Conversation corner
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Democratic Socialism is dead.
Date2006/08/22 08:48 by: Steve McDonoughSocialism is dead. All self-claimed "democratic socialist" parties are at the center of the political system. They have realised that they gain more votes on the center than in the left. When PES parties are on the opposition they claim to be on the left, but there is no strong will from "socialist" governments to erradicate poverty, social injustice, discrimination, environmental problems, and promote other left-wing issues.
They maintain the status quo and people don't see difference between a Conservative and Labour governments in UK or a SPD or CDU/CSU government in Germany. So I think democratic socialism and the center-left is dead. Don't you agree? -
Re:Democratic Socialism is dead.
Date2006/08/22 10:47 by: Nils WörnerHello Steve, I don't agree with your argument. I personally believe that socialist parties have stucked for to long in their logic and strategies of the sixties and seventies and conequently we have lost "the last word on oppinions". The old receipts are not working with phenomenas like globalisation or free movement of capital.
But socialists in all over Europe are discussing strategies to build a more just and social Europe. Have a look on the newest magazin of the think tank supported by the PES: Social Europe. A must read: Stephen Haseler's controversial argument why Europe needs 'neo-protectionism'.
It's not time to mourn. It's time to fight back!
www.social-europe.com -
Re:Democratic Socialism is dead.
Date2006/09/04 18:01 by: MichelleSome months ago my teacher asked me to explain the reason why the democratic socialism is dead not only in Romania (the country where i live) but in entire Europe. In Romania were two major democratic socialist parties - PSD and PD (the last one wants to become a popular party now) and many other little parties. But no party, even if it is a social democratic or a liberal or a popular, has a distinct speech or distinct values and ideas. They all use the same clichees like combating the corruption or fighting against the poverty etc. The decline of social democratic party in romania is pretty avowedly for me: the romanians wanted to see "how are the other politicians". I ask my self , and i ask u, why this legitimacy crisis of democratic socialism in europe?
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Re:Democratic Socialism is dead.
Date2006/09/04 20:13 by: GermanInternationalistDemocratic Socialism is not dead.
It can die in certain parts of Europe if it does not deliver strong economic growth, jobs and low crime
and at the same time offers no vision, that people can be proud of.
Obviously in for example romania, but also in Germany or Italy or France, no socialist/social democratic government will stay in office, if it does not manage to get a booming economy and reduce crime.
The other competing field with the conservatives is "vision". Because often times now, conservatives offer a vision of family, hard work and national pride that (unfortunately) appeals to many people. Especially when inciting supremacist sentiment in people by polemicizing against minorities, such as foreigners, gypsies, homosexuals, etc...
Unfortunately many people enjoy hating weak minorities, because it attributes more importance to themselves.
