Social Democracy [View all]

[Progressive2020]

I think that many Americans have an aversion to the term "socialism", but not to actual social programs. The older generation has Social Security and Medicare, and they love those programs. It could be argued that those two well-loved programs are socialist programs. It depends on your terminology. I personally would rather refer to them as "progressive" programs.

The term "socialism" has been demonized in American politics for decades and decades. They called FDR a socialist when he implemented Social Security. They called Social Security a "socialist" program to demonize it. They did the same with LBJ and Medicare later on.

These types of programs are no different from Sander's Medicare For All. They are social welfare programs that a majority of people want. They just do not like to call them "socialist", as that term has been demonized. Maybe better to use the term "progressive" for programs that people love and want, like Social Security, like Medicare. And those programs are overwhelmingly liked by the older generation as well as many younger demographics. For example, my Step-father is a Republican, but God forbid that you try to take his Social Security away.

Also, I have seen some people compare Democratic Socialism to Communism. This is a smear campaign against Social Democracy. Social Democracy and Communism are two entirely different things. Republicans continue to equate them, but it is a false equivalency. China and Russia in the 20th Century were not Socialist Countries- they were Communist Dictatorships. They are nothing like Social Democracies. Social Democracies are countries like Denmark and Norway which have democracy and strong private sectors that pay taxes to support a strong social safety net. Universal Health Care, Child Care, Free University, Good Pay, Long Vacations, etc.

This is what Social Democracy proposes. Comparing that to Totalitarian Communist Dictatorships shows a profound misunderstanding of what Socialism/Social Democracy is. Communism has no democracy and no private sector. Social Democracy has both a strong private sector and a democracy with a strong social safety net. Social Democracy and Communism are night and day, no matter how much propaganda says that they are the same. They are nothing alike.

So, Social Democracy and Communism are night and day and are not the same thing. To put forward that false equivalency is to help the Republicans, who like to smear any social program as some form of communism. Universal Health Care and Free University are socialist ideas, not communist ones. Socialist societies are democracies with private sectors and safety nets. Communist societies are totalitarian societies with no democracy, no private sector, and no freedom. Do not confuse the two.