Democratic socialism

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Not to be confused with Social democracy.

Democratic Socialism refers to the theory of achieving socialism within the confines of bourgeois democracy, usually through electoral means. Democratic Socialists reject the Marxist–Leninist theory of achieving socialism by utilising the state to oppress the bourgeoise with the goal of achieving communism, as they perceive it to be "authoritarian" and "undemocratic."

Many Marxists argue that in a democratic socialist society, the bourgeoisie would still be the ruling class, and thus, have significant economic and political power, and will use that power to undermine the establishment of a socialist system, as they would not be willing to extinguish their own class.

Every "democratic socialist" government that has ever held office was eventually overthrown violently or elected out of their positions, underscoring the need for a full scale revolution. Democratic Socialist parties and associations, rife with infighting, tend to oppose parties that 'go too far' or seem too Marxist in consolidating power, leading to a cycle of half-finished revolutions. The right wing parties often seized upon the opportunity to take over and undo their work. They also face competition from social democratic parties which advocate very similar policies.

Origin

Democratic Socialism’s origins can be traced to multiple 19th century movements, including the Chartist movement in the United Kingdom, and, nominally, Marxism in Germany. The more distinct beliefs of Democratic Socialism, however, are more predicated in German Social Democrat Eduard Bernstein's belief in Evolutionary Socialism, that capitalisms demise would come from incremental legislation instead of through revolution. This ideology is an outright rejection of Marxism.

Democratic Socialist Chile

• Partido Socialista de Chile
• President of Chile Salvador Allende was deposed in a coup d'état by General Augusto Pinochet in 1973. The military junta immediately banned socialist, Marxist and other leftist political parties. Members of the Socialist party and other leftists were subject to violent suppression, including torture and murder, under the Pinochet dictatorship, and many went into exile.
• Salvador Allende was a socialist politician who was elected president of Chile in 1970, becoming the first Marxist to be elected to the presidency in a liberal democracy. In power, he pursued a program of radical reform, including the nationalization of key industries, the redistribution of land, and the expansion of social welfare programs. His government was supported by a coalition of left-wing parties, including the Chilean Communist Party, and was seen as a model for peaceful democratic socialist transition. However, Allende’s reforms faced opposition from powerful domestic and international forces, including right-wing politicians, the military, and the United States government. In 1973, Allende’s government was overthrown in a US-backed military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet, who established a brutal Fascist dictatorship that lasted for years.

Democratic Socialist Venezuela

• Movimiento al Socialismo
• MAS supported Hugo Chávez (1998–2000), but later opposed him for being too 'authoritarian'.

Democratic Socialist Nicaragua

• Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional
• The FSLN is now Nicaragua's dominant party. Since the 2006 Nicaraguan general election when Daniel Ortega was reelected President of Nicaragua, Ortega and the FSLN have centralized power, which critics view as 'undemocratic'. On January 30, 2019, the FSLN was expelled from the Socialist International (a democratic socialist international association), and the Democratic Revolutionary Party of Panama, also a member of the Socialist International, rejected the expulsion of the FSLN and threatened to leave the International.

Democratic Socialist South Africa

• ANC

Democratic Socialist Bolivia

• Movimiento al Socialismo
• Evo Morales and Luis Arce
• Ousted by right wing reactionaries

Democratic Socialist Nepal

• Ousted by a color revolution

See also

• Eurocommunism
• Reformism
• Social democracy