Delete comment from: Captain Capitalism
@ Roberto
"What would be the difference between a social Democrat and a Democratic socialist anyway? Are the two terms interchangeable?"
The two terms ought to be interchangeable. All democracies inexorably slides towards socialism, and this is rational choice theory in action. When you open the franchise to anyone over 18 with two legs and a pulse, you open it to people with some combination of:
*low intelligence
*low work ethic
*low future time orientation
*low impulse control
*high acquisitiveness
Politicians will inevitably pander to these people, whether they consider themselves left or right, lower class or upper class. A vote for most people is such a small task, such a throwaway moment. What does it cost, an afternoon? Especially when they are being told how to vote, and promised goodies for it, anyway.
Politicians promise "gibsmedats" to the lowest classes, and pork, subsidies, tax credits, etc. all the way up the ladder of "success". Thus, the bottom-feeding leeches and the rich rent-seekers combine the vote to squeeze the productive classes, as you see happening in the U.S. right now. Without fail, expenditures rise, revenue falls, debt balloons, and confiscatory taxes, inflation, and nationalization are right around the corner.
The only thing democracies have going for them is a relatively peaceful transfer of power, but if democracy inevitably becomes socialism, then violence is sure to follow regardless, mostly revolutionary violence. Good thing about all those antidepressants being prescribed.
The question remains whether democracy is an inevitable reaction to aristocracy. That would be a depressing thought.
Dec 3, 2012, 2:54:21 PM
Posted to Yes, the Democrats are Socialists