that comes out of his mouth. He says whatever will please whomever he’s speaking to at the moment. He has no clue what it’s like to be a typical American. He’s a fear and HATE monger who will only set this country back decades in the way of civil rights. The world is laughing at us for even considering him. The world can hardly believe he’s still in the running because HE IS A JOKE!
Voting is the very definition of Insanity. It is voting over and over again, expecting a smaller and less war like government. Problem is that government keeps getting bigger and bigger and we have another war, and has been like that for the last 200 years. Insanity doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Government is a religion of the insane forced upon the sane by the vote or illusion of freedom presented by a pretend vote, that does not count. Why do I think this way? Because you can not tell me out of the last 200 years this is what the public wanted. And if you can claim that, I would suggest that you check yourself in the nearest hospital for the insanity of thinking voting actually works. And to imagine, the general public is made up of those that vote. Voting is insanity.
EXCELLENT posting and I couldn’t agree with you more! However, when I copied/pasted it into my email to send to people – as yours not mine – a TON of errors popped up. I fixed it but if you do something on line again and you see a RED LINE under a word, just click your mouse and it will tell you how to spell the word…I couldn’t live without it…and I’m 70! Hope you don’t take this the wrong way or are offended by it because YOUR statement on here was awesome!!! Peace out! 🙂
Awesome! Now that is real talk.
The one difference between Socialism and Democratic Socialism is that of ‘fair’ elections (according to this article and many others that I have read). So get out and vote, vote for the socialist of your choice, but vote. This does not make it very different from Corporatism. VOTE, vote for the Corporatist of your choice but vote.
What we need is a government for, by, of and accountable to THE PEOPLE. The first step in that process just might be stripping the “person” status of corporations away. The system is, by design, so complex that it appears to be impossible to dismantle. The reality is that it is just not that hard. One major step in the right direction would be to other than for contractual purposes, eliminate the person status of corporations and make all those things that corporations should not be doing (lobbying and contributing to campaigns, etc) limited only to citizens and since the corporations are NOT citizens, they can not engage in those activities.
All of the worlds top rated countries are ” Social Democracies ” ,in other words,capitalism with social responsibility enforced by law. Americans need to learn the difference and Sanders needs to refer to himself as a Social Democrat as to not confuse the nations severely brainwashed conservatives. This form of government has been able to provide a very high standard of living to the most people in the most countries..Americans would be shocked at how much better people have it living out their daily lives in these wealthy northern EU countries.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/europe/398666-denmark-sucks-happiest-nation-my-ass.html
Instead of listening to some rando on the internet, why not try reading some data and seeing that not only re they on the whole happier than almost any country, their GDP per capita is higher. Other measures of what makes a country prosperous are also some of the best in the world.
They say ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is better.
http://worldhappiness.report/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/04/WHR15.pdf
Obviously you can’t compare the USA to other small homogenous countries…. I wonder what they think about illegal immigration?
Right on! Thank you!
swedes median income is like 36k vs 55k for americans. Total tax rates are massive somewhere around 55%. http://www.paoracle.com/SocialismWORKS!/?sw=Sweden
Have you ever been outside the US? Have you ever been to impoverished countries that have the socialism you so highly tout? Apparently not otherwise you wouldn’t be touting its accolades! You are obviously a know nothing liberal!
Wow. You’ve obviously never lived in one of those “wealthy Eu countries” have You? Cause I can tell you coming from America to living in Europe really makes you realise how great you had it in the U.S.
More of this nonsense from the ButtHurts on the Left who do not believe anyone should suffer any discomfort in any facet of their lives whatsoever. Trace every issue of the Left, and at the bottom you will find the redistribution of income. Theft is a virtue for the Left, as are jealousy and envy. Deadbeats love socialism because it is free crap for their lazy derrieres. I so long for the country I grew up in, where one looked to the successful and emulated them. Now, with people like this Sanders nut, the successful are demonized like the Klan. All because these people are eat up with envy. Keep the d–n government away from me and my family.
The country you grew up in was way more socialist than it is now, btw. Try Looking into how FDR’s legacy influenced the country, and the higher tax rates Americans were paying in the 50’s and 60’s, and how our government was spending/employing millions to build an infrastructure that many businesses and corporations still use to this day, but are sorely in need of an over haul.
Now that is what we need. We need the FDR concept again. It worked before, I am sure it would work in 2017
“Socialism also views that in a capitalist state, the wealth and power is concentrated among a small section of the society.”
I challenge anyone to point out a Socialist country that doesn’t have wealth and power concentrated among a small section of society. It’s just that you will never have wealth, no matter what you do.
Ballot box, at first. Then the ballot box becomes “inconvenient.” Research the old Soviet Union (lines to buy toilet paper) and Castro’s Cuba—that’s where this all leads. It ain’t pretty. Don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for Bernie’s liberty-killing dream. It’s a trap. Freedom of thought goes away in socialism. Socialism is the first stage in communism. There’s a reason people risk their lives to leave Cuba in rafts in the dead of night. When you have to force people to stay, that’s all you need to know, whether it’s a good system or not. There’s also a reason people risk life and limb to get to the United States, and not Cuba.
