| New Social Democrats |
About Us
Citizen Activists
Workers-Professionals
Public Scholars Elected Officials Contact Us Books Blogs Subscribe-Donate Home |
Logon
Members Research | |
|
| |||
|
Social Democracy Web Research
Ecosocialism for the 21st Century: The Global Crisis of the Left 5/20/2009 (314) Eric Toussaint - Article : Recent years have seen strong political change in Latin America and the United States, as well as in Europe. Here is a discussion of new directions for the global left. Social Justice in a Global Age 4/28/2009 (265) Article : The Policy Network publishes a major new book on social democracy in this time of globalization. Civil Religion and Social Democracy 3/2/2009 (329) Ed Knudson - Article: One reality for Social Democrats is the continuing influence of religion in politics globally and in the United States. Michael Harrington had some advice on this. The Social Democratic Prospect 2/20/2009 (372) Sidney Hook - Article: Reflection on this speech by a leading intellectual in the history of Social Democracy can stimulate thought on how it can become a more wide-spread political philosophy today. Defining Social Democracy: A Serious Option for the Current Economic Crisis 2/9/2009 (370) Sheri Berman - Article: The author of The Primacy of Politics, here gives solid reasons why Social Democracy won the debates among the left over capitalism. The Icelandic Volcano Erupts 2/9/2009 (274) Article: Can a Hedge-Fund Island Lose Its Shirt and Gain Its Soul? By Rebecca Solnit Social Democrats Asked to Form New Government in Iceland 2/8/2009 (334) Article: Iceland's president asks the Social Democrats to form a new government to lead the island nation through a financial meltdown,. Global Social Democracy is Possible Now 1/24/2009 (475) Walden Bello - Article: A consensus is emerging now for a new economic order, says Walden Bello. Obama is in a position to do it. History and Manifesto for Social Democrats USA 11/13/2008 (521) David Hacker - Article: This document by David Hacker is aimed at reviving a historic social democratic organization. History and Manifesto of Social Democrats USA, Part Two 11/12/2008 (308) David Hacker - Article: This is the final chapter 8 which contains principles for a revived Social Democratic organization in the U.S. Social Democracy as a Conservative Movement 10/20/2008 (285) Ed Knudson - Article : Ed Knudson criticizes Jon Meacham in Newsweek when he says that Obama should govern with a center-right orientation. Chairman Bush and Comrade Paulson 10/17/2008 (286) Craig Miller - Article: The financial crisis is bringing corporate socialism to America. The Left Today: A Social Democratic View 10/3/2008 (387) Mitchell Cohen - Article : An interview with Mitchell Cohen of Dissent Magazine by Robert Swarg, including comments on Obama and McCain on foreign policy. Finance Capital, Neo-Liberalism and Critical Institutionalism 9/1/2008 (296) Dan Krier - Article: Paper by Dan Krier, Iowa State University on Veblen and other theorists of institutional economics. A Social Democrat Advocates Civil Rights Sixty Years Ago 8/29/2008 (751) Ed Knudson - Article : E. J. Dionne recalls Hubert Humphrey's speech in the 1948 Democratic Convention. Crisis and Choice in European Social Democracy 8/22/2008 (216) Patrick Diamond - Article: Four strategic shifts are here discussed by Patrick Diamond along with a framework for policy development for Social Democrats. Recent History of Social Democrats, USA 8/20/2008 (409) Gabriel McCloskey-Ross - Article: Gabriel McCloskey-Ross discusses recent history of Social Democrats, USA and a proposal to revive the group. German Social Democrats: A Deep Psycho-demographic Malaise 8/20/2008 (499) Tobias Dürr - Article: Tobias Dürr's discussion of German Social Democrats can be applied also to the Democratic Party of the United States. Stock Plunges, Social Security and Michael Harrington 7/30/2008 (280) Ed Knudson - Article: George W. Bush wanted to switch Social Security over to private investments. Where would it be now? Social Democrats like Michael Harrington made S.S. increases possible. A Social Democratic Creed from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1/19/2008 (272) Comment: Quote from Dr. King presented on the day on January 19, 2009. |
Social Democracy Section
In this section the focus is on social democracy as a political movement, its history and current manifestations, both in the United States and in Europe, especially the Nordic countries and Germany. The substantive proposals for "New Social Democrats" can be viewed in the other sections of this website. We think of social democracy at this website primarily as standing in the tradition of those populists and progressives who were active at the turn of the 20th century as well as the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson. We believe most Americans are social democrats; they just haven't had a political party available to them which articulated their full hopes and views. Personal freedom is a central value of social democrats. Consider this from Sidney Hook: "We social democrats, therefore, yield to none in putting freedom first. We find that sometimes those who also say that they put freedom first really mean they put the freedom to make profit first. There is room for a fair return on investment and entrepreneurial talent but where issues arise that involve the safety and security of democratic institutions and the basic welfare of the working population, considerations of efficiency and financial responsibility, although always relevant, must be counterbalanced by our concern for human beings. We must regiment things sometimes in order not to regiment people." To promote freedom for all people, at this website there is a strong commitment to engaging in practical politics. And readers and participants here may follow many different forms of that engagement. There is an important debate among social democrats about how much to engage in normal politics over against "movement politics" seeking broader change. We think both are important. For the history of this debate we suggest an outstanding article by Sheri Berman on current prospects for Social Democracy in the United States. Most Social Democrats today participate in the Democratic Party in the U.S. There is a current effort to revive a supportive social democratic organization called Social Democrats, USA, which is no longer intended to be a political party itself, running candidates and so forth, but in futhering the concept of social democracy. As this site develops we will be providing much more discussion and debate about all these matters. A prime purpose of the site is to learn from the history of social democracy. Most of what is good about today's modern society, in terms of benefits for real people, has come from political victories by social democrats, things such as the eight hour day, a decent wage for workers, unemployment compensation, public education, income support for older folks, government-provided medical care, consumer legislation, and much more. The owners of private business and the wealthy who live off their investments have, for the most part, fought against all of these measures. For the past several decades conservative forces have fiercely attacked all of these programs but have not been able to destroy them because, ultimately, the American people want them, they want a decent society for everyone. Because they have failed, despite the fact that they have been in power for many years now, those conservatives remain such a hostile and angry group. The time has come for a full flowering of social democracy in the United States. Social Democratic political parties have had substantial impact across Europe especially in the Nordic countries. New movements are happening across Latin America where the people are turning away from a savage capitalism which leaves the majority of the population in poverty. It is happening across Asia where the various countries all use government to manage their capitalist economies. (Photo above right is a PES Activist Forum in Vienna in July, 2008) |