IN DEFENSE OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM

The 2020 election promises to be a wild affair, with many Americans becoming more entrenched in their political bunkers than ever before.  The one political ideology that will receive the most abuse is the much-maligned concept of democratic socialism.  I will offer a brief defense.

 For many Americans, it does not matter that the term “socialism” is preceded by the word “democratic.” The mention of socialism conjures up visions of communism, totalitarian leaders and the end of individual liberties. The words of British Conservative writer, Roger Scruton provide a summary of the prevailing view: 

“The future of mankind, for the socialist, is simple: pull down the existing order, and allow the future to emerge. But it will not emerge, as we know. These philosophies of the “new world” are lies and delusions, products of a sentimentality which has veiled the facts of human nature.”

What conservatives and even traditional democrats fail to remember is that “pulling down the existing order and allowing the future to emerge”” was exactly the answer for taming the abuses of the industrial revolution.  Democratic socialism provided the roadmap for how a democratic society would respond to the abject poverty, overcrowding, and ill health in the expanding urban areas. It gave voice to a political culture that would make room for immigrants into the existing community. It expanded voting rights for Western Europe and America, without social unrest.  In the twentieth century communism and fascism succeeded only in those countries where democratic socialism with its liberal reforms was not permitted to flourish.

I would argue that the social challenges of the industrial revolution have returned under a different guise as we enter the information revolution.  It is no longer an adequate response to only provide an economic floor for the unfortunate and disabled in society. The new challenge is to determine what role the nation must undertake in order for all its citizens to pursue healthy, full and decent lives.  This is why progressives who favor democratic socialism are calling for universal health care, low cost higher education, income leveling by taxing the wealthy and policies to face climate change head on.

The greatest misconception concerning democratic socialism is its effects on the political life of democratic institutions. It is a myth, encouraged by conservative social media and outright false propaganda that political elites and societies that have adopted democratic socialism seek to limit individual liberty or other democratic principles.

 Opponents of democratic socialism point to Venezuela, Russia and China as examples of our fate if its policies are adopted in America.  An examination of each case leads to a different conclusion.  In truth,  Venezuela’s democracy collapsed decades ago, not because of  its reliance on democratic socialism but because of its slide into kleptocracy, where the country is governed by a loose confederation of criminal enterprises.

The Russian political elite has no affinity for democratic socialism and has taken control of all media to weaken public confidence in democratic elections and to increase support for its own brand of crony capitalism and authoritarianism. China’s brand of market capitalism has emboldened autocrats around the world to seek economic prosperity without opening the door to civil liberties or democratic political competition.

The best blueprint for democratic socialism lies in Scandinavia where the Nordic model employed by Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland has resulted in increased economic productivity, high social equality, social trust in democratic institutions and over the moon levels of personal happiness.

Consider the decaying levels of social trust in America.  In Scandinavia, as pointed out by David Brooks in a recent opinion article (NYT, 2/13/20 This Is How Scandinavia Got Great) the Nordic model reinvents basic education to confront social integration at an early age. The goal is to “create in the mind of the student a sense of a wider circle of belonging-from family to town to nation-and an eagerness to assume shared responsibility for the whole.” This approach places all of society on the same side as contrasted with American tribalism and narrow silo thinking of “me” over “us”.

 I am not suggesting that democratic socialism is the panacea for all of our social ills. Moreover, there are other well-constructed visions on the way forward for our complex democratic republic. But it is wrong to dismiss the principles of democratic socialism out of hand without considering its value in planning for our future.

Lastly, a word about where the real danger lies for liberal democracy. According to the National Endowment for Democracy, global democratization peaked in 2005.  Since then many regimes have turned undemocratic.  Liberal democracies have become illiberal.  Many new democracies have declined into what political scientists call “competitive autocracies”.  This trend has nothing to do with the principles of democratic socialism and everything to do with the election of populist political leaders who seek to divide voters and who encourage their followers to favor the individual in charge over democratic institutions.

A WINTER TRIP TO BROADWAY

A journey to New York City in late January is not for everyone. The biting wind howls through the skyscraper canyons and holiday splendor is no more. But the city holds a secret for those who venture forth into the cold.  Many Broadway performances have a special two for one ticket sale, hotel rates are the lowest of the year and winter restaurant week offers outstanding value for lunch and dinner.  Moreover, the Metropolitan Museum is always featuring new exhibits and the Winter Antique Show is in full swing at the Park Avenue Armory.

The last week in January, we spent four nights at the Paramount Hotel, just off Times Square. Our objective was to pack in as much theater as we could consume.

 First, Hadestown, voted best Broadway show of 2019. This lively musical tells a version of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, where Orpheus goes to the underworld to rescue his fiancée Eurydice. Intertwined is the myth of Persephone who became Queen of the Underworld after Hades abducted her from a flowering meadow to become his wife. The pandemonium that ensues is a sad tale and first rate entertainment.

Our second day was dedicated to six hours of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, presented in two parts at a matinee and evening performance. This best play of 2018 picks up where the books and movies ended.  Harry Potter is an adult and his wayward son turns Hogwarts upside down.  The illusions are first rate and the story leaves one guessing until the end.

The next evening was the play, To Kill a Mockingbird as reinvented by Aaron Sorkin.  This adaptation narrows the story and focuses on the trial proceedings of Tom Robinson, falsely accused of raping a white woman.  The courtroom drama is riveting. While defense lawyer, Atticus Finch, now played by Ed Harris, appears to be the tolerant one in a sea of racism, he has his own issues with white privilege.  In my view, the African American housekeeper stole the show with her witticisms and reminders that black Americans in the Deep South were abused and degraded at every opportunity.

Earlier in the day we traveled by Uber to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to take in the well-publicized special exhibit on “Science and Splendor in the Courts of Europe”.  Between 1550 and 1750, nearly every royal family in Europe assembled vast collections of valuable and entertaining objects. Such lavish public spending and display of precious metals was considered an expression of power.  The objects on display reminded us that our history is often stranger and more awe inspiring than anything manufactured by Broadway.

Our last full day in New York began with a visit to the Winter Antique show on Park Avenue. The Winter Show is the leading art, antiques, and design fair in America, featuring 72 of the world’s top experts in the fine and decorative arts.  Held at the historic Park Avenue Armory, the fair highlights a dynamic mix of works dating from ancient times through the present day and maintains the highest standards of quality in the art market. Each object at the fair is vetted for authenticity, date, and condition by a committee of 150 experts from the United States and Europe.  We saw all the exhibits and bought nothing. (Any purchase would require a second mortgage on our home).

Our final Broadway entertainment was the Disney musical Aladdin.  Highly predictable but memorable for its stunning staging and musical score.  It was amazing to me that this show, which opened in March of 2014, could still pack the house six years later.

Our meals ran the gamut from cafeteria fare, to the ubiquitous pastrami sandwich at the Roxy Deli to fine dining at Becco, owned by Lidia  Bastianich whose operation in the Strip District recently closed.  We also had an outstanding lunch in the Met’s formal dining room and a late night meal at Sardis, the birthplace of the Tony Awards.

We had planned to see the held over Opera Porky and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera, but the ticket prices were over the moon. While stranded in Newark for our delayed flight home, we discovered that Cinemark Theaters were showing the Opera the following week in Robinson Township.  We quickly bought tickets to extend our theater experience a little while longer.