Difference between revisions of "Danton's politics"

All Western democracies are in fact social-democratic. The Keynesian welfare state, introduced in the United States during the great depression of the 1930s as a response to one of the cyclic crises inherent in capitalism, is a form of minimal social-democracy. The difference between the welfare state and socialism proper is only a matter of degree. As a moderate socialist I advocate a greater degree of socialism, but within the same framework, that of liberal democracy.

The ''theory'' of moderate socialism was developed by Eduard Bernstein, who invented the term "social-democracy." Bernstein thought that the transition to socialism could be gradual, rather than requiring a revolutionary rupture.

The ''practice'' of moderate socialism was developed in particular in France by Leon Blum, whose Popular Front government illustrated how a leftist coalition could exercise power within the framework of liberal democracy, and then yield the power when overturned in the elections. More recently, John Rawls developed a theory of social justice which has affinities with a moderate socialist perspective.

Marx provided a useful diagnosis of the problems of capitalism, and a terrible prescription for their remedy. The Marxist model of the dictatorship of the proletariat, inherited from the Terror of the French revolution, led inevitably to the totalitarian regime of Stalin.

The formal mechanisms of liberal democracy, including free speech, universal sufferage with multiple parties, and a "state of law," are necessary to protect human rights and freedoms, whatever the economic system. Furthermore, a liberal democracy recognizes the right to property ownership, and by extension the right to hire the labor of others and operate as a "capitalist," a right which  is denied under state-enforced communism. The best way to work towards the ideals of egalitarianism and cooperative endeavor is to promote them within the framework of liberal democracy.

Like the Marxists, the leftist anarchist movements made the mistakes of rejecting liberal democracy and of advocating compulsory collectivism. But the anarchists developed a model of the autonomous collective unit which maintains its relevance today as a decentralized form of economic and political organization.

In the economic context, the automous collective unit is the workers cooperative. As a complement to top-down social reform carried out by the state, the working class movement should focus on building economic democracy from the bottom up, through the creation of cooperatives. A decentralized movement of voluntary association will in the long run allow us simply to replace companies that mistreat their employees, rather than having to keep struggling with their owners.

After the small group, we reach the individual. Traditional social movements have focused on collective welfare, to the point of asking individuals to sacrifice themselves for the group. But as Max Stirner put it: "What is not supposed to be my concern! ... Only my cause is never to be my concern." (In other words, I am supposed to support all of the good causes - but when will I take care of myself?) If individuals are of value in and for themselves, we should help them to realize their individual goals.

Just as we can help the smaller group to gain autonomy within society by fostering workers coops, so we can help individuals to improve their position within the group by promoting individual autonomy. The strengthening of all individuals within the group makes them more equal in power, thereby reducing the weight of elitism and facilitating an [[inclusion culture]].