• manuallybreathing@lemmy.ml
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    6 hours ago

    A bit like saying how saying Chinese Communist Party instead of Communist Party of China invokes all sorts of racist gunk in liberal democracies

    good post

  • freagle@lemmy.ml
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    18 hours ago

    Yes and also no. Yes because that is clearly the role it plays in the US. But no in the sense that it is a name for a specific theory of action, the theory that you can achieve socialism through voting instead of through a coup (even a bloodless one) or a civil/revolutionary war.

    • Dessalines@lemmy.mlOP
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      15 hours ago

      True, but also as a tactic (IE voting in socialism) its a complete historical failure that should be relegated to the history books. There has not been a single case of a country acheiving socialism through the ballot box.

      All the attempts in the late 1800s until now showed that capitalists will not give up state power without violence, and even explicitly socialist parties who acheived some electoral success, end up quickly capitulating to the demands of the capitalists who run the country’s economy, and make a hard turn to the right. Look at the state of the European “socialist” or “labour” parties.

      Not to mention all the coups the US carried out even on countries who attempted to tread a “non-violent” socialist path: like Chile in 1970. While the countries who took control of the military and went through a civil war to disempower and nationalize capital are still standing on their own two feet: Cuba, China, Vietnam, DPRK.

      “Democratic socialism” is also sometimes used (incorrectly) to refer to capitalist-run states in the imperial core (like the nordic states) with some welfare band-aids, funded on the backs of the world’s workers in the global south.

      • Andy@slrpnk.net
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        12 hours ago

        Respectfully: I think this take is dumb.

        There’s no practical utility in fighting against democratic socialists. They’re not a problem that needs solved. It’s a label used to organize people who are looking for an easy every point to leftist organizing. Most DSA “socialists” I know are actually radical dual power ML Communists already.

        Complaining that DSA socialism is ineffective is like complaining that the first rung of a ladder is too close to the ground.

        Just focus on building up the stuff you like better. Instead of explaining why voting is insufficient, point people towards what is.

        • Dessalines@lemmy.mlOP
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          5 hours ago

          Scientific socialism is a science. We build on foundations and knowledge gained through years of experience, and we’ve learned that acheiving socialism through voting and electoralism in capitalist dictatorships is not only impossible, inneffective, and a dead end, but a drain on people’s energy. If people keep treading the wrong roads, and through historical ignorance keep making the same mistakes people have made hundreds of times, then we aren’t doing our duty.

          It’s a label used to organize people who are looking for an easy every point to leftist organizing.

          No, as the post stated, its a western-chauvinist / supremacist dogwhistle to agree with CIA talking points and demonize existing socialist states as being “not democratic”. Western supremacy is the root cause of many of these issues that should be tackled at the root instead of being allowed to fester and grow.

          Just focus on building up the stuff you like better. Instead of explaining why voting is insufficient, point people towards what is.

          Both sides are equally important: showing what doesn’t work, and showing what does work.

      • freagle@lemmy.ml
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        17 hours ago

        Absolutely correct. I just find that leaning in to the real history makes smearing it as a sheepdog and as a psyop somewhat more effective

    • redrum@lemmy.ml
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      17 hours ago

      What you describe is called social democracy. And, in my opinion, it is an ideological cul-de-sac.

      • freagle@lemmy.ml
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        16 hours ago

        The words social democracy and democratic socialism have swapped definitions and started the same and have been translated variously. It’s even more confusing than the word histories of socialism and communism.

        My understanding of social democracy in the contemporary meaning is liberal capitalist society with substantial concessions to the working class for quality of life, while democratic socialism is a movement to end liberal capitalism via the ballot box.

    • SpookyBogMonster@lemmy.ml
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      9 hours ago

      Why isn’t Cuba listening to me, A le based Twitter user, and using their… checks notes speaking slot at DSA national convention to call them all cringe libs???

    • TiredTiger@lemmy.ml
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      12 hours ago

      You have way more patience than I do, and I applaud that. I’m going to be charitable and assume this .worlder didn’t bother reading the article beyond the excerpt, because it’s way more upsetting if they did.

      I had just watched a video on YouTube yesterday about how the CIA used missionaries and commodities to try to control indigenous peoples, and I was reminded of that when I read the article this morning. The world doesn’t have to be this way, and it’s beyond sad that so many people seem to think it can’t be any better than it is.

    • ZeroHora@lemmy.ml
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      17 hours ago

      The type of person who vote for 99.99% Hitler to stop the 100% Hitler and don’t understand why everything is shit down the line.