Why Social Democracy is Best - by Eddi the Psychedelic Cat
Karl Marx famously said: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles”
I reject this although my allegiance is with the working class, I believe that Social Democracy is a better deal for the working class than either Capitalism or Communism and that is why I advocate it
I believe that social relations and civilisations are not best characterised in terms of there being a struggle between competing classes with competing interests, I think this is the wrong way at looking at things
I believe that civilisations are best characterised by an
interdependence that exists between all classes of person and that politics should be the art of producing harmony, not victory over other segments and interests:
I believe that Civilisation is best served by peace and harmony, not conflict and opposition - but a peace and harmony that serves the ordinary people, not the political and economic elites
Civilisation must be civilisation for all – not just the elites, not just the most fortunate as is the case with Capitalism. And of course, Communism would amount to the abolishment of Civilisation, which I don’t think would be good for anyone....
This is the way I see things:
- Capitalism = good for the rich and powerful, terrible for everyone else
- Social Democracy = good for all but not as good as capitalism if you're a capitalist
- Communism = good for no one and not even possible so don't even go there!
As the Americans say, “it’s a no-brainer!”
I don’t see social relations between different classes as a fight, I see them as a dance
I think it is better to dance than to fight
Fights hurt all participants, dancing is good for all
Although there are conflicting class interests I believe there is a
common good, an agenda that serves all parties better than any program that favours only one party at the expense of the other
It's about the long-term interest of the ordinary people, not the short-term interest
For instance, nationalised utilities and public transport is best for all, so that’s what we should do (consider the situation with these in the UK to see how we shouldn’t do such things, you have the ludicrous situation of power companies existing not to generate power but to generate money for their shareholders)
I believe that there is a
general interest that serves all and that this is more important than the sectional interests of any one group – I believe that favouring one group over the other with no regard for the common interest is a recipe for disaster and goes against the general common interest and hence the best interests of the ordiary people
I believe that the ordinary people making the capitalists a part of a Social Democratic system is better for the ordinary people than liquidating the capitalist class, I believe that would be the end of Civilisation and would only lead to tyranny and destitution
I believe that the working class perusing the common interest by following a program of Social Democracy would be much better for it than trying to over-thrown and destroy the capitalist system and aiming to implement Communism, the only people who benefit from a program of Communism are Communist activists and elites - those who would become the Dictators in The Dictatorship of The Proletariat
Think Mao, or Stalin
Although I personally identify with the proletariat I believe that the proletariat is best served by a program that promotes the general interests of Civilisation, as such a program would be better for them than one that seeks to crush the capitalist class and the institutions that are typically associated with it, to strike out at these is not a move against capital for the workers, it is the dismantling of Civilisation and will only lead to barbarism
I do not see the capitalist class as being
necessarily parasitic, it is possible to make it work in symbiosis with the proletariat as without them everything fails, there needs to be both classes if the aim is to maintain any kind of system, the working class requires a capitalist system and capitalist institutions to enjoy any measure of prosperity or freedom, without these poverty and famine are guaranteed – history has made that quite clear
Once the ordinary people have become the ruling class the Capitalists should become a subordinate class and in the private sector the capitalist relations of production should be essentially maintained but within the context of a Socialist society - profit should still be the aim of private sector economic activity
It may sound counter-intuitive but it should be no great surprise. Without a queen bee a colony of bees will fade and die. Like bees and ants, humans are a eusocial species, trying to kill off one class of person would be akin to a human cutting off their own legs, so that their hands can gain more nutrients
Eusociality - Wikipedia
Communism is the political version of cutting off your nose to spite your face!
I believe that class interests come in the form of freedoms and that freedoms come in the form of rights
It is therefore possible to conceptualise the interests of a socio-economic class in terms of it having freedoms, which I believe can be observed in the form of rights
I believe in Citizenship – that people should be members and participants in society and politics, not subjects and that people should be Citizens in more than just name. You don't really get Citizenship under capitalism and you sure as hell don't get it under Communism!
The great sociologist TH Marshall said there are three kind of “citizenship rights”:
- Civil rights are such things as the right to own property, the right to a fair trial and due process
- Political rights are the rights to participate in the political system and covers being able to vote and freedom of expression
- Social rights entitle people to such things as education, healthcare and social security
Rights are more abundant in a Social Democracy than in Capitalism
And more abundant in Social Democracy than in Communism too, indeed Communism there are no rights
I believe this means that Social Democracy is better than both Capitalism and Communism and is therefore more desirable
In Social Democracy the common good is upheld, and a Civilisation is maintained but in a way that is good for all, not just the capitalists.
The interests of the workers are therefore upheld, unlike in either Capitalism or Communism!
This may not be as profitable for the capitalists as Capitalism but it is most certainly better for the ordinary people than either Capitalism or Communism, for the ordinary people it is by far the best deal and it is on that basis that it should be adopted
Social Democracy is the best system to have if you think Citizenship is a good thing – and how could you not think Citizenship is a good thing????
In a Social Democracy, competing interests are reconciled and the general interest identified and pursued
I believe that Corporatism could be a part of a Socially Democratic system in which all interests sit down at the same table and make everything work for all – the ordinary people should exercise their political rights to effectively force the elites to come to the table and become a part of the Social Democracy - we should make it their only choice!
Corporatism - Wikipedia
The common good can then be identified and perused, the rich would be able to keep a lot of their wealth but the ordinary people would be much better off – than either under Capitalism or Communism!
I suggest that such an arrangement could be based on a strong civic identity that all members of society hold to be more important than their own class interests or even their own interests as an individual
If it were up to me people wouldn’t call each other Mr. and Ms.
They wouldn’t call each other “comrade” either
Instead, they would call each other “citizen”
A Social Democracy would require the existence of a unified political community to which people belong as citizens and in which all humans belong to one community - this would of course entail responsibilities as well as rights and would require a
civic identity to which all humans belong
I believe that making things work “in the interests of society” (which is what Social Democracy does) is better than making things work “in the interests of the rich” (which is what Capitalism does) and better than abolishing society as we know it and taking a great leap into the dark (which is what Communism would have us do)
So, I propose:
Unity
Interdependence
Co-Operation
And aim to bring about:
Equality
Opportunity
Security
Freedom
Community
I believe these are good things and that Capitalism and Communism simply cannot deliver such things in the way a Social Democracy can
Capitalism is a disaster, that much is apparent, it's a total train-wreck
But so too is any system that aims for Communism
I don’t even think Communism is that desirable, if it was possible to make Communism magically happen (and it never has actually been implemented) then I wouldn’t much like it
I like having my own private property. I wouldn’t want some moron to come along and take my TV or my guitar and I wouldn’t want to take away anyone’s house or car and have them as my own
I do not believe that "property is theft", I believe property is a civil right
I wouldn’t want to inflict on anyone anything I would not want inflicted on myself
This principle is I believe the foundation of all moral systems
But here’s the bottom line:
As a person who is loyal to the ordinary people I think that Social Democracy best serves the ordinary people
If I did not believe this I would not advocate it
- Social Democracy is right
- Capitalism is wrong
- Communism is mistaken
Social Democracy best serves the ordinary people therefore I advocate Social Democracy
That is why I think Social Democracy is best, better than either Capitalism or Communism
With Social Democracy, the clue is in the name:
The aim is
Social
The means to that aim is
Democracy – citizenship and rights!
Communism does not deliver either, it is neither desirable and neither is it attainable
Social Democracy is both desirable and attainable
Social Democracy is therefore superior to Communism and represents the pinnacle of social development
It is by far the best option, even though that may sound and feel counterintuitive, at least at first
But if you give it any thought I think it makes perfect sense