Commentary: Why social democrats have become irrelevant

[Gerald]

In almost every country in Europe, parties of the center-left struggle to remain competitive in the political arena. Yet social democracy - though it can claim success in creating and developing public services which have improved the lives and health of citizens - can now rarely convince its former supporters that it’s still worth their votes. Of the few in power, only the Portuguese socialists presently enjoy strong ratings. The Swedish social democrats regularly poll fewer than 30 percent and lead a minority government in coalition with the Greens. The Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party is a junior partner in a center-right-led coalition. In Malta, the EU’s smallest state, Labour is in power, but not held in high esteem after Daphne Caruana Galizia, the investigative journalist killed in October, reported extensively on charges of corruption involving Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his allies. (Muscat has denied all allegations and said he “will not rest before justice is done” for the “barbaric act” of Galizia’s murder.)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lloyd-politics-commentary/commentary-why-social-democrats-have-become-irrelevant-idUSKBN1DH27O

A simple perspective to look at it is undeniable that the Socialists lose ground.

[Catfish]

So socialists are the same as social democrats. And in the US, socialists are communists (also in Skybird's mind). And they are also National socialists there. Why don't they just shorten all this bovine scatology and just say they are the devil?

No, the reason for the downfall of the social democrats e.g. in Gemany is, that the former right wingers have just swallowed and embraced the ideas of their opposition and now do so themselves. And they are successful with it. Merkel says yes to all, as long as it keeps her in power.

[Gerald]

So socialists are the same as social democrats. And in the US, socialists are communists (also in Skybird's mind). And they are also National socialists there. Why don't they just shorten all this bovine scatology and just say they are the devil?

No, the reason for the downfall of the social democrats e.g. in Gemany is, that the former right wingers have just swallowed and embraced the ideas of their opposition and now do so themselves. And they are successful with it. Merkel says yes to all, as long as it keeps her in power. True that.

[ExFishermanBob]

Given the background of the author of the article, I would be wary of its conclusions, to state it mildly.