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stella41b -> RE: Social Democracy Works ? (1/14/2010 5:32:42 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: rockspider
The ignorance of many Americans, when it comes to foreign politics is legendary. One of the things who really amuse me, is the hard right wingers in USA, who when encountering anything to the left of the republican party, labels it communism. That shows their absolute stupidity. Communism is a form of government, where everything belongs to the state and the state micromanages society under a centralised government under a one party state. That does not exist in Europe any more since the collaps of the east block and has never existed in western Europe.
Social democratic government on the other hand is a capitalistic soceity where the state regulates the overall lines the private sector operates under. It also levies high taxes as the aim of it is to make sure there is education, health care, transportation, retirement benefits, a decent living for the sick and incapable and many more things.
I can say a lot of good things about the USA, but the fact that 50 million people do not have access to basic medical care, meanwhile a talk show host on TV can earn 100 million $ a year and pay lest than 25 % tax, that stinks to high heaven.[:'(]
Incidentially, all the countries in Europe functions as democratically run republics. Some of them is on paper monarchies, but that has no political significanse at all. The royal families stay totally clear of any political involvement what so ever. It normally is a big political scandal when they forget it[:D]
Exactly. But you know it's also got to be said that most of those held to be previously communist or socialist countries in Central and Eastern Europe have made a much better transition towards social democracy with far fewer problems and in much less time than their neighbours in Western Europe.
This could not have happened if the former system, whether it be communist or socialist or whatever, didn't work or function to some degree.
And that is the difference which very few people ever take into account or consider. Unlike the idealistic 'dreams of utopia' socialism in the West in the East it was very much about work, having the means of production and living a productive life which probably goes some way to explaining why it worked far better than it ever could in the West.
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