Democratic Socialists, Anyone else interested

[intransit]

Hello everyone! I'm intransit, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop throwing rocks at me and calling me a neocon ;-P, because I'm not. THanks!
But seriously.
I'd just like to get some opinions on what the community thinks of democratic socialism, socialist capitalism, etc. Thanks!


PS: Please guys in the History forum, please, stop throwing rocks at me. It's starting to hurt.

[RedKnight]

I think that we all feel that socialism must be democratic in nature. As Mikhail Bakunin once said,. "Liberty without socialism is privilege and injusitce;. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality. I refer to myself as a council communist however.

[Ihavenoidea]

Yeah Gonads said I was a socialist democrate or something like that... he said my political compass wasnt Communist enough.

See my sig for my compass.

[RGacky3]

When you Say Democractic Socialism, or Socialist Capitalism, I asuume your refering too the school of thought they call Social-Democracy, or the Hugo-Chavez Democratic-Socialism. Which is basically trying to soften up Capitalism with Socialistic eliments, such as universal healthcare, labor rights, Minimum wages, progressive taxes.

I think this stuff is basically head in the sand thinking. You cannot reform Capitalism. We are seeing this in Europe right now, most of europe since WW2 basically went to Social Democracy, softened Capitalism, made things nicer for the workers and citizens, the problem is that increasingyl Capitalism is becoming global, meaning you need to compete global, and Soft and nice Capitalism cannot compete with the hard core sweatshop Capitalism of China, India, Russia and the United States. So what happens is these countries need Capital investment, they need more business, so they have to dismantle the Social Democracy to survive. Social Democrats don't really understand the cut throat nature of Capitalism, they are learning now though.

As for Democratic Socialism, I personally don't think it can work because most of the Parlimentary or Presidential Democratic systems were designed with the Bourgiousie in mind, and most of them are subservient to Capital. As soon as Socialism is implimented through a Representative State, you'll have the full fury of Capital to deal with.

[Herman]

, socialist capitalism,

What the hell is 'Socialist capitalism'? A gigantic oxymoron...

[RedAnarchist]

Democratic Socialists mean well, but they don't go far enough, preferring to be both revolutionary and capitalist at the same time. They think that the system can still be saved, when it is in fact chronically ill and dying.

[RGacky3]

Originally posted by [email protected] 06, 2007 08:06 am

, socialist capitalism,

What the hell is 'Socialist capitalism'? A gigantic oxymoron...
I think he's refering to Social-Democracy.

[Fodman]

i would describe myself as democratic socialist

[BobKKKindle$]

By democratic socialism, I assume you mean that existing political institutions can be used to change the economic structure of society without active class struggle and confrontation. This program of political reform relies on the assertion that the state exists above and independent of the interests of the ruling class and is an objective entity - how can you justify this idea, when it has been shown throughout history that the state is the political manifestation of the economic power of the ruling class.

[Roy Batty]

Originally posted by [email protected] 06, 2007 01:33 am
Hello everyone! I'm intransit, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop throwing rocks at me and calling me a neocon ;-P, because I'm not. THanks!
But seriously.
I'd just like to get some opinions on what the community thinks of democratic socialism, socialist capitalism, etc. Thanks!


PS: Please guys in the History forum, please, stop throwing rocks at me. It's starting to hurt.


Some label Canada's and Scandinavian countries' governments as Social Democratic. Sure there are flaws, always will be. High taxes, too much bureucracy, declining healthcare, increasing drug use among the population etc... same old same old, you know. There's also a gradual shifting to the right. Still, in all I really can't complain.

[Socialist Dave]

Originally posted by [email protected] 09, 2007 12:38 pm
By democratic socialism, I assume you mean that existing political institutions can be used to change the economic structure of society without active class struggle and confrontation. This program of political reform relies on the assertion that the state exists above and independent of the interests of the ruling class and is an objective entity - how can you justify this idea, when it has been shown throughout history that the state is the political manifestation of the economic power of the ruling class.
I can't speak for other countries, but I don't think that's true anymore in the UK. I think that the influence of Marxism has strengthend democracy here enough so that, even if a socialist government were elected, the bourgeosie wouldn't try to remove it from power with force. The best example I can think of at the moment is when Tony Blair said that is Sinn Fein were elected in the NI assembly, they wouldnt stop a reunification

[Fodman]

i support democratic socialism because history has taught us that Marxist revolutions have turned out very different to what was intended - and i blame the sudden change from capitalism for this - if you wittle the government gradually towards Marxism, i believe that eventually it will be accepted - and all of the problems faced by the previous Marxist experiemtns would not exist

however this would be extremely difficult to do within a society where most of the government is controlled by bourgeoisie, i understand that