Debating with friends online I realized that we all have very different perspectives on what it means to be left-wing. For some, social democracy was something completely center-left; for others it was something completely left-wing, while socioliberalism was center-left. So it occurred to me to ask here: What is the left and social democracy in your country? Does it refer more to social or economic issues? Has it proven to be successful? etc

(Only actually good things, no satire)

Hey fellow SocDems, I love econ, but it is often very theoretical and less policy-oriented. I wondered if anyone has any book recommendations about welfare policy and its history. Thanks!

So, from what I'm seeing on Social Media, the UK is in the process of discussing a new law in regards to medically assisted eutanasia wich has sparked some discussion, specially from people from Canada who feel their country's experience with legal euthanasia has been negative.

It surprised me because so far the push back I've seen comes from leftist perspectives who are arguing euthanasia being widely pushed by a precarious healthcare system (within capitalism) has risks of being used as a pro austerity "eugenics-esque" approach to dealing with people in the margins in society. At least that's the main concern with people who have observed the way Canada has supposedly handle it, it seems it's been a hot topic in Canada for a while.

• Canadians with non terminal conditions sought assisted dying for social reasons (Article from the guardian)

• The Problems With Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Policy (Article from Jacobin, which I'm suspecting was the originator of this "Hot takes" from leftists sources)

In regards to the UK debate, [Jeremy Corbyn released a statement] (https://x.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1862426165723451476) where he explained his reasons for being again the law and I suppose it's a good summary of the position against it:

"Choice at the end of life can only be meaningful in a system where everybody has access to the best palliative care possible, but chronic under funding has left many of those suffering from terminal illness without the support they need. Without addressing this deficiencies, the legislation puts the poorest, the elderly and disabled people at risk of serious neglect and discrimination"

Personally, this whole stance does not make sense to me in any way shape or form and seems like the people pushing for it are reacting to a moral panic in regards to euthanasia. To me euthanasia is a natural extension of bodily autonomy and all the basics rights associated to our personal freedoms and agency to know what is best to us as individuals. To me to have a right to a life with dignity goes in hand with a right to die with dignity, should the worse come to happen and palliative care is not enough enough to cope with a terminal condition.

The whole "capitalist healthcare systems are not equipped to handle euthanasia with the humanity that this demands" can be true, yes. But it's also true for many things? Renting, adoption, sex work, serving in the military, getting married and so on. All of these things has layers of precariousness because we live in capitalism and capitalism needs regulation (or abolishment) but you wouldn't ban adoption until we live in the right conditions to have children or something like that. What you ought to do is improve conditions for the existing right, as with anything else. No?

I understand the fear with the failings of the Canadian healthcare system but it seems like something that can be reformed rather than abolished? Again I fear people got caught up in the moral panic when someone started to refer to it as "eugenics for poor people" and it was the right label to push people against it.

I wanted to read people's thoughts on the issue here, specially those in the UK and Canada. To me euthanasia is a no brainer when it comes to a left of center frame of mind in regards to rights, since it seems it has become "controversial" I wanted to see what people here thought of it.

Like right wingers I understand why I despise them out core values are so different but like I also feel this way about like the far far left like the full on communists and shit they're so just aggravating to me. I guess I just hate extremists in general just needed to get it out somewhere

For those who don't know what a "sovereign wealth fund" is, it is a publically owned investment fund made up of surplus revenues, also notable examples are Norway's Government Pension Fund and Alaska's Permanent Fund.

(also sorry for the grammar mistake in the title)

I really hate when people say this quote or whenever I see MAGA. It’s not because it’s a political thing or anything but I don’t agree what it says. It implies that America was once great, I don’t think there is a definitive answer to what time was a Great America. I believe what America is always becoming greater through our great democracy always growing and being able endure any problems we have together as a nation even if we are separated as two party’s. Usually if you ask a MAGA person when was America great they will answer probably back to the 60’s but even back then America honestly wasn’t all that great. Maybe yes economically from what we hear from old people all the time. But that’s the only good part there are completely ignoring the extreme segregation, Racism, government corruption including the CIA and cartels, Red Scare, Cold War, and there fair share of Presidential assassination. Then before that was WWII WWI, the Great Depression with the probation and mafia, and then also before that the Civil war. Honestly in my option todays America is the greatest it is because I believe America is always becoming greater even with all the problems that we have but that’s what so great about America is that we United as the People are always able to endure our problems as a Nation slowly becoming better and better.

