Marxists always had a problem with reform measures. If the revolution will occur when workers are so miserable that they have no other choice, then laws that provide for maximum hours or a minimum wage will only serve to delay the revolution. On the other hand, if you truly represent the interests of labor, then any law which ameliorates the condition of the workers should be supported. Tough choice.
In the late 1800s, Eduard Bernstein (1850-1936), a German Marxist in good standing, began to question the need for a revolution. Although Bismarck outlawed the German Socialist Party and Bernstein had to flee the country, socialists continued to organize and win elections. Bernstein advanced the idea that it might be possible to reach socialism by evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. Bernstein “revised” Marx.
About the same time Bernstein was questioning the need for revolution, a group of British intellectuals formed the Fabian Society, which called for parliamentary action to reform working conditions, and their ideas influenced the socialist British Labour Party.
To many of the hard-line followers of Marx, “revisionists” were worse than capitalists. Communists like Lenin and Stalin saw democratic socialists as traitors to the cause.
After World War II in Britain, in France, and in other European countries, conflict between Marxists (now usually called Communists) and democratic socialists was fierce. When the socialists did come to power in Sweden, in Britain, in Australia, in Norway, and in France, they often nationalized major industries, created health care programs, opened higher education to all income levels, and ensured workers’ ability to form unions.
Here is the basic difference between Communists and Socialists. Once Communists win an election, it will probably be the last free election in that country. Once Socialists win an election, other elections follow. If Socialists lose, they become the loyal opposition.
I’m not getting into why socialism failed to take root in the U.S.--that would be another three or four postings. What we have in the U.S. is a far-right group (the Tea Party people), a right group (what remains of mainstream Republicans), and a moderate-center group (the Democrats). The left is non-existent.
Sorry for the late post...... But this is an excellent article. The average of 1 and 10 is 5. In order for the country to be moderate, the far left needs to rise. There are numerous TEA party candidates in government but there is no Occupy Wall Street candidates in government. Essentially, if the left does not move further left the party is moving to conservatism. The average of 3 and 10 is 6.5, which is not 5 and no longer neutral.
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