We need to talk about Socialism.
"Bernie Sanders says he's a Socialist, I would never vote for him." Whenever I hear this, I have so many questions I want to ask: Do you know what Socialism even is? Did you know there are 11 academically accepted types of Socialism? Did you know that the U.S. already embraces several "Socialist" programs and policies from workers rights and safety standards to Medicaid and Social Security?
This article isn't so much an endorsement of Socialism (even though I vaguely consider myself somewhere between a Social Democrat and a Democratic Socialist) as it is an explanation of why labeling Bernie Sanders as a "Socialist" may be a bit of stretch.
Bernie Sanders is a Social Democrat, not a Democratic Socialist. Here's the difference:
Democratic Socialism is exactly what it sounds like: the advocacy of a Democratic political system and a Socialist economic system. It typically involves the public ownership of essential services like water, electricity, major sectors of housing and healthcare. Very little (if any) private industry is used to carry out such services and the majority of such services are provided by the government both administratively and in practical use. Democratic-Socialist programs are typically wary of involving entities seeking profit because at the core of Democratic Socialism is a belief that quality essential services can never be the result of a profit-seeking entity (that is, always looking for ways to cut costs). According to Democratic Socialists, the moment the public sector involves the private sector, profit becomes the desired goal rather than the quality of services provided.
An example of Democratic Socialism could be seen in the United Kingdom's National Health Service, where virtually every aspect of healthcare (from hospitals and clinics to maternity care and mental health) is owned, maintained and funded by the British Government.
On the other hand, Social Democracy advocates for a Democratic political system that regulates and intervenes to carry out social justice, within the framework of a Capitalist economy. It is a system that essentially sets up social safety nets for every aspect of critical need: healthcare, housing, unemployment insurance, etc. It maintains the right to private ownership in most cases, but usually involves regulation by the State so long as such regulation benefits the community as a whole (in theory, not always in practice). Single-payer healthcare systems in countries like Canada, the Netherlands and Finland are good examples of Social Democratic policies because hospitals, clinics and physician offices are privately owned, but payments made by the government on behalf of patients is the major (if not only) source of revenue.
Almost every proposal from Sanders' campaign is reminiscent of Social Democratic policies rather Democratic Socialist policies. The advocacy of a single-payer healthcare system still maintains the private status of the delivery of care. Major industries in gas, electricity and water will still remain in private hands. It's just that Sanders wants to put a social safety net in place to protect consumers. In the European context, this can be referred to as the "Welfare State," where the government can step in when needed and when it feels a social injustice in essential services is taking place.
In the American context, sure, Bernie Sanders might as well label himself as a Democratic Socialist as his proposals are virtually unprecedented. But what I hate to see is the attempt to label Sanders as a Socialist, implying that Socialism by itself is somehow representative of authoritarian Communism. Sure, Democratic Socialism and Social Democracy obviously have their roots in left-leaning ideology, but what a shame it is to link these two to the centralized Socialism seen in the Soviet Union Model.
Sanders is a Social Democrat. Until he calls for the nationalization of things like railways, education, healthcare, electricity or other essential services, he will remain a Social Democrat.