“Loopholes” is such a buzzword. Enlighten me!

Like a tax that actually puts most of the burden on the ultra wealthy not the just well off people? A progressive income tax is inefficient in wealth redistiribution and puts most of the burden on upper-middle class people and a wealth tax is just inefficient.

Candidate 1: Rafał Trzaskowski

Alliance: Civic Coalition (KO) since formation

Parties: Civic Platform (PO), Yes! for Poland - Local Governments for Poland (T!DPL)

Faction: Progressive wing

Previous political experience:

• Member of PO (2004, incumbent)
• Member of the European Parliament (2009-2013)
• Minister of Administration and Digitization (2013-2014)
• Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State for European Affairs (2014-2015)
• President of the Capital City of Warszawa (2018+, incumbent)
• Candidate for previous presidential elections; won 2nd place in both 1st and 2nd round, taking 30,46% and 48,97% each round

Candidate 2: Karol Nawrocki

Alliance: United Right (ZP)

Party: De jure non-partisan (close ties to Law & Justice, a.k.a. PiS)

Faction: N/A

Previous political experience:

• Director of the Museum of the Second World War (2017-2021)
• President of the Institute of National Remembrance (2021+, incumbent)

Candidate 3: Szymon Hołownia

Alliance: Third Way (TD/3D)

Party: De jure non-partisan (chairman of Szymon Hołownia's Poland 2050, a.k.a. PL2050)

Faction: PL2050's core team

Previous political experience:

• Candidate for previous presidential elections; won 3rd place in 1st round
• Chairman of PL2050 (2021, incumbent)
• MP and Marshal of the Sejm (speaker of congress) (2023+, incumbent)

Candidate 4: Sławomir Mentzen

Alliance: Confederation Liberty and Independence

Party: New Hope (NN), formerly known as KORWiN and Liberty since 2017

Faction: None

Previous political experience:

• President of Toruń branch of Real Politics Union (UPR) party (2007-2009)
• MP candidate for Kukiz'15 (2015)
• Chairman of New Hope (NN) (2022, incumbent)
• MP of Sejm (2023, incumbent)

Candidate 5: Marek Jakubiek

Alliance: Free Republicans (WR)

Parties: Federation for the Republic (FdR), Kukiz'15 (K'15)

Faction: None

Previous political experience:

• MP of Sejm (2015-2019 and 2023+, incumbent)
• Chairman of Federation for the Republic (FdR) (announced 2018, registered 2020)
• Chairman of Endecja Association (Stow. ND) (2016-2018)

Candidate 6: Waldemar Witkowski

Alliance: Lewica (officially not approved by Nowa Lewica)

Party: Labour Union (UP)

Faction: None

Previous political experience:

• Member and activist of Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) (1976-1990)
• Member of Labour Union (UP) (1992+, incumbent)
• Leader of Labour Union (UP) (2006+, incumbent)
• Co-leader of Left and Democrats (LiD) alliance (2006-2008)
• Member of the Greater Poland Voivodeship Sejmik (2006-2023)
• Candidate for President of Poland in 2020; candidacy initially declined before court overturn, won 10th place (second-to-last)
• Repeat candidate to parliament across various left-wing electoral committees (mainly SLD; also SDPL and LR) (2001-2023)
• MP of the Senate (2023+, incumbent)

Candidate 7: Romuald Starosielec

Alliance: None

Party: Repair Poland Movement (RNP)

Faction: None

Previous political experience:

• Co-founder and secretary of Unity of the Nation (JN) party (2015-2017)
• Chairman of the Unity of the Nation (JN) party (2019, 2020-2023)
• Founder and chairman of the Repair Poland Movement (RNP) (2023+, incumbent)
• Candidate for President of the Capital City of Warsaw in 2024; won 6th (last) place
• Candidate for MEP in 2024; party won 10th (second-to-last) place