Yeahhhhh….. Pretty sure Karl Marx ISN’T a great thinker and anyone that thinks so can go to Russia.
I can’t help but shake my head at people actually thinking socialism is the answer. There isn’t one government program that runs at a profit. They ALL run at a loss and will end up costing the country and it’s people a lot more in the long run.
Thanks for your useless diatribe. Socialism in any form is socialism. Not only does capitalism work; it is the ONLY thing that works.
We are a socialistic society already. Accept that. The ‘fruits of your labors’ are only able to be realized because of tax dollars at work. Goods are delivered on the roads and railways that taxes paid for, as is the energy used to create those fruits. Taxes pay for the firefighters, policemen, and all the other necessities required to keep a country in relatively polite working order. Some of the comments here have suggested that with socialized medicine, quality doctors would cease to exist. I know a lot of policemen, and they all take pride In their job and most are damn good at it. And as for entitlements? They are there to help those who are less fortunate (and yes, some who are just lazy) in order to keep them at bay. Removing these will drive them to turn to crime out of NEED. But these people will never be well off. Our society should be about increasing every person’s standard of living. Wealth should not be allowed to accumulate at the top as it has. This has been shown to be the downfall of governments time and time again. And the socialism we are discussing here isn’t the same as communism. Heck, in almost all European states Bernie Sanders would be a right-winger. I’m not saying they have it perfect either, it will never be perfect and there will always be debate. But I think it’s fair to say that the unregulated capitalism that has permeated our country for the past 40 years isn’t working. Let’s try something else.
@Jim — Incorrect and misleading. The presence of roads is not indicative of Socialism any more than building a public water fountain is. Socialism is when the State owns factories that produce goods and is in charge of companies that produce commercial services. The building of a road is not indicative of such ownership. Just because people pay taxes and police forces exist, that in and of itself is not indicative of Socialism, as you seem to imply.
If you and someone else put in money to build a road, and someone else uses that road to build a business, and you use that road to visit your family, that doesn’t mean you had ANYTHING to do with the building of the business, nor are you entitled to the fruits of someone else’s ideas…you just both needed a road to use for your own purposes. I suppose I should go over to your family’s house and eat your food because we both use the same roads?
You get to use the police for a short emergency amount of time (someone breaks into a house, car accident, etc). It’s not like tax money goes to pay for your PERSONAL police force or bodyguards, nor do taxes go to pay for an entrepreneur’s private roads on their property.
Just because water at a water fountain is free, that doesn’t mean all food and drink should be free. Just because you get treatment at the Emergency Room even if you can’t pay for it, that doesn’t mean all Healthcare is a right.
The US has the highest GDP in the world, and the highest per-capital GDP of any large country. We shouldn’t try to be like other countries. We shouldn’t “try something else”. Let’s stick with what works.
Capitalism is the worst economic system…except for all the other ones.
Highest gdp in the world? You are delusional. We do not have the highest gdp. I’ll give you data later..but it doesn’t take a genius to look it up
I completely agree
…..With Rob, Capitalism is the best system. Socialism if any kind is just a ploy to allow the government more power to decide who gets to have what. Capitalism says: “if I work for it & created it, then I’ve earned it, & it’s mine. It’s not my lazy neighbor’s or the givernment’s…it’s mine.
“If one understands that Socialism is not a share-the-wealth programme, but is in reality a method to consolidate and control the wealth,
then the seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting Socialism becomes no paradox at all.
INSTEAD, IT BECOMES LOGICAL, EVEN THE PERFECT TOOL OF POWER-SEEKING MEGALOMANIACS.
Communism or more accurately, Socialism, is not a movement of the downtrodden masses, but of the ECONOMIC ELITE.”
~ Gary Allen
Socialism is a system in which government “leaders” (bureaucrats) make the decisions about how the resources of the economy are used to create which products and services that the citizens enjoy. It doesn’t matter if the government “leaders” acquired their position through force (Russia, China, Cuba) or through election; they still have a planned economy.
Read George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”
If you wish to see the true alternatives examine the difference between socialism and capitalism on this very website http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/politics/difference-between-socialism-and-capitalism/
Plot spoiler: Capitalism wins every time.
Socialism already exists in the U.S. The problem began in this country when the dems decided to raid social security in the 60’s (LBJ). Granted, those that actually need some help should get some, but from the beginning, social security became nothing but a sugar tit for too many that could work but won’t….that’s why it’s on the verge of collapse now, and why those of us that have worked and contributed all our lives are likely not to see any of that money. How’s that for socialism? Too many depend on that rather than getting off their asses and doing something. The S. S. system is so full of corruption, because people have learned how to work the system. You are stupid to think it won’t happen on a larger scale.
Did anyone notice the one and only reference this piece of garbage of an article as is a socialist site? they call themselves a neutral comparison educational site but in truth they are nothing but propaganda. do your own research. Democratic Socialist is an Oxymoron. Basically what you are saying is that you want a choice but you don’t want a choice. Democratic means you have a choice Socialism means no choice because it is controlled by the state. I know that many will say that it’s a democratic government with a socialist economy. meaning that they want people to have a vote on who is in the government, while at the same time having no control or vote over what happens in the economy.
