Socialism today + future Flashcards

1
Q

Socialism today P1

A

 By the start of the 21st century there was a belief that socialism was a redundant ideology…
 Collapse of Soviet Union, western states e.g. UK saw parties like Labour formally renounce
common ownership (democratic socialism) while embracing Third Way which many saw as
indistinguishable from modern liberalism.
 Support for collectivism seemed ill at ease with an increasingly individualistic society e.g. by
1990s number of trade unions had been surpassed by number of property owners.
 Working people in western societies seemed to be undergoing embourgeoisement and
endorsing a property based economy.
 Word ‘socialism’ was omitted from all four of New Labour’s general election manifestos 1997-
2010.

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2
Q

Socialism today P2 (however)

A

 However, since 2000, socialism had defied these gloomy forecasts…
 Revisionist socialism of achieving socialism in a capitalist society.
 Capitalism was not as secure as Fukuyama et al. had imagined – economic crash 2008 forced
governments e.g. Gordon Brown in UK, to increase state regulation of capitalism and extend
public ownership.
 Eurozone crisis left countries e.g. Greece, plunging into levels of austerity. Socialist parties e.g.
‘Syriza’ in Greece and ‘Podemos’ in Spain began to gain electoral traction.
 Nationalisation of banks by Brown’s gov. after 2007.
 Jeremy Corbyn leader of Labour 2015-2019.
 Socialist politicians elected to office in US states e.g. Washington and Vermont.
 Socialist Bernie Sanders made a plausible bid for the Democratic Party nomination in US 2016.

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3
Q

Socialism in the future

A

 Emerged as a reaction to capitalism’s problems so as long as capitalism proves problematic, socialism will remain relevant.
 Also, as long as fundamentalist socialist beliefs appeal to large number of people (that best societies are fraternal, equal and cooperative).

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4
Q

Socialism in the future (however)

A

 In countries e.g. Russia, China and Cambodia, socialism in practice has proved horrific therefore
has tainted the ideology.
 Fidel Castro in Cuba: more than 8,600 politically motivated detentions of government opponents
and activists just in 2016.
 Socialist’s core beliefs have a residual and renewable appeal but implementation can be hazardous and potentially disastrous.

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