Editing Reform

{{Distinguish|[[reformism]] or [[elections]].}}

'''Reform''' is the process of slow but gradual change instead of [[Revolution|changing things rapidly]]. Although reforms can have some use,<ref>
{{Citation
| author = V.I. Lenin
| year = 1921
| title = The Importance Of Gold Now And After The Complete Victory Of Socialism
| title-url = https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1921/nov/05.htm
| quote = [W]e must, as soberly as we can, estimate which problems can be solved by revolutionary methods at any given time and which cannot. From the point of view of our practical experience the Brest peace was an example of action that was not revolutionary at all; it was reformist, and even worse, because it was a retreat, whereas, as a general rule, reformist action advances slowly, cautiously, gradually, and does not move backward. The proof that our tactics in concluding the Brest peace were correct is now so complete, so obvious to all and generally admitted, that there is no need to say any more about it.
}}
</ref> [[Marxism|Marxists]] believe that a revolution is necessary to bring about socialism, as the [[bourgeoisie]] are not willing to hand over the [[means of production]].<ref>
{{Citation
| author = Rosa Luxemburg
| year = 1900
| title = Reform or Revolution?
| title-url = https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/
| quote = According to scientific socialism, the historic necessity of the socialist revolution manifests itself above all in the growing anarchy of capitalism, which drives the system into an impasse.
}}
</ref> True reform (as in only reforms with no revolution whatsoever) has consistently failed. Every time it has been attempted, the socialist state was either overthrown in a coup by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], didn't bring enough changes fast enough, or the bourgeoisie remained too powerful to let a socialist party gain dominance.

The ideologies which adopt the true reform method are [[Democratic socialism|democratic socialists]] and [[Social democracy|social democrats]].

==Examples==
===Chile===
{{Main article|Chile#Allende presidency}}
[[Salvador Allende]], a socialist, won power in office. He decreased the [[unemployment]] rate in [[Republic of Chile|Chile]] and increased industrial output. However, due to the bourgeois influence in government, he resorted to a mixed economy, and inflation under Allende (although not at fault of his own) skyrocketed as a result. He was later overthrown in a coup by the CIA and replaced by the dictator [[Augusto Pinochet]].

===Venezuela===
{{Main article|Venezuela}}
Venezuela is one of the more successful reforms brought about, however it took 2 decades for the party in Venezuela led by [[Hugo Chávez|Hugo Chavez]] to gain any significant power. Venezuela had very high living standards before the [[economic sanctions]], and the people benefitted from the welfare brought about from the oil industry. The country today is still led by a [[dictatorship of the bourgeoisie]], and 70% of its economy is control by the private sector. The country is also under economic sanctions by the [[United States of America|United States]], and the nation significantly has high inflation rates because of its overreliance on oil exports.

===Bolivia===
{{Main article|Bolivia}}
Bolivia under [[Evo Morales]] brought about a decrease in extreme [[poverty]] and total poverty, increased life expectancy and removed illiteracy altogether. However, the party was again overthrown in a coup and replaced with [[Jeanine Áñez|a dictator]] who ruled over the nation until 2020.
==References==

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