Can Social Democrats Save the World (Again)?

The author believes that although communism and democratic socialism won’t heal today’s political divisions, that social democracy, which helped ward off extremism following World War II, could create a balanced situation and provide a consistent alternative for the future. Popular politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proudly refer to themselves as socialists and these very figures are driving the social democratic agenda ahead. It took the tragedies of the inter-war years and World War II to get an earlier generation of European and American politicians and citizens to appreciate the dangers of capitalism, the fragility of democracy, and the need to compromise to ensure compatibility and sustainability. This social democratic compromise undergirded the West’s greatest period of success. Some of the policies associated with this order ran out of steam during the late 20th century, but its basic goal, promoting capitalism’s upsides while protecting citizens from its downsides, remains as crucial as ever. The world is nowhere near the situation it faced in the 1930s and 1940s, but the warning signs are clear. One can only hope it will not take another tragedy to make people across the political spectrum recognize the advantages of a social democratic solution to our contemporary crisis.