DSA is the primary organization challenging the perceived lethargy and incompetence of the Democratic Party’s policies, similar to what social democratic parties have promoted in Europe.
A biologically grounded approach to social justice is the middle-ground between capitalism and socialism. I call this new ideology “fair shares” and I propose a framework that includes three complementary principles: (1) goods and services should be distributed to each according to his/her “basic needs”(which have a concrete biological foundation); (2) surpluses beyond the provision for our basic needs should be distributed according to “merit” (a principle which I will seek to clarify); and (3), in return, each of us is obliged to contribute to the “collective survival enterprise” in accordance with his/her ability (under the principle of reciprocity).
President Donald Trump declared that America will never be socialist. He’s beating up a strawman, since there has never been a fully socialist country. That’s because, throughout history, every country, whether it considers itself socialist or capitalist, engages in capitalism to some degree, which is essentially the existence of a marketplace, where goods, services, information, and labor are exchanged.
We can no longer indulge the one-sided, polarizing and divisive ideologies of the 20th century. The stakes are too high. Here is a very different alternative.
Capitalism and Democracy: Can This Marriage Be Saved? It’s an odd-couple, with deeply conflicting social values. Though they have been living together for many centuries, the strains are increasing; their relationship may now be in jeopardy.
