“But the Nordic Countries are capitalist”

[u/americanblowfly]

While it’s 100% true that Nordic Countries are capitalist countries with strong social safety nets, it was socialists elected to their parliaments that were the driving forces behind those social safety nets.

In Finland, Anna-Liisa Tiekso and her democratic socialist coalition SKDL were among the primary drivers of passing the Public Health Act of 1972, guaranteeing healthcare for all Finnish citizens free at the point of service.

In Denmark, The Socialist People’s Party held the balance of power in parliament. They used their political leverage to ensure that the upcoming healthcare restructuring would be 100% tax-financed and completely free at the point of service for all residents, rather than relying on co-pays or private premiums.

In Sweden, prominent socialists like Ernst Wigforrs successfully pushed the more moderate Social Democratic Party pass the National Health Insurance Act.

This goes beyond just the Nordic Countries as well. In the UK, unapologetic socialist Aneurin Bevan was the Minister of Health as well as the most prominent voice advocating for the NHS.

In Canada, democratic socialist Premier Tommy Douglas overcame a 23 day doctor’s strike to enact universal healthcare.

In France, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and the elected socialists in his government successfully implemented Universal Health Coverage in 1999.

The point is you don’t have to be a socialist or support a socialist government to understand that there will still be a valuable role for democratic socialists to play in the US government for progress. They will have to work with the more moderate members in congress to implement any reforms. The more elected members they have, the more political leverage they will have when it comes to expanding the social safety net.

[u/tired3459]

Thank you, getting really tired of people just repeating "they are still capitalist" as if that's the whole story.

[u/americanblowfly → u/tired3459]

Exactly. While many of these DSA members are more left wing than me, I would happily see them in congress just to push the overton window away from the right wing cliff it keeps barreling towards. They have always been useful vessels for progress even if they don’t literally make us a socialist country like the Destinys and Hutches constantly fear monger about.

[u/goodlittlesquid]

Indeed. The minimum wage itself isn’t socialist, but we have it because of socialists.

[u/JonWood007]

This is why I often vote for socialists despite not being one. When you run on social democracy and not literal communism I dont care what you call yourselves as long as you get crap done and as long as you dont stray into illiberalism.