Democratic Socialism

Democratic Socialism (DemSoc), not to be confused with Social Democracy, is a  left-wing ideology inhabiting around the top center of the libertarian left quadrant. It is one of the more moderate socialists.

Democratic Socialism seeks to combine Democracy and  Socialism, viewing dominant socialist currents as undemocratic (and usually as not truly socialist, due to this). This is done typically by means of advocating for transition to socialism by Reformist and electoralist means, using  Liberal democracy to acheive a socialist society, rather than using revolutionary, or otherwise violent or non-reformist means. Despite the former, sometimes dubbed "Evolutionary Democratic Socialism", or just "Evolutionary Socialism", being by far the most popular Democratic Socialist current, there also exists a form of Democratic Socialism that does support (violent) revolution. Revolutionary Democratic Socialism does not view electoralism as a legitimate or practical way of achieving socialism, but rather supports a revolution to establish a socialist society with democratic governance. In this way, this form of Democratic Socialism is democratic not in its means, like Evolutionary Socialism, but only in its ends.

[[File:Cball-UK.png]] United Kingdom [[File:ClementAttlee.png]]
The UK Labour Party was first formed on the 27th of February 1900 by the Labour Representation Committee (a pressure group that focused on workers' rights) and was initially socialist and the abolition of private property was included in the party's platform but by the 1940s, in accordance with many other  socialist political parties in Europe, the abolishment of private property was dropped from their party platform and they swiftly won elections after this. Clement Atlee was elected prime minister in 1945, just three years later his party created the NHS and oversaw mass nationalizations and the formation of a comprehensive welfare state.

[[File:Cball-US.png]] United States [[File:Sanders.png]]
In the United States, Democratic Socialism exists in the form of  Sandersism. Sandersism first came around as an ideology in 1972 when Bernie Sanders ran for senator of Vermont under the Liberty Union Party, but lost the vote. He ran for Governor of Vermont as well in the same year but also lost. Bernie Sanders did later become senator of Vermont in 2006 and still has been the senator of Vermont to this day, but is now under the  Vermont Progressive Party (but somewhat independent) rather than the Liberty Union. Though he is still part of the Senate Democrat Caucaus and runs for president as a  Democrat. His runs for president in 2016 and 2020 put the term 'democratic socialism' into mainstream American political discourse, although his economic policies which more resemble that of Social Democracy, with him heavily citing the  Nordic Model as an inspiration, makes his classification as a democratic socialist debatable. Nonetheless, democratic socialist organizations like the DSA saw a huge boost in membership after his runs for president, with many of these members like AOC later being elected to congress.

[[File:Cball-Russia.png]] Russia [[File:Menshevik.png]] [[File:Esers.png]] [[File:Gorb.png]]
At the beginning of the 20th century in Russia, two parties stood on the positions of democratic socialism: the  Mensheviks and the  Socialist-Revolutionaries.

During the years of Soviet power, democratic socialism was popular among the opposition.In his “Draft Constitution of the Union of Soviet Republics of Europe and Asia”, Academician A. D. Sakharov reflected the principles of a state with broad democratic rights and a mixed planned market economy, in which entrepreneurs are financially responsible for the social consequences of their activities.

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and tried to reform the  Soviet Union.

Today, many provisions of democratic socialism have broad support in Russia. According to the All-Russian Poll of VCIOM in February 2006, 46.7% of the population spoke in favor of recreating a strong and socially oriented, but at the same time democratic, state. However, this ideology is almost not associated with the existing socialist or social democratic parties, which were supported by only 4% of the respondents.

[[File:Cball-Chile.png]] Chile [[File:Allende.png]]
As a result of the elections in Chile in 1970, the  Popular Unity party, led by  Salvador Allende, came to power. Economic reforms were carried out, as a result of which the US share in the Chilean economy decreased, and workers' self-government was also introduced.

However, in 1973 this government was overthrown by a military junta led by Augusto Pinochet.

