Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan D
I think you guys have a language problem which I would describe like this:
"Socialist" in Europe or at least in Germany is understood differently, more in the sense of someone being radical who want to overthrow any democratic form of government, like e.g. in "Socialist Republic of East-Germany", it has an almost insulting tone like "Communist pig".
Sweden, that would be "Social-Democrats" in Europe, moderate left from center, left but still mainstream, not undemocratic, more like that. To describe Sweden as a "socialist" country, that sounds just weird to Europeans because it gets misunderstood.
It is one of those little cultural gaps between the US and Europe imo.
|
Ehm, not exactly. At least not in the Netherlands. Maybe it is like that in Germany, but please don't say it's the "European" meaning.
In the Netherlands, socialism generally means democratic socialism. See for example the Dutch Socialist Party (I usually vote for them). I have never seen them advocate any dictatorship.
In fact, what you describe as the "European" viewpoint, is IMO more like the US view on socialism. The US generally see socialism as the kind of "socialism" in Venezuela etc. while at least here in the Netherlands we see it as democratic socialism. The "dicatorship-socialism" is usually called communism here.