http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin // Culture. Consciousness. Critical Thought. // Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:43:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin/comment-page-1#comment-36896 Chris Maisano Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:54:05 +0000 http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin#comment-36896 Something that I neglected to mention in what I wrote, but probably should have mentioned, is the part of the poll which showed that something like 30% of self-identified Democrats said that they preferred socialism to capitalism. This doesn't necessarily mean much, but it seems to show that there could be a significant portion of the party's supporters that might be open to a forthright social democratic program and appeal. The more I think about this poll, the more amazed I get. Something that I neglected to mention in what I wrote, but probably should have mentioned, is the part of the poll which showed that something like 30% of self-identified Democrats said that they preferred socialism to capitalism. This doesn’t necessarily mean much, but it seems to show that there could be a significant portion of the party’s supporters that might be open to a forthright social democratic program and appeal. The more I think about this poll, the more amazed I get.

]]> http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin/comment-page-1#comment-36780 Jason Schulman Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:33:30 +0000 http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin#comment-36780 That the reversals were not by choice doesn't affect my argument. That the reversals were not by choice doesn’t affect my argument.

]]> http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin/comment-page-1#comment-36758 Bhaskar Sunkara Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:23:56 +0000 http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin#comment-36758 <P>Not all of the reversals were by choice.  Capital flight is a very real risk that threatens any nation's attempt to move towards Social Democracy and there were inefficiencies in a lot of these welfare capitalist models.  A real social democratic movement would be built from the bottom up empowering the polity in ways far different than what European corporatist states did. Unfortunately I'm not sure if Die Linke will go in this direction, it's a mix of welfare state nostalgics and GDR-apologists. Certainly European style "socialist" measures would be lightyears better than what we have now, but lucky for inspiration the left in the U.S. has participatory democracy efforts in Latin America to look to.</P> Not all of the reversals were by choice.  Capital flight is a very real risk that threatens any nation’s attempt to move towards Social Democracy and there were inefficiencies in a lot of these welfare capitalist models.  A real social democratic movement would be built from the bottom up empowering the polity in ways far different than what European corporatist states did. Unfortunately I’m not sure if Die Linke will go in this direction, it’s a mix of welfare state nostalgics and GDR-apologists. Certainly European style “socialist” measures would be lightyears better than what we have now, but lucky for inspiration the left in the U.S. has participatory democracy efforts in Latin America to look to.

]]> http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin/comment-page-1#comment-36740 Jason Schulman Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:23:49 +0000 http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin#comment-36740 I find it ironic that "European socialism" might be gaining an audience in the U.S. at the very time that the mainstream of European socialism -- social democracy -- is in deep political decline. Over the last twenty-five years virtually all social democratic parties have presided over some degree of market deregulation, commercialization and privatization of the public sector, and at least the piecemeal implementation of welfare-state retrenchment. If we U.S. socialists ever manage to create a mass movement I hope we can avoid the mistakes and reversals of "European socialism." I find it ironic that “European socialism” might be gaining an audience in the U.S. at the very time that the mainstream of European socialism — social democracy — is in deep political decline. Over the last twenty-five years virtually all social democratic parties have presided over some degree of market deregulation, commercialization and privatization of the public sector, and at least the piecemeal implementation of welfare-state retrenchment. If we U.S. socialists ever manage to create a mass movement I hope we can avoid the mistakes and reversals of “European socialism.”

]]> http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin/comment-page-1#comment-36686 Adrian Bleifuss Prados Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:46:50 +0000 http://theactivist.org/blog/the-times-they-are-achangin#comment-36686 I think Chris Maisano reads the poll right and Hertzberg is a bit too optimistic. The good news is that people seem more open to alternatives to the status quo, and the right's red-baiting is falling on deaf ears while well-informed liberals are making bolder cases for the welfare state.  I don't think most Americans know what  "European socialism" is. I'm not even sure that European socialists know what European socialism is. I think Chris Maisano reads the poll right and Hertzberg is a bit too optimistic. The good news is that people seem more open to alternatives to the status quo, and the right’s red-baiting is falling on deaf ears while well-informed liberals are making bolder cases for the welfare state.  I don’t think most Americans know what  “European socialism” is. I’m not even sure that European socialists know what European socialism is.

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