Will the U.S. ever become a social-democratic country?

[tallguy23]

Income inequality and poverty is on the rise in America with no signs of stopping. Do you think (with the rise in Millennial and minority votes) that the U.S. will ever become a socialist or social-democratic country similar to Germany, France, or even Canada?

This of course means universal healthcare, higher education, and more social spending by the government. Since we're still quite a young country, it seems likely that we could end up on that path in the next few decades.

[DC Al Fine]

Ever? Sure, stranger things have happened. No one would have guessed that Russia would go communist first.

[Vosem]

I rather doubt it; as a general trend, social democracy seems to be receding in countries where it already exists. As DC points out, stranger things have happened, but I think it is very unlikely and that defections from the social democratic camp are likelier.

[ElectionsGuy]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Social Democracy is incompatible with American life. The best the left can hope for is your typical American progressive, with universal healthcare, and maybe universal higher education being the only things I can see happening in the next fifty years.

[Person Man]

It could of happened in the 30s. The only reason why it didn't is that there was a more conservative and successful alternative than what was discredited or was proposed.

At this rate, it is a distinct possibility that what happened in 1929 will happen in the next couple of decades. That could be enough. Especially if reform doesn't come in sufficient time for a relatively conservative course of action to be sufficient. Then again, there also could be other places we could go if things got that bad. All I know is that Income Inequality can't grow this fast and stay this high for much longer.

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

I find a civil war to be very unlikely because of the entire nuclear weapons thing.

Social Democracy is incompatible with American life. The best the left can hope for is your typical American progressive, with universal healthcare, and maybe universal higher education being the only things I can see happening in the next fifty years.

This is probably the most likely.

[publicunofficial]

No, but I think what the American public considers "socialism" will change over time to be more and more forgiving.

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

This is the most libertarian thing ever said.

[The Free North]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

Strongly agree. America is simply a different breed, our founding separated us socially and politically from Europe. This nation was established as, like you said, a constitutional republic. Socialism has come in pieces to the US, but we are largely not well suited to it, similarly to how our constitution is not conducive with a warmongering nation, so to is it poorly suited to socialism

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

Because it's not like France is a constitutional republic founded upon the principles of freedom or anything.

[Kitteh]

lol teenage internet libertarians

[DrScholl]

It already is to a certain extent, some don't refer to taxpayer funded roads, fire, police and education as socialist, but they do fall under that category.

[Zioneer]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

Social Democracy is incompatible with American life. The best the left can hope for is your typical American progressive, with universal healthcare, and maybe universal higher education being the only things I can see happening in the next fifty years.

Are you two serious? Those two comments are ridiculous.

[ElectionsGuy]

Are you two serious? Those two comments are ridiculous.

Yes and no: Is it realistic that we'll have another civil war? Probably not
Is it realistic that it would not happen decades from now? Probably

Now, what part of the comment is rediculous? Me talking about how social democracies don't work? Please, don't take it too seriously, were going to have disagreements, and since reforming or nationalizing the government is an ideology there's no easy way to debate it.

[DC Al Fine]

lol teenage internet libertarians

Says the teenage internet socialist.

[Lambsbread]

Ever? Sure, stranger things have happened. No one would have guessed that Russia would go communist first.

This. It may take years, a revolution and the complete upheaval of the American society as we know it, but it could happen.

[HansOslo]

I don’t see how the US could be able to actually implement the social-democracy, even if the political was present. 

[pbrower2a]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

When poor white people recognize that plutocratic economics hurt them just as much as they hurt poor black people, they will vote like poor black people. Social democracy has plenty of roles for middle-class professionals in government, and because it enhances the incomes for poor people it creates more opportunities for small business.  More businesses fail due to a lack of paying customers than due to tax increases.

Social democracy is fully compatible with a vibrant political life and with democratic constitutions. The American Constitution does not enshrine the entrenchment of wealth and power as objectives. If anything, such entrenchment enforceable in law would require further amendments that would likely destroy many of the freedoms that we now have.

[Zioneer]

Are you two serious? Those two comments are ridiculous.

Yes and no: Is it realistic that we'll have another civil war? Probably not
Is it realistic that it would not happen decades from now? Probably

Now, what part of the comment is rediculous? Me talking about how social democracies don't work? Please, don't take it too seriously, were going to have disagreements, and since reforming or nationalizing the government is an ideology there's no easy way to debate it.

The part of your comment when you say that a constitutional republic is incompatible with a social democracy; what part of a social democracy as you understand it is incompatible with an American constitutional republic?

