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Democracy - Coggle Diagram
Democracy
Perry Anderson: Problems of socialist strategy
unable to answer the question of how we get to socialism
moral critique of society without regard for historical process
modern strategic thought is weak
Cold War - created a gulf between theory and practice
Labour Party lacks theory
real socialism requires socialist revolution
2 Roads to Socialism:
Social Democracy
Labour Party - gradual system of reform - socialism rooted in democracy
respect constitutional framework
must win an election, have majority in parliament, legislate gradual reforms
(after WWI) seemed successful at first, the Western road to socialism
what is used to measure progress?
size of public sector
distribution of national income
reject Russian communism - totalitarian therefore not socialist
author argues that a Leninist strategy in the West is fundamentally regressive
threatens to destroy vital historical creation - aim should be to surpass it
"Leninism represented a sombre but genuine adaptation to its world; social democracy represented a false adaptation"
actually an absorption rather than adaptation
the Welfare State
not necessarily connected to social democracy (enlightened or authoritarian Govs can also create Welfare state)
ideals/values
concrete goals - common ownership, distribution
2 programmes which are constantly in conflict
due to pressure of capitalist economy/society
2 more items...
Communism
Lenin - liberation of proletariat only possible through violent revolution of the masses
also destroying the system of state power created by ruling class
realized in Russia
reason why it was not democratic = scarcity
socialism is not just democracy + social ownership
scarcity makes man an enemy of man
of things
could not produce enough to feed population, ex. shoes for only 1/3 people
1 more item...
of men
1/4 men could read and write
1 more item...
of values
no durable political institutions
no cultural/democratic traditions
no national identity
of time
under constant threat of invasion
industrialization was rapid/rushed (to be on par with West)
but realized artificially in other Eastern European states
Leninism successful because it was 'almost perfectly adapted to the specific conditions of its time and place' 227-228
both social democracy and and communism 'polarize their whole strategies on the state: civil society remains outside the main orbit of their action'
East: state was sole vector of change - civil society no structured existence without it
West: civil society predominates state politically when diminishing scarcity
heteronomy of state = failure of social democracy
The Hegemonic Party
insurrectionary = seizure of arbitration power by disciplined minority
parliamentary = electoral victory by numerical majority
Hal Draper: The Two Souls of Socialism
issue is the meaning of socialism
positive side: wide range of conflicting ideas
negative side: anti-capitalism
divide between socialism from above and below
below
socialism can only be realized by emancipation of activated masses
above
socialism must be handed down to the masses
communist dictatorship