Economics char discusses the history behind Democratic Socialism

     

On Wednesday Feb. 24, Room 402 in Lippitt Hall was packed full of people all to hear Dr. Richard McIntyre speak about Democratic Socialism. In conjunction with South County, RI for Bernie Sanders and the University of Rhode Island economics department, students and people of the community filled this room to nearly over-capacity.

As the chair of the economics department at the university, McIntyre spoke at length about what exactly Democratic Socialism is, as well as whether presidential candidate Bernie Sanders adheres to Democratic Socialism.

“So many people are interested in this word,” McIntyre said in the beginning of his speech. Instead of jumping right into what he had to say, McIntyre took a different approach and began by directing a question to the crowd: “What does Democratic Socialism mean to you?”

There were many answers to this question but one man in particular cut right to the chase: “I want to know what the difference is between Socialism and Democratic Socialism.” McIntyre explained how there are many different kinds of Socialism in the world, but most people are unaware of what exactly they all mean.

This is the reason why this talk and discussion were held. Bernie Sanders has claimed to be running on a Democratic Socialist platform, but many people are unaware what the difference actually is between Socialism and Democratic Socialism.

McIntyre then described the history behind Socialism from its first appearance in 1871 with the French Revolution all the way up the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a brief moment of American social democracy. He explained how, though the United States only had four years of a Democratic Socialist leader, Sweden had forty years of successful Democratic Socialist rule.

McIntyre disagrees with Sanders’ claim and instead calls him a Social Democrat. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, social democracy is “a political movement advocating a gradual and peaceful transition from capitalism to Socialism by democratic means” and “a democratic welfare state that incorporates both capitalist and Socialist practices.” Basically, Democratic Socialism is social justice within capitalism.

McIntyre described Sanders as someone “who wants to make capitalism run better.” McIntyre does not believe that the United States can continue on as it has been. “The government is obviously bought!” he exclaimed during his speech when talking of how Wall Street and oil companies are in control of what the Government does. He says how “There’s been seven major crises since World War II [in the capitalistic system], and if you had seven major crises in your marriage, you would go to counseling.”

Right now, social democracy stresses “more regulations, chang[ing] the tax system,[and taxing] people at the higher levels”. And while this may seem to fix the failing system of capitalism, McIntyre explained there is a big problem with this.

“The minute that you pass those regulations, and the minute that you pass those higher tax rates, capitalists will go to work to evade them, to find loopholes…They will undermine those regulations.”

McIntyre believes that to best way to fix this system is to change the way the workforce is created. “Why does democracy end at the door of the workplace?” McIntyre asked the crowd. “Why is it that outside is a democracy, but when you walk into work it’s a dictatorship?”

“[Bernie’s] platform would make capitalism better,” McIntyre believes. He does not think the problem in capitalism is something that can be solved overnight, but is a long term project.

McIntyre doesn’t believe that Sanders wants to destroy capitalism and create a Socialist government, but as someone who wants to make capitalism run better for everyone. This is why McIntyre believes Sanders is a Social Democrat, to merge together both Socialist and capitalist values to work together.

 

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