[[File:Cball-India.png]] India [[File:Nehru.png]]
Jawaharlal Nehru is an Indian statesman, political and public figure. Under the mentorship of Mahatma Gandhi, he became Chairman of the Indian National Congress, and later, after the country gained independence on August 15, 1947, the first Prime Minister of India. He remained in this post until May 27, 1964, when he died of a heart attack. Nehru took a neutral position in foreign policy, implying India's independence from both the Western and  Eastern blocs. In view of this, he, along with Gamal Abdel Nasser and  Josip Broz Tito, took part in the tripartite consultations that preceded the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement, which unites countries with economies that differ significantly from  capitalism and  soviet central planning. However, he later admitted that the neutral position towards communism, which pursued an aggressive expansionist policy, was ineffective. China's attack on India forced it to move closer to the  NATO countries and abandon its neutrality.

In domestic politics, Nehru was an active supporter of  Georgism, while recognizing private initiative as the main functional engine of harmonious economic and social development.

[[File:ChenDuxiu.png]] Chen Duxiu Thought [[File:ChenDuxiu.png]]
Chen Duxiu Thought is an ideology based on the ideas of Chen Duxiu, the first general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. He believed that China should not follow the ideas of  Stalin, but should follow the path of  Trotskyism and  Democratic Socialism.

However, in 1927 he left the post of General Secretary of the CCP, and founded his own faction in 1929. In 1932 he was arrested by the Nationalist government. Though there had been a time when Chen was considered the leader of Chinese Trotskists, it turned out that his ideas were much different from the Trots', which left him hardly any supporters when he died in 1942.

Xie Tao and his "Democratic Socialism argument"
In 2007, Democratic Socialism writer Xie Tao's article Democratic Socialism and the Future of Workers led to a strong debate in China. Xie claimed that "only the Swedish Model of Democratic Socialism was the orthodox Marxism", and later further claimed that "only Democratic Socialism can save China" and called for political reform.

At that time, this article caused a strong debate in China, and even influenced CPC's 17th National Congress. Supporters believe that the high welfare social system mentioned in the article is progressiveness and referential. Opponents believe that the author did not have a deep understanding of the thoughts of Marx, Engels and Bernstein. In January 2008, Hu Jintao, Chinese presednt at that time, ended the debate by stating that "The Reform and Opening up Policy does not mean abolishing socialism".

Though being officially criticised throughout the history of CPC, there has always been a tendency of Democratic Socialism within some CPC members, especially when Dengism produced an ideological chaos in China.

[[File:Cball-Sweden.png]] Sweden [[File:LeftPartyicon.png]]
Jonas Sjöstedt is a Swedish politician who was Chairman of the Left Party from 2012 to 2020, and is a former metal worker. He has also been a member of the Swedish Parliament since 2010.

Sjöstedt became politically active in the trade union movement at Volvo's Umeå plant in the early 1990s. Despite the fact that he was elected MEP in 1995 from the Left Party in the united left - the Northern Green Left. He held this position until his retirement in September 2006. In 2010 he was elected a member of the Swedish Parliament for Västerbotten. In the election, he came first on the ticket of the Left Party (which usually receives one representative in that district) and was elected by a personal majority in one part of all the elected electoral votes (for a sufficient sample of more than 8%).

In January 2020, Sjöstedt announced his intention to step down as leader of the Left Party at the May convention, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his family, who currently lives in Vietnam. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention was postponed and Sjöstedt was the group's headquarters until the convention took place on October 31, 2020, when Nushi Dadgostar was elected as his successor.

Based in New York from 2006 to 2010, Sjöstedt is also a member of the US Socialist Party. He writes for Swedish publications, articles for radio and newspapers, as well as history and fiction. Married to a Swedish diplomat. Ann Mawe, who was a member of the Swedish delegation to the  UN.

Beliefs and Views
Democratic socialism is a left-wing  democratic and usually  reformist ideology. Its fundamental principles are the same as those of Social Democracy -  freedom,  justice,  equality and  solidarity.

[[File:Partip.png]] Economics [[File:Marketsoc.png]]
Economies of democratic socialism typically are formed of mass nationalizations of industries, while socdems simply want the commanding heights or essential public services to be controlled by the state, Democratic Socialists want the entire economy to be controlled by the state which can incur large costs and ultimately caused one of the first big divides of the UK labour party between those who wanted to save money by only nationalizing essential services and those who wanted to establish a socialist state. However in the modern day several Demsocs have come up with new versions of democratic socialism such as fiscal localism, where local communities are put first with tariffs and subsidizes given to keep full employment and avoid the deindustrialization that destroyed unions' political power across the west.

