Description

Democratic socialism is a branch of politics that is built on certain core values, the first of which is the development of a society that openly embraces equality and social justice through powerful action. But the pendulum’s swing between Utopia and the apocalypse has always been short, and every belief in a predestined future is dangerous. To retain vitality, a democratic nation must constantly press the frontier forward, and the first responsibility of a political leader is a desire to listen to the voices of the masses.

In light of the fiery political debates since President Barack Obama took executive office in the United States, particularly with respect to social issues such as universal healthcare, affordable education, and the rights of workers to organize, this brief analysis sheds light on a subject that many Americans do not understand and even fear, or at least have failed to examine in depth. It defines our understanding of democratic socialism and also discusses what it means to the ordinary citizen when we say that we want to be free of government interference. It builds on the ideology of former prime minister of Sweden, Olof Palme, who many view as the epitome of social justice, and questions the extent to which his ideas have merit and can be implemented in modern American society.

The book is of interest to scholars of political ideologies and popular social movements; people with left-leaning views; and lay persons wishing to learn about the forces that stir politics in America today. The value of a society is a direct measurement of the value we place on our people, along with the recognition that everybody travels essentially the same road from birth to death. It is in this spirit that I present We the People: New Socialism for a Modern World.