Big Question

[Half Pint John]

Many members don't seem to understand Democratic Socialism as practice in most of Europe.

So now the BIG question. What does our US system offer that the DS of Europe doesn't?

[T. A. Gardner]

The biggest difference I see between the way government works in Europe and the US is that in the US fringe elements have far less say and virtually no chance of obtaining any real power.

The reason for this is in Europe the norm is to apportion seats in a parliament or the like by percentage of vote. This means many smaller parties and fringe elements get elected in small numbers. These groups are often critical to a large party that holds less extreme views when it comes time to form a coalition government because there was no clear winner in the election process. This is how Hitler came to power.
It is how groups on either fringe manage to get their agendas pushed through over time.

In the US, because of the two-party system and most elections being "winner take all" the two major parties cannot afford to be too far to the Left or Right. At the moment in the US, the two major parties have moved too far from Center, Left and Right, to garner even anything close to a plurality of voters. The result has been a massive rise in Independent / no party preference voters who are dissatisfied with one or both major parties. In the short run has given rise to more extreme candidates for national office. In the long run, it is unsustainable for either party. The system will be forced back to the Center to have any credibility. The danger is that one extreme or the other gets sufficient power for sufficient time to undo the system and wreck what was intended to prevent such a thing from happening.

[ljadw]

there is no democratic socialism,not in Europe, not in the rest of the world, unless one should qualify the regime of NK as democratic socialism .

[Mountain Man]

there is no democratic socialism,not in Europe, not in the rest of the world, unless one should qualify the regime of NK as democratic socialism .

Try Sweden or Iceland.

[Jannie]

One of my son's old high school buddies married a Danish nurse and he moved over there. He thinks it's Paradise. Great vacation policies, free day care, great paternity leaves, great Senior care policies (his widowed mother was going over last I heard) and good health care mostly paid for by taxes. Of course, taxes are high and ordinary living expenses are high also, but with the goodies they get he thinks it's worth it. He loves his vacation time--he travels all over Europe on his time off.

The way I look at it is we could have all those goodies too, but we are the military guardian of the Western World, so while we pay for their security they luxuriate in Socialist Paradise that we are essentially making possible.

[johns624]

there is no democratic socialism,not in Europe, not in the rest of the world, unless one should qualify the regime of NK as democratic socialism .

Democracy implies having a choice on who to vote for, so I don't think NK counts.

[Escape2Victory]

One of my son's old high school buddies married a Danish nurse and he moved over there. He thinks it's Paradise. Great vacation policies, free day care, great paternity leaves, great Senior care policies (his widowed mother was going over last I heard) and good health care mostly paid for by taxes. Of course, taxes are high and ordinary living expenses are high also, but with the goodies they get he thinks it's worth it. He loves his vacation time--he travels all over Europe on his time off.

The way I look at it is we could have all those goodies too, but we are the military guardian of the Western World, so while we pay for their security they luxuriate in Socialist Paradise that we are essentially making possible.

This seems a good summary of the trade off. Higher taxes for a wider range of social benefits. Of course no such arrangement exists in much of Africa and Asia, providing a strong incentive to come to Europe.

[SRV Ron]

Democracy implies having a choice on who to vote for, so I don't think NK counts.

They can vote, or not vote, for the dictator in power.

Failure to vote for "Dear Leader" can result in a forfeiture of one's life which no doubt, may happen to the workers that built and launched the missile that exploded seconds after being launched for "Dear Leader's" birthday celebration.

[G David Bock]

Many members don't seem to understand Democratic Socialism as practice in most of Europe.

So now the BIG question. What does our US system offer that the DS of Europe doesn't?

Many members fail to understand the difference between a Republic and Democracy ...

https://youtu.be/DioQooFIcgE?t=6


... Many members are deluded into thinking that bigger Guv'mint is Better Guv'mint ....

... Many members are clueless and don't appreciate how much Debt provides the "Free Lunches" of "Democratic Socialism" ...
http://usdebtclock.org/world-debt-clock.html

... Many members are clueless on the difference between Wealth and Money ...

... Many members have no real experience at Wealth Creation~Free Enterprise ...

... Many members are Statist whom think Guv'mint exists to Provide ...
... While other members believe the Best Guv'mint is the one that stays the most out of the way.

TANSTAAFL!

[T. A. Gardner]

They can vote, or not vote, for the dictator in power.

Failure to vote for "Dear Leader" can result in a forfeiture of one's life which no doubt, may happen to the workers that built and launched the missile that exploded seconds after being launched for "Dear Leader's" birthday celebration.

[ljadw]

Democracy implies having a choice on who to vote for,

As in the SU,who called itself a peoples democracy ?

And ,no : democracy does not imply a choice on who to vote for .

[ljadw]

Try Sweden or Iceland.

These are welfare-states which is not the same as socialism.

[Mountain Man]

These are welfare-states which is not the same as socialism.

Actually, they are socialistic governments that operate democratically. Look up the definition of "socialism". It is not "welfare". The people chose this form of government; it was not imposed upon them.