Another form of democratic socialism is with the implementation of Market Socialism where the state implements plans such as  Employee funds which would've seen unions control every company in Sweden approximately 20 years after implementation.

Personality
Democratic socialism usually behaves like a softer version of Socialism or like a harder version of  Social Democracy. He also doesn't like being confused with socdem.

How to Draw
Demsoc_flag.svg

USA style
Drawing Democratic Socialism in this design takes a few steps:


 * 1) Draw a ball
 * 2) Fill it with red
 * 3) Draw a white hand outline coming from the left
 * 4) Draw a black hand outline coming from the right, that holds onto the white hand
 * 5) Draw a white rose with 2 white leaves
 * 6) Draw the eyes and you're done!

Star style
Demsoc_flag2.svg Drawing Democratic Socialism in the star style also takes a few steps:


 * 1) Draw a ball
 * 2) Fill it with red
 * 3) Draw a white circle in the center
 * 4) Draw a smaller blue circle inside the white circle.
 * 5) Draw a white star over the circle, being careful to leave the points of the star outside of the white circle but the indentations well inside the blue one so this one is still visible
 * 6) Draw a smaller red star inside the white star
 * 7) Add the eyes and you're done!

Friends

 * [[File: Soc.png]] Socialism - My father had his problematic ways but his intentions were good.
 * [[File:Dem.png]] Democracy - Without democracy, a society is nothing.
 * [[File: Georgist.png]] Georgism - I like his policies on land, despite being a cappie.
 * [[File: Socgeo.png]] Social Georgism & [[File:GeoSynd.png]] Geosyndicalism - Like the above but better.
 * [[File:Prog-u.png]] Progressivism - A lot of my supporters support you
 * [[File: Libsoc.png]] Libertarian Socialism - Sometimes she's a little extreme in her rhetoric, but both of us value freedom and socialism.
 * [[File: Marketsoc.png]] Market Socialism - Based!
 * [[File:Libms.png]] Libertarian Market Socialism - Also based!
 * [[File:Synd.png]] Syndicalism - Even more based!
 * [[File: Partip.png]] Participism - An alternative to market socialism for a post-capitalist society.
 * [[File: Ecosoc.png]] Eco-Socialism - We gotta DEFEND THE EARTH!
 * [[File: Liberalsoc.png]] Liberal Socialism - We are very similar!
 * [[File:Soc21.png]] Socialism of the 21st Century - Cool Latin American Son
 * [[File:Eurocom.png]] Eurocommunism - Cool European nephew
 * [[File: Reform.png]] Reformism - The best way to achieve socialism.
 * [[File: Socdem.png]] Social Democracy - Some say we're different but the truth is that we overlap quite often. We both love Eugene V. Debbs and Olof Palme.
 * [[File: Leftpop-0.png]] Left-Wing Populism - For the people!
 * [[File:Bernst.png]] Reformist Marxism - One of the best forms of Marxism.
 * [[File:IronFront.png]] Iron Front - Down with [[File:Tankie.png]] tankies, [[File:Fash.png]] fascists and [[File:Monarch.png]] monarchists!
 * [[File:Leftnat.png]] Left-Wing Nationalism - Allende and Evo were based.

