They Sound Alike, but They Are Not the Same

the AZEL PERSPECTIVE Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 392 B

José Azel's latest books "On Freedom" and "Sobre La Libertad" are now available on Amazon.  They Sound Alike, but They Are Not the Same (Previously published) Share Tweet Forward

Americans use the terms democratic socialism and social democracy interchangeably. But in Europe, and elsewhere, these terms can have very different meanings. I was recently reminded of the distinctions by linguistics professor Richard Teschner, University of Texas at El Paso. The distinctions are important because these terms have now entered our political discourse with politicians, such as Bernie Sanders, branding themselves as democratic socialists.  Democratic socialism is defined as a political philosophy maintaining political democracy within a socialist owned economy. Democratic socialists argue that capitalism is inherently incompatible with the values of equality. Thus, democratic socialism entails a democratic political system with a socialist economy in which the means of production are collectively owned.  Democratic socialists are committed to replacing the capitalist mode of production with socialism by replacing private ownership with collective ownership of the means of production. In theory, democratic socialism is distinguishable from autocratic and undemocratic Marxism- Leninism.  Typically, democratic socialism advocates for a limit on the accumulation of property and governmental regulation of the economy. It also seeks to provide extensive publicly financed assistance and pension programs. Currently, countries that may be said to be governed by a democratic socialist party are Armenia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Iceland, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Serbia, and Venezuela.  On the other hand, social democracy is usually defined as a political regime advocating economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a liberal democratic polity and a capitalist-oriented mixed economy. Social democrats propose measures such as income redistribution, social-welfare provisions, and regulation of the economy.  Social democracy seeks to humanize capitalism by creating conditions for greater egalitarian outcomes. The long-term goal of social democracy is socialism thru an evolutionary change from capitalism to socialism using established political processes.  There is a great deal of overlap on policy positions between social democracy and democratic socialism. Political scientists use the social democratic label for center-left political positions,  and the democratic socialist label for the more left-wing positions. Interestingly, Marx and Engels referred to socialism and communism interchangeably. I, having lived under communist rule, remain unconvinced by the definitional differences between democratic socialism and social democracy. They both encroach on our personal freedoms.  There is no sensible way of definitively ranking countries as social democracies. Currently, nations such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, as well as some Eastern European countries have adopted their own system of capitalism where socialist welfare policies are made to fit within a capitalist framework. Japan and Canada have also implemented policies that could be considered to fall within a reasonable definition of social democracy. I will borrow a sentence from Dinesh D’Souza that these countries are “capitalist in wealth creation and socialist in wealth distribution.”  For example, in the United States the top combined tax rate of 46 percent kicks in at $400,000, which is more than 8 times the average income. In Denmark, the top tax rate of 60 percent kicks in at $60,000 which is only 1.2 times the average income. Similar rules apply in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. That is, the United States imposes a high tax rate on the rich, whereas the Scandinavian norm is to tax heavily vast segments of the population.  Moreover, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, also collect a value-added tax of 25 percent on most consumer items. American politicians consider value-added taxes regressive in that they disproportionately penalize the lower income population that must spend a higher proportion of their income on consumer goods. In the Scandinavian countries, when the value-added taxes are considered the math shows that the middle classes pay taxes that are the same as, or higher than the rich.  This is telling because American politicians that label themselves as democratic socialists point to the Nordic countries as examples to follow. We are left to wonder if they are fundamentally ignorant or just deceitful.  Please let us know if you  this article. We welcome your feedback. Abrazos, Lily & José (click on the name to email Lily or Jose) José Azel, Ph.D. José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere.   He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Dr. Azel was a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics. In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami. José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp. They cycled St. James Way (El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary and throughout southern France.  They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands. Most recently, they rafted for 17 days 220 miles in the Grand Canyon.  Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them.  Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro. Books by Dr. José Azel José Azel’s writings are touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone who wishes to understand why countries do, or do not, progress will find in this book the best explanations. And, from these readings emerge numerous inferences: How and why do the good intentions of leftist collectivism lead countries to hell? Why is liberty not a sub product of prosperity, but rather one of its causes? If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would also recommend its reading to all politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With his writings Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: Azel brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous, Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                                    BUY NOW Los escritos de José Azel están tocados por la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquiera que desee entender por qué los países progresan, o no, encontrará en este libro las mejores explicaciones. De estas lecturas surgen numerosas inferencias: ¿Cómo y por qué las buenas intenciones del colectivismo de izquierda llevan a los países al infierno? ¿Por qué la libertad no es un subproducto de la prosperidad, sino una de sus causas? Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería de obligada lectura de todos los estudiantes universitarios, pero además, le recomendaría su lectura a todos los políticos, periodistas y policy makers. Con sus escritos Azel logra lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo. Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                            Compre Aqui "Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations. Stupendous" Carlos Alberto Montaner Buy Now "Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones. Estupendo." Carlos Alberto Montaner Compre Aqui In Reflections on Freedom, José Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles. Buy Now En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico. Compre Aqui Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future. Buy now Pedazos y Vacíos is a collection of poems written in by Dr. Azel in his youth. Poems are in Spanish.