this post was submitted on 30 May 2026
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Social Democracy

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This is a political community dedicated to broad ideas of Sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ Dᴇᴍᴏᴄʀᴀᴄʏ which is a political ideology that has several different variants. We welcome anyone to discuss and participate in this community

What is Social Democracy?

There are a number of variants, but we can provisionally define it as a political ideology which prescribes the use of democratic collective action to extend the principles of freedom and equality valued by democrats in the political sphere to the organization of the economy and society, chiefly by opposing the inequality and oppression created by laissez-faire capitalism.

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[–] ChilledPeppers@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

My take is that socialist ideals are great. But socialism is infeasible, and thats why all atempts ended in failure and authoritarism.

People aren't scared of the "ideals", they are sacred of:

  • slipping into authoritarianim
  • a bloody revolution
  • economic decline because of a bogus economic system.

(Im a social democrat, hell yeah to everything in the post, but inside capitalism, because it at least survived for more than 80 years once).

[–] Phil_in_here@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Which of those 3 points are we avoiding right now with capitalism?

Oh, thats right, just the "revolution" part. Not even the "bloody" part. More people have been killed by capitalism than every political revolution in history combined

Yep, which is why I also want great change to the world right now.

I just don't believe neither in labor theory of value, nor in the "dictatorship of the proletariat" nor in anarchism (it is an absolutely great goal, but wouldn't work rn).

We are in a very authoritarian and corporate phase of the world. I want it to go back to consumer rights, social welfare state, and heavy regulation.

But not to follow the dream of marx or whoever, and just end up killing 6mi people in gulags.

[–] ironycanal@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Absolutely. Capitalism may not be ideal, but it's our only hope to avoid authoritarian bloodshed, economic decline, and insane bigoted purges of the population.

Capitalism may be exploitative, but it never caused a genocide. Never caused anybody hard working to go hungry, die of preventable illness, live outdoors when housing exists, or get murdered by death squads. Unlike communism.

[–] Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] ironycanal@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

That's more a statement than a question.