Frenemies

 * [[File:Consocf.png]] Conservative Socialism - I like your economic takes, but not your social takes.
 * [[File:Deleon.png]] De Leonism - I do agree with you that trade unions are important in the establishment of Socialism, but it seems somewhat unlikely in the modern day that we could use a political party to peacefully bring about socialism. (Thank you for teaching me the ways of Marx though)
 * [[File:Tito.png]] Titoism - Authoritarian tankie, but still better than the others. Pulling back Stalin was mega based. (Killing fascists in pits was even more based)
 * [[File:3princ.png]] Tridemism - Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People are based but you went down the drain quickly by Chiang Kai-shek's oppressive right-wing dictatorship and Maoist totalitarian communist tyranny, now I don't know what you are anymore.
 * [[File:World Federalism2.png]] World Federalism - We actually have quite a bit of history together. Some of my most famous proponents also supported you, but I hate how you can often be imperialistic.
 * [[File:Khrusch.png]] Khrushchevism - You are an authoritarian communist who crushed peaceful protests in Eastern Europe, but at least you did manage to De-Stalinize the USSR and enact cultural thaw. Shame that [[File:Brezhnev.png]] he undid everything you’ve done.
 * [[File:Socliber.png]] Social Libertarianism - I like your decentralization but when are you going to seize the means of production?
 * [[File:Ormarxf.png]] Marxism - You’re way too extreme. Also why do you keep saying I am a Marxist Communist?!
 * [[File:Chavismo.png]] Chavismo - A little too authoritarian but I still oppose any actions against you since that would be neocon imperialism. America should lift the sanctions on Venezuela even though Maduro is kinda cringe and much worse than his predecessor Chavez.
 * [[File:Nordmodel.png]] Nordic Model - Not exactly what I want, but not bad at all.
 * [[File:Civnat.png]] Civic Nationalism - I mean I don't hate you but you are too economically liberal quite often.
 * [[File:Soclib.png]] Social Liberalism - You are way too moderate! But we often have to work together in coalition governments.
 * [[File:Soccap.png]] Social Capitalism - Same as above but even worse.
 * [[File:Trot.png]] Trotskyism - You were part of us in the past, Then you betrayed us by joining [[File:Orthlen.png]] him, But Chen Duxiu is based.
 * [[File:Baath.png]] Ba'athism - As much as I despise both Saddam and Assad (the latter isn't even a socialist), the Iraq War and foreign intervention in the Syrian civil war made things much worse and led to the rise of ISIS.
 * [[File:Hochi.png]] Ho Chi Minh Thought [[File:Đổi Mới.png]] - Same as above. The US had no place in the Vietnam War but Vietnam is a repressive and now authoritarian capitalist one-party dictatorship like China.
 * [[File:NeoKemalism.png]] Nation Alliance - We sometimes work together to oppose [[File:Ottoman.png]] him and I might support your presidential candidate against Erdogan's dictatorship and his Islamofascist allies, but why do you also think that I am a [[File:PKK-icon-pcb.png]] PKK supporter?
 * [[File:Ancon.png]] Anarcho-Conservatism - Anarchism and Conservatism are neither my thing. But Orwell is based.
 * [[File:European Federalism.png]] European Federalism - Most of my followers are sceptical of you, but [[File:Liberalsoc.png]] some of my followers support you.

Enemies

 * [[File:Nazbol.png]] National Bolshevism - You're like [[File:Consocf.png]] ConSoc but worse.
 * [[File:Necon.png]] Neoconservatism - Stop spending our money on imperialist wars!
 * [[File:Corp.png]] Corporatocracy - Corporations are bad enough, and now you want them to rule!
 * [[File:Ancapf.png]] Anarcho-Capitalism - Aren't you that [[File:Corp.png]] scum again?
 * [[File:Zio.png]] Zionism - Free Palestine!
 * [[File:Pinochet.png]] Pinochetism - I'll never forgive you for what you did to [[File:Allende.png]] Allende!
 * [[File:ML.png]] Marxism–Leninism - Stop giving [[File:Soc-h.png]] him a terrible name!
 * [[File:Orthlen.png]] Leninism - STOP CALLING ME A MENSHEVIK!!
 * [[File:Dengf.png]] Dengism - Filthy monopolist (especially Tze-min) and authoritarian. Xi and Quanguo are even worse, being nazbols. Tankies still defend you for some reason I can't comprehend.
 * [[File:Monarch.png]] Monarchism - Why do you still exist?
 * [[File: Moncap.png]] Monarcho-Capitalism - Bruh.
 * [[File:Imp.png]] Imperialism - One of the biggest evils in human history.
 * [[File:Nazi.png]] Nazism & [[File:Fash.png]] Fascism - BASH THE FASH!
 * [[File:Korwinism-Pikselart.png]] Korwinism - Yes, I support socialism AND democracy. Got a problem with that?
 * [[File:Hoppef.png]] Hoppeanism - WHY?
 * [[File:3way.png]] Third Way - Fucking Blairites, I'll never forgive you for sabotaging Corbyn and ousting him from his own party!
 * [[File:Demcr.png]] Democratism - DAMN CORPOCRATS! Bernie and AOC are kinda based though.
 * [[File:Ottoman.png]] Neo-Ottomanism - QUIT TRYING TO BAN ME IN TURKEY! I AM NOT A [[File:PKK-icon-pcb.png]] PKK SYMPATHISER! STOP MAKING UP BULLSHIT! PKK is still better than you.
 * [[File:Obj.png]] Objectivism - What the hell is this pseudo-intellectual garbage?
 * [[File:Thatcher.png]] Thatcherism - Neolibtard cunt who ruined everything [[File:ClementAttlee.png]] Attlee did to Britain. Ding dong, the witch is dead.
 * [[File:AltBert.png]] Alt-Right Libertarianism - Bruh, you are literally a fascist that smokes weed.
 * [[File:Esofash.png]] Serranoism - If only I knew who I shook hands with...

