Political ideology
In ancient agrarian societies attempt to implement the principles of social justice faced with limited material resources of society, low labor productivity, as well as the dissociation of the elite from the common people barriers origin. Only in the late 18th century with the nomination of the slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”, the criterion of aristocratic origin in the distribution of the social product was rejected, and the first industrial revolution created dynamic economic preconditions for social progress. The idea of equality, which is formulated as a basic principle of the French Revolution (as an origin of the ideology) was the beginning of the road to convergence of quality of life of the rich and the poor.
Personally I was completely surprised that modern social democracy - an ideology that advocates the creation of a socially just society by reforming the liberal market system of democratic political methods. Moreover, the creation of the European Union (EU) was a democracy’s response to the horrors of the Second World War. Initially, the EU objective was to prevent new military confrontation in Europe. However, as the economic integration of Europe in the organization and structure of the EU began to emerge more clearly the basic principles of social democracy: equitable distribution of resources, solidarity, equal opportunities for all.
In the field of environmental protection social democracy is trying to balance the needs of society while preserving natural diversity so that people can live in harmony with nature, rather than in opposition to it.
In foreign policy, social democracy in favor of a reduction in military spending, reducing international tensions and the resolution of disputes by peaceful means. Particularly emphasizes the principle of multilateralism in foreign policy, involving active cooperation within international organizations. So social democracy is an indicator of democracy as such, its perfect manifestation, so what we all may strive for.
Social democracy may also impact political parties. Collaboration of the social democratic and other democratic left parties at the international level can overcome due to the globalization of risks that are fully feel and our state, experiencing the global financial and economic crisis.
Policy of some Social Democratic leaders, for example, a “third way” of Tony Blair or Gerhard Schroder, like liberalism build on the “middle class”, was subjected to severe criticism of the left wing of their party, because it supports rather than the interests of the working people and the middle bourgeoisie. But Zimmerman mentions that “America Unlike the other main practitioners around the world, though, in the American case it is an un(der)funded social democracy” (ZIMMERMANN, 2010).
The recent collapse of the Soviet and Eastern European communist state led the Socialists in the world to revise parts of their doctrines, including the central planning and nationalization of industry.
No wonder that having visited the page of the social democrats online (Socialist Currents News and Opinion from Social Democrats USA) I was not surprised that there are only 230 subscribers (as of 11/28/14), and they have a page on Facebook (736 subscribers as of 28/11/14).
Anyway, despite some loss of political influence and the crisis in the social-democratic movement, the idea of democratic socialism continues to exist. Many socialists call for democratic socialism considering the ideology that must be followed as a moral attitude, even if it cannot be fully realized in practice.
References
Kenworthy, L. (2013) America's Social Democratic Future. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/140345/lane-kenworthy/americas-social-democratic-future
Socialist Currents News and Opinion from Social Democrats USA (N.D.)
Grants Gateway Online Forms. Retrieved from: http://www.socialdemocrats.org/
ZIMMERMANN, K. F. (2010) New York Times. Social Democracy in America? Retrieved from:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/opinion/20iht-edzimmermann.html?_r=0