And the civil war bit is so silly I'm afraid to answer it. Unless there's a total collapse of government legitimacy and authority, there isn't going to be a civil war for a long time. A coup, maybe, but not a civil war.

[TNF]

Social Democracy is incompatible with American life. The best the left can hope for is your typical American progressive, with universal healthcare, and maybe universal higher education being the only things I can see happening in the next fifty years.

Right, we must continue ever forward on our path of cannibalistic, inhumane capitalism. Starving kids must not be allowed to eat! That would interfere with the invisible hand giving them all the finger. Workers should not be allowed to strike for higher pay or form unions! That would prevent the useless parasites at the top from pulling in seven or eight figure salaries while the average person barely makes enough to make ends meet. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

And that's a bad thing?

[TNF]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

How did I miss this gem? Sorry to burst your bubble, but as I recall, the United States was declared independent on the basis of all men being created equal. If that doesn't smack of socialism, I don't know what does.

But to cut out the trolling here and actually address your points, what Snowstalker said is basically correct. Who cares if it interferes with the founding principles of the United States? Again, I dispute that characterization, but there is absolutely no doubt that the idea of responsive and progressive democratic government does interfere with the constitutional foundation of the United States, but that's because the Constitution was enacted following a coup of wealthy landowners who bribed and used intimidation to get the Constitution ratified. It is a reactionary, worthless, and ancient document that by its very nature makes the United States into a conservative country because enacting reforms is almost impossible because of the nature of divided, undemocratic rule.

[Antonio the Sixth]

lol teenage internet libertarians

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Social Democracy is incompatible with American life. The best the left can hope for is your typical American progressive, with universal healthcare, and maybe universal higher education being the only things I can see happening in the next fifty years.

Right, we must continue ever forward on our path of cannibalistic, inhumane capitalism. Starving kids must not be allowed to eat! That would interfere with the invisible hand giving them all the finger. Workers should not be allowed to strike for higher pay or form unions! That would prevent the useless parasites at the top from pulling in seven or eight figure salaries while the average person barely makes enough to make ends meet. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?

I never once mentioned capitalism. Socialism is not just an economic ideology. It is a collectivist ideology that is about men, not man, in the most individualist country. We already have unions. We have had them for about 130 years. They are not going away. We have food stamp programs. We have Medicaid and Medicare. We have the oldest public school system in the world. We have a basic welfare state, which, depending on who you ask, is either too big or too small. But contrary to Teabagger fears, we are not becoming a socialist country. Can America become a more progressive country? I hope I am wrong, but with a whole generation of young people being asswhiped by the great recession, I can certainly see LBJ/Roosevelt style progressivism making a return.

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.

Social Democracy is incompatible with American life. The best the left can hope for is your typical American progressive, with universal healthcare, and maybe universal higher education being the only things I can see happening in the next fifty years.

Are you two serious? Those two comments are ridiculous.

Care to make an argument? Lumping in my comment about how socialism is impossible in America with a ridiculous comment about a civil war/FREEDUM RELOVEUTION is a little unfair, is it not?

lol teenage internet libertarians

lol mid twenties parasites who can’t win a debate without insulting their opponents.

Ever? Sure, stranger things have happened. No one would have guessed that Russia would go communist first.

This. It may take years, a revolution and the complete upheaval of the American society as we know it, but it could happen.

No, basic capitalism is engrained in most Americans. Most Americans care more about getting on the same level of the rich then tearing them down to their own level, and they know that the whole "bootstraps" argument that the Tea Party and some of my fellow Libertarians throw at them is bullsh**t. They rather end the bailouts, and have the rich pay higher taxes to fund a basic welfare state then a full blown revolution in which wealth is redistributed, property seized and divided amongst the people, and the abolition of private property.

And I can’t see an armed socialist revolution being possible anyways, because most socialists generally want to ban all guns. Good luck facing our bloated army with pitchforks, mace, and rape whistles.

[Zioneer]

Social Democracy isn't socialism. At least not of the type you're describing. Norway, Sweden and Denmark are social democratic countries, but you can't call them socialist in the manner you're describing. They're capitalist; in fact, I've read an article that state that Norway was better for start-up businesses than the US. And the way that the Scandinavian countries operate isn't incompatible with American life.

[Joe Republic]

Oh, god I hope not. It would cease to be America. We are a constitutional republic. Everything about socialism and a social democracy disagree with the founding principles of the US.

Not now, it could happen sometime way way down the road, but if it does, I have a feeling there might be another historic civil war or something like that. Unless there are a solid majority of Americans that want a social democracy then there will be a fight.