Wikipedia

 * [[File:Demsocstar.png]] Democratic Socialism
 * [[File:WPD.png]] Workplace Democracy
 * [[File:Fabian.png]] Fabian Society

People

 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] Jeremy Corbyn [[File:Corbynism-ball.png]]
 * Political positions of Jeremy Corbyn
 * [[File:Cball-US.png]] Bernie Sanders
 * Political positions of Bernie Sanders [[File:Sanders.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] George Orwell [[File:AnTory.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Germany.png]] Karl Kautsky
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] Tony Benn [[File:TonyBenn.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] Aneurin Bevan
 * Bevanism
 * [[File:Cball-US.png]] Martin Luther King Jr. [[File:MLK Jr.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-France.png]] Jean-Luc Mélenchon [[File:LaFranceInsoumise.png]][[File:Melenchon.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-US.png]] Eugene V. Debs
 * [[File:Cball-US.png]] Michael Harrington [[File:Dsa.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] John McDonnell
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] Clement Attlee [[File:ClementAttlee.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] Dennis Skinner
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] Ken Livingstone
 * [[File:Cball-India.png]] Jawaharlal Nehru [[File:Nehru.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Germany.png]] Albert Einstein [[File:Einstein.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Sweden.png]] Olof Palme
 * [[File:Cball-Chile.png]] Salvador Allende [[File:Allende.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Bolivia.png]] Evo Morales
 * [[File:ROT.png]] Selahattin Demirtaş [[File:HDP Turkey.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Peru.png]] Verónica Mendoza

Political Parties

 * [[File:Cball-US.png]] Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) [[File:Dsa.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-UK.png]] Socialist Campaign Group
 * [[File:Cball-US.png]] Socialist Party USA
 * [[File:Cball-France.png]] La France Insoumise [[File:LaFranceInsoumise.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Spain.png]] Podemos [[File:Podemos.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Germany.png]] Die Linke [[File:LINKE.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Sweden.png]] Left Party
 * [[File:Cball-Finland.png]] Left Alliance
 * [[File:Cball-Brazil.png]] Socialism and Liberty Party
 * [[File:Cball-Portugal.png]] Left Bloc
 * [[File:Cball-Chile.png]] Popular Unity
 * [[File:ROT.png]] Peoples' Democratic Party [[File:HDP Turkey.png]]

Literature

 * Towards a Democratic Socialism
 * Social Democracy Versus Revolutionary Democratic Socialism
 * Socialism
 * Spectres of Marx by Jacques Derrida
 * Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
 * Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich
 * The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
 * No Logo by Naomi Klein
 * Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
 * Christianity and Social Order by Archbishop William Temple
 * The Chilean road to socialism: 1970-73 by Collier et all
 * The Chilean Agrarian Transformation: Agrarian Reform and Capitalist ‘Partial’ Counter-Agrarian Reform, 1964–1980 Part 1: Reformism, Socialism and Free-Market Neoliberalism by Antonio Bellisario
 * The Chilean Agrarian Transformation: Agrarian Reform and Capitalist ‘Partial’ Counter-Agrarian Reform, 1964–1980 Part 2: CORA, Post-1980 Outcomes and the Emerging Agrarian Class Structure
 * Evolutionary Socialism by Eduard Bernstein

Media

 * Jacobin
 * Dissent Magazine
 * Tribune

Videos

 * Democratic Socialism Vs. Social Democracy by Secular Talk
 * The *Socialist* Political Compass: Methods to create socialism by LuckyBlackCat
 * What Orwell Actually Believed by [[File:Soclib.png]] Ryan Chapman

Online Communities

 * r/DemocraticSocialism
 * r/AOC
 * r/OurPresident
 * r/demsocialists
 * r/demsocialist

Navigation
Socjalizm demokratyczny