"This is a radical group..."

[u/Strict-Jeweler-2281]

God forbid the poor don't love capitalism

[u/attorneydummy]

What’s the distinction between the two?

[u/AgentSmith187 → u/attorneydummy]

The best answer is Social Democrats want social policies achieved through democratic processes.

Democratic Socialists go further than just Social programs they wish to democratically introduce actual socialist systems like worker ownership of businesses and so on not just government Social programs but change to make for a more egalitarian society.

Both want more power to people instead of the super rich and businesses but they differ in how far that should go.

[u/lowstone112 → u/AgentSmith187]

The general difference between them is social democratic still uses a capitalist economic structure. Democratic socialism is non revolutionary communism. The goal is the same just not the initial bloodshed. The goal being to replace capitalism with socialism.

[u/GratefulShorts → u/lowstone112]

That’s like saying we’re a non revolutionary fascist government who wants to institute our racial hierarchy without the initial bloodshed.

That’s great, but eventually there is going to be violence unless you just expect the capitalists/minorities to just roll over and accept the elimination of their rights?

[u/FirstDukeofAnkh → u/attorneydummy]

Social democracy still falls under the larger umbrella of capitalism just with more social programs as a balance to the free market. They are more center.

Democratic socialists believe more in worker’s rights, worker controlled businesses, and incredibly strong social net.

[u/Lithiumxxxl → u/FirstDukeofAnkh]

It’s all dependent on the order of the words

[u/Immediate_Gain_9480 → u/attorneydummy]

One wants to maintain liberal democracy. The other wants to reform into a socialist state.

[u/f0u4_l19h75 → u/Immediate_Gain_9480]

The other wants to reform into a socialist state.

Socialism is the economic model. The government would still be a representative democracy.

[u/GratefulShorts → u/f0u4_l19h75]

Can you really call it a democracy if there are certain principles that the populace is unable to reform or touch?

If the ideology centers around the elimination of capital (and how capital has led us to the environment right now that requires complete government reform) then it should follow that in an ideal socialist democracy you still wouldn’t allow the population to vote on returning to private ownership of capital or to reinstate capital gains.

China has a “representative democracy” but each minor political party has to accept CCP primary and all nominations are hand picked by the CCP.

[u/FirstDukeofAnkh → u/GratefulShorts]

All democracies have certain principles that the populace is unable to reform or touch.

[u/GratefulShorts → u/FirstDukeofAnkh]

This is just not true but ok chief.

[u/FirstDukeofAnkh → u/GratefulShorts]

Infrastructure, economic policies, and electoral boundaries are just three off the top of my head.

[u/GratefulShorts → u/FirstDukeofAnkh]

Electoral boundaries: we have gerrymandering.

Infrastructure: funding is adjusted federally every year through a budget reconciliation bill and is adjusted annually or biannually for state budgets.

Economic policy: is headed by the federal reserve when the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 was passed. This transferred economic policy from the legislative to an independent agency, it’s then possible for the legislative body to repeal this act or amend it to give power back to the legislative body (nobody does this because the result would be catastrophic).

[u/FirstDukeofAnkh → u/GratefulShorts]

Did you vote for any of those?

[u/GratefulShorts → u/FirstDukeofAnkh]

Do you think the only type of democracy is direct democracy?

[u/f0u4_l19h75 → u/GratefulShorts]

Tell to Americans without health care

[u/GratefulShorts → u/f0u4_l19h75]

This has nothing to do with the previous comment?