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Social democracy (which is what I think you meant, since the U.S. is definitely not an example of democratic socialism) and socialism are very different. The fi

Social democracy (which is what I think you meant, since the U.S. is definitely not an example of democratic socialism) and socialism are very different. The first redistributes the proceeds of capitalism. The second has the state controlling the means of production without the price mechanism which is necessary to coordinate economic activity in a large, technologically advanced society.

nickthemagicman 8y ago
Social Democracy and Democratic Socialism are both subsets of the giant umbrella of socialism. Also communism falls under this umbrella. The U.S. state does control the means of production in certain industries which you see with this current govt shutdown. Aircraft, roads and highways, and many other industries. The key tenant of some schools of socialism is for govt to control the means of production for key areas of the public interest such as police,fire fighters, roads, health care. Etc. What bothers me is the inability of people to differentiate between full on communism and America's/Sweden's/France's measured version of socialism. It's all lumped under the same umbrella of 'socialism is bad reeeee'.
- toasterlovin 8y ago
  Social democracy is not a form or variety of socialism. From Wikipedia (emphasis mine): "Social democracy is a political, social, and economic ideology that supports economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a liberal democratic polity and capitalist economy." "Socialism is a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership and workers' self-management of the means of production" And the U.S. government generally does not own the means of production (there may be a few small exceptions). In all of the examples you cite (aircraft, roads, and highways), the government is buying something that is produced by a non-governmental corporation. That is not the same as owning the means of production, which would entails something more like the government owning the heavy equipment used to make roads and highways and employing the workers who operate those machines, or the government owning and operating airplane factories.

nickthemagicman 8y ago

Social Democracy and Democratic Socialism are both subsets of the giant umbrella of socialism. Also communism falls under this umbrella. The U.S. state does control the means of production in certain industries which you see with this current govt shutdown. Aircraft, roads and highways, and many other industries. The key tenant of some schools of socialism is for govt to control the means of production for key areas of the public interest such as police,fire fighters, roads, health care. Etc. What bothers me is the inability of people to differentiate between full on communism and America's/Sweden's/France's measured version of socialism. It's all lumped under the same umbrella of 'socialism is bad reeeee'.

toasterlovin 8y ago
Social democracy is not a form or variety of socialism. From Wikipedia (emphasis mine): "Social democracy is a political, social, and economic ideology that supports economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a liberal democratic polity and capitalist economy." "Socialism is a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership and workers' self-management of the means of production" And the U.S. government generally does not own the means of production (there may be a few small exceptions). In all of the examples you cite (aircraft, roads, and highways), the government is buying something that is produced by a non-governmental corporation. That is not the same as owning the means of production, which would entails something more like the government owning the heavy equipment used to make roads and highways and employing the workers who operate those machines, or the government owning and operating airplane factories.