Parties that still hadn't declared their candidates

Lewica / Nowa Lewica

Date of reveal: "Before holidays" according to party representative

Most likely candidates:

• Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk (Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy)
• Magdalena Biejat (former Razem co-chairwoman)
• Łukasz Litewka (freshman politician, outperformed chairman Czarzasty in parliamentary elections)
• Katarzyna Kotula (Minister of Equality

Lewica Razem

Date of reveal: Unknown

Most likely candidate: Adrian Zandberg

Even though I am not really a social Democrat (mostly because I am not sure about how a real and systematic change can be really achieved through the system we live in) I also wanted to understand social democracy because I have seen many different perspectives on the ideology and I am not really sure what it really means (I know there is a description when you enter but I guess it's better to try to understand it directly from it's members) I would be glad if any of you could share some knowledge with me or to give me ways of learning about this ideology

How have pathways to citizenship evolved since older immigrants came here? What prevents Venezuelan migrants from just “coming legally”?

Conservative democrats/Blue Dog democrats.

These democrats are primarily african American and Hispanic voters. They are socially conservative or moderate but are economically progressive. They disagree with the party's stances on LGBTQ rights and Immigration. These democrats liked Clintion and Obama and think harris or biden are OK or average. A small fraction of then voted for trump.

Democratic Socialists

These voters are usually young adults. They are economically and socially progressive. And have huge problems with the democrats supporting isreal. They think Clinton and Obama were ok to below average president's and think Biden and Harris are also average. They probably voted for Bernie in 2020 and 2016 and some didn't vote and some voted for Harris.

Center left/Social liberals

This is the biggest faction in the democratic party. They are mostly socially moderate to progressive and economically progressive (although not as much as democratic socialists) They think that Clinton and Obama were good president's and also find Biden and Harris to be decent. They all voted for Harris and probably voted for Biden, Warren, or Hillary in the primaries.

Libertarian democrats/Never Trumpers

These democrats are socially progressive but fiscally conservative. They think that Clinton or Obama were below average president's and find Biden and Harris to be ok or below average. The only reason why the support Harris is because they find trump to be even more evil and find the current republican party as too deranged. And probably supported RFK jr. Most of these democrats like Jared Polis. And voted for Harris or Chase Oliver.

Initially, social democracy was an evolutionary strand of socialism, that sought to attain democratic socialism...at least one of it's strands did. Starting from the mid 20th century, we have seen a gradual decline of this and a lot of socdems have accepted capitalism as an ideal ideology to strive for and under. Case in point, modern social democracy is cowardice. How did we get there? Am I the last western revolutionary social democrat?

Hello fellow Soc Dems, I am interested to know what is your take on the role of tariffs in a Social Democratic economy.

As you know, Trump has announced a pretty idiotic plan to impose huge tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China for purely political reasons that have nothing to do with the economy. However, it is important to remember that tariffs are actually a pretty common occurrence, and Social Democratic governments historically have protected domestic production by imposing tariffs in other countries. With the adoption of free markets and neoliberalism in the 90's we have stepped back from that position, favoring trade agreements precisely to eliminate tariffs. Needless to say, that pivot (right or wrong) has cost us dearly politically with labor unions and outsourcing most of the manufacturing to Asia.

Tariffs are a common theme in Global South progressive politics, as you can see in the graphic below developing economies currently have a much higher tariff rate to protect their industries. One of the highest rate of tariffs, as matter of fact, is Brasil, which has been led by a Social Democratic government for the majority of the last 30 years (Cardozo, then the PT).

All this to say that altho Trump's plan is likely to harm consumers and generate inflation, I do think tariffs are part of an economy that protects workers, and we should not let the far right take ownership of that.

Looking forward to hear your thoughts.

https://preview.redd.it/gsnr0m9w3h3e1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=3192ae4cf41b91b6ddc3d939fc2801c1fd31dff0

If you're in Stockholm on 11 December, this is where you should be. Nobel prize winner Daron Acemoglu is keynote speaker.

https://feps-europe.eu/event/algorithmic-governance-and-the-swedish-model/