(05-13-2020, 07:36 PM)Last42min Wrote:

(05-13-2020, 09:13 AM)flsprtsgod Wrote: Correct, welfare is Communism, Socialism bigger, meaner, older brother.

Quick aside, I think it's interesting that Bernie Sanders uses the democratic socialist tag instead of the social democrat tag. He's either too stupid to know the difference, or his end goals are socialist in nature. I don't think he's stupid.

I try to limit how often I whip out the whole, "Political science major with a focus in political theory", but I do have a pretty good idea of why:

1. By the time you get that far left to one side of the scale, things start jumbling together. First with each other, then with the farthest fringes starting to reach across and connect dots with the other side. "Social democrat" and "democratic socialist" are close to being the same thing. I don't remember the exact differences, but I would guess it's mostly centered around little bits and pieces of capitalism left in social democracy that aren't there in democratic socialism. A couple of ideologies that are so far to one side that they pull from the other would be Stalin-style communism (drew heavily from fascism despite placement on the left) and Nazism (drew from socialism and communism despite being far right...I know I'm going to hurt the feelings of a few by saying that).

2. One of the key identifiers of most of Sanders' supporters is a rejection of both parties, not just of Republicans and those right of center. The term "social democrat" suggests that Sanders is still tied to the concepts of the Democratic Party, because most of his supporters wouldn't know a political horseshoe if it hit them in the face. By using "democratic socialist", it's a break from being a "Democrat" while still differentiating it from further right ideas, and true democratic socialism isn't far enough out there to draw over from the right.

or 3. He doesn't actually know the difference, or doesn't care that there is one, and just went with what sounds better on the evening news.

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