Socialism never works because it is predicated on the utopian idea that everyone is equal and completely happy with their current standing in life and willing to work all their lives so each and every person can maintain their current standing in life. the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor and everyone is happy with that and will work to maintain that standard. In reality people are not made/geared/driven in that way. people always want more/better. people always want to progress or move up to a higher standard of living.
Forced socialism is murder. Democratic socialism is suicide.
Friendly fascism isn’t fascism!!!
“Democratic Socialism” is the re-branding of an old and failed political, social and economic system — or ideology — of which has been repackaged and is being resold to the American people, and is heavily marketed towards millennials whose education consists of Marxist indoctrination for the purpose of ushering in full blown Socialism into the United States.
Or simply put: There is no difference between Democratic Socialism and Socialism.
Democrats support the DNC, while Democratic Socialists support the DSCC. It is starting to get weird that people are saying that they are the same.
Lol you can roll a turd in sugar… it is still sh*t Really, democratic socialism… that is funny! Let’s see how that pans out. The same propaganda was probably issued saying how great Marxism was vs Communism… but those countries are all communist now… and socialism was so much better than communism yet people are still fleeing socialist countries. Where in history has any form of socialism been proven successful? Are there any countries practicing this Democratic Socialism? Or is it a push for us to be the first, so China can loan us some more money before taking us over!!!
If workers want to own and control the means of production too, then let them do what workers have been doing for the past 200 years in market economies: start their own businesses with the money they have saved working for others.
And if they choose, they can even start a workers’ cooperative like former employees are starting to do:
List of worker cooperatives in the United States:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_worker_cooperatives#United_States
Or perhaps they might want this structure:
The Employee Ownership 100: America’s Largest Majority Employee-Owned Companies
http://www.nceo.org/articles/employee-ownership-100?
A key difference listed above was that “democratic socialism” seeks its socialist goals with approval at the ballot box. But if they were thwarted by the voters, I suspect that they would happily seek to enact their goals anyway, by judicial fiat from like-minded courts, or by presidential fiat through executive orders.
The question shouldn’t be the difference between socialism and “democratic socialism,” but whether there’s any meaningful difference between “democratic socialism” and the modern Democrat party. Answer: no.
I am sure there is a reason why a person would say that they are a Democratic socialist and not a Democrat. Whoever calls themselves a Democratic socialist will say that they are about something different.
We can all stand on the sideline as spectators and try to define various political or economic systems, of which none is perfect, but unfortunately, the majority will always determine the direction that country can go whether they realize it or not.
If any one can say that the current contenders for the highest office in our nation represent the best that America can present to the world, then we really have a problem. Clinton, Sanders or Trump? Are these the Best we can offer? Sadly enough, it could be one of these fellows and am ashamed that the founding fathers are crying, where ever they may be, at how we have distorted the gift they gave us.
Also items 1, 2, and 3 in the list above are “pie in the sky” bullshit. Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried. It is raucous and rowdy, ugly old Capitalism the works the best. All you need is a few rules to keep people from eating one another.
We’re never going to have a Socialism that works until the Good Lord comes again. So — If you don’t believe in the “Good Lord”; well — I’m afraid you’re out of luck.
“Socialism means equality in the society and democratic socialism means equality in a democratic state.”
Starting your article with incorrect definitions isn’t a great way to advance your viewpoint. Socialism is the government ownership of the means of production. This means no privately owned businesses. It has nothing to do with equality, but it’s effect is misery and suffering for everybody. Democratic socialism just means your neighbors vote to make you pay for their wants.
Socialism has failed, will always fail, and anybody who tells you otherwise is either lying to you or an idiot.
No one is leaving Norway. No one is leaving Sweden. No one is leaving Finland. Your beginning premise is wrong. Not a good start, since everything that follows it is based on a false premise.
Simple answer: Democratic Socialism is a socialist system that was democratically chosen. There are degrees of implementation of course. Denmark for example emphasizes that they have a market economy, not a socialist economy.
Examples that have gone further down the path:
– Venezuela. The leader democratically chosen.
– Zimbabwe. The leader democratically chosen.
As one pundit noted, socialism involves an ongoing struggle between “makers” and “takers” until the system falls apart.
Democratic Socialism is simply a renamed idea.
Communism is supposed to be a global form of socialism. (More complex than that, simply recognize that I know this, but trying to keep things simple.)
Socialism was defined as equality, and Democratic Socialism was about being in a Democratic State, in other words a National form of Socialism, or National Socialism.
Universal Health Care, Free Day Care, Guaranteed income for everyone, high taxes on the rich to equal the pay. All done by National Socialists in Germany and then Austria.
So yes Democratic Socialism is just National Socialism with a word changed. Although it is more friendly to a globalized form, and not as nationalistic. That is more similar to the ideas of Mussolini who was a big fan of Communism, but found that Nationalist ideology was a much stronger draw, so created a National form of Socialism. (Called the National Fascist Party.)
This is not quite a politically correct statement, but it’s true.