The Confusions and Contradictions of Democratic Socialism

Joseph Schwartz refers to the rich history of experiments in democratic socialism in the developing world. He includes not only Allende's Chile, but also the early years of Michael Manley's government in Jamaica. Both Allende and Manley had excellent relations with Fidel Castro and revolutionary Cuba. Perhaps this was because they believed Cuban experiment offers many positive examples for socialists or left wing social democrats. Most democracy will enable us to go beyond liberal democracy. But socialists should not forget that liberal democracy is at bottom an ideology in the distinctively Marxist sense of the term - thought which serves class interest.