Socialism Vs. Social-Democracy
One of my pet peeves is the dichotomy proposed between socialism and social democracy, typically by those who pretend to be to the left of everyone else. I want to argue that there is no operational difference between them in the current historical moment. By operational, I mean that for practical political purposes, the implications for practice for the two political identities are equivalent.
Consider “Medicare for All,” the favorite slogan of avowed U.S. socialists.* As an old geezer, I am a Medicare beneficiary myself, and I am here to tell you, it ain’t all that. It covers 80 percent of covered services, so it you have a catastrophic medical cost, 20 percent of that can still be a financial catastrophe. Nor does Medicare cover dental or vision care. Bernie Sanders’s proposal would basically rebuild Medicare from the ground up. It really wouldn’t be Medicare any longer. That is just the branding.
Now suppose we had a chance for “Medicare for more,” like adding those 55 and over, or covering 90 percent of covered services? Would a serious socialist turn these options down? It would depend on how much more could be won, would it not? That is a tactical judgment that does not hinge on whether one is a socialist or a social democrat. It simply depends on political common sense. If the choice is take it or leave it, leave it might be identified as a socialist position. I would just call it dumb.
Whether democratic socialist or social democrat, one takes victories as they become available. Incremental changes are the way reform happens. As they accumulate, in the preferred direction, the abstract notion of socialism becomes more real.
(Next: Nationalization is not all that.)
*An important new paper by the leading advocates for single-payer health insurance argues that “single-payer” is no longer adequate for health care reform. The authors want to see the vendors of a single-payer system (hospitals, medical professionals, medical device manufacturers, big Pharma) wrenched into the public sector. This is not an unreasonable view, in view of the fact that rapidly growing health care costs are due to price inflation that is most serious in the U.S. Either price controls or socialization will be necessary to bring this unsustainable cost under control.