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Ideology In general, contemporary social democrats support:
* A mixed economy consisting of both private enterprise and publicly owned or subsidized programs of education, health care, child care and related social services for all citizens.
* An extensive system of social security (although usually not to the extent advocated by socialists), with the stated goal of counteracting the effects of poverty and insuring the citizens against loss of income following illness, unemployment or retirement.
* Government bodies that regulate private enterprise in the interests of workers and consumers by ensuring labor rights (i.e. supporting worker access to trade unions), consumer protections, and fair market competition.
* Environmentalism and environmental protection laws; for example, funding for alternative energy resources and laws designed to combat global warming.
* A value-added/progressive taxation system to fund government expenditures.
* A secular and a socially progressive policy.
* Immigration and multiculturalism.
* Fair trade over free trade.
* A foreign policy supporting the promotion of democracy, the protection of human rights and where possible, effective multilateralism.
* Advocacy of social justice, human rights, social rights, civil rights and civil liberties.
Criticism From The Center-Right
The majority of contemporary criticism of social democracy comes from fiscal or social conservatives and classical liberals. Critics advance the following arguments:
* The regulations placed on the market by social democracy tend to limit economic efficiency and growth, and impede the creation of wealth that may be needed to alleviate global poverty.
* Social democratic programs sometimes entail large government outlays, which can result in sizable budget deficits.
* State provision of education, health care, childcare and other services is inefficient, limits individual choice, and requires users to pay more if they opt to use privately-run services.
Social democrats reply along the following lines:
* Social democratic policies actually enhance individual rights by raising the standard of living of the great majority of the population, giving equal opportunity in education, increasing social mobility and raising the power of workers and consumers in society.
* The unregulated market that fiscal conservatives advocate is incapable of addressing global poverty and inequality in an equitable way.
* Social democracy stabilises economic conditions by providing economic security and health care to individuals and eliminating the threat of extreme poverty.
* The argument that social democratic governments spend too much and run up deficits is undermined by the record of conservative administrations (e.g. in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom) which have run up unprecedented deficits.
* By restricting some economic rights, social democracy makes the market fairer (for small businesses and consumers, for example).
Question:
Is a Social Democrat a threat to an American society ?
I don't think a social democrat is un-American. Unless Americans are strictly defined by greed.
Same thing goes for an American socety, unless its strictly defined by greed and selfishness, a social democrat is not a threat.
Ok.....because I hear alot of people on talk radio, tv and at town hall meetings that democrats are anti- american, socialist , Nazis and things of that nature.
Ok.....because I hear alot of people on talk radio, tv and at town hall meetings that democrats are anti- american, socialist , Nazis and things of that nature.
I know.. i hear it to.. and they are absolutely ridiculous!!!
The only comment I have is that worlds Social Democrats and the Democratic party of the US are as different as the Communist party and the Republican party......
Both are in the same neighborhood, but reside at different address's.
The two American parties, are always Party First, Cause Second which make them opposite of their nearest international counterparts.
The Liberals want the decision to be spread out among more people, preferably everyone. The conservatives want the decision to be made by as few people as possible, preferably just one.
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
-- Thomas Jefferson
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