Thread by @santiagomayer_

So, you want to know what social democracy and democratic capitalism are, and how they differ from socialism?

You’re in the right place.

//THREAD//

1.- Socialism, as described by Karl Marx, is an economic and political theory that advocates for the means of production to be owned and regulated by society as a whole.

In a true socialist society, the proletariat would be the government, and the government would control all the means of production. All of it.

2.- Democratic socialism is a weird one. It is advocates for a democratic government, but a socialist economy.

In a democratic socialist society, the government would be democratically elected and would control all the means of production.

3.- Social Democracy is the one you MUST know. Social democracies are a mix between democratic socialism and capitalism.

In a social democracy, the government remains democratically elected and the economy remains based on capitalism, but...

...taxes for top earners are incredibly high. These taxes are then used to pay for and provide essential products and resources for EVERYONE.

Food, healthcare, education, etc, is provided equally to everyone, although private alternative might still exist.

4.- There has never been a pure socialist or democratic socialist country. The USSR and Cuba followed Leninist Socialism, while it was inspired by Marx, it had several key differences.

5.- The “Nordic model” is based on Social Democracy. Norway, Finland, Sweden, etc, are not socialist countries, but social democracies.

6.- In terms of candidates, it varies a lot.

While Bernie calls himself a Democratic Socialist, his policies are closed to a social democrat.

Elizabeth Warren is a full-on social democrat.

No candidate is a socialist.

7.- This thread is not in anyway a replacement for true research, it is just an overview. If you want more detail, please take the time to go in-depth into all of these theories.