Democratic Socialism And Communism

Democratic socialism is starting to cause a ruckus in the American political system, but this misunderstood political philosophy often times faces the greatest of criticisms. Democratic socialism is an ideology that takes its root in the work of political revolutionaries that grew tired of the exploitation of the working class such as, Karl Marx and Friedrch Engels. Its relationship with the aforementioned revolutionaries often causes many to relate democratic socialism with communism and other failed political ideologies that the United States has historically opposed. While many believe that democratic socialism is a direct attack on the capitalistic foundation the U.S. was built upon, it is far from it. As a new generation of voters arises

Many factory owners became wealthier, while most workers became impoverished. This lead to a class war between the owners and the workers seen in the writings of Marx, Engels, and other liberal political thinkers. According to Jason Schulman, an editor for the magazine New Politics and writer of Neoliberal Labour Governments and the Union Response: The Politics of the End of Labourism, Karl Marx the father of communism, also fathered the majority of socialist thinking. Karl Marx however did not believe in doing this through the democratic and state process but instead advocated a revolution in which socialist doctrines could be implemented. Democratic socialism did not become popular until post World War I when many socialist and democratic socialist parties began participating in the state processes. However, again after World War I we see the clash between democratic socialists and communism. Vladimir Lenin, the revolutionary leader of communism in Russia, denounced democratic socialists as traitors to the Marxist ideology. After it became apparent that the Marxist movement was broken, most communist parties and other members of the radical left turned to Socialist International. Socialist International, to this day still the largest international socialist organization. After the implementation of the democratic socialist movement in western Europe, the parties of

While participating in this process, many people do not fully understand what exactly they are voting to support or oppose. With the rise of democratic socialism, people are often times quick to judge, calling it communism or anti-American. It is far from it however; democratic socialism supports the capitalistic model of the U.S. while also helping redistribute wealth more fairly among its citizens. Understanding politics in general, not just democratic socialism, is important. Here in the United States we have been fortunate enough to have a democratic process that most countries around the world do not have. Participating in the process is just one part of recognizing this gift, but equally important is understanding what exactly it is you are voting