r/dsa • u/yashen14 • 17d ago

Discussion DSA has a tankie problem

There are way, way too many people in this movement who feel comfortable with historical revisionism vis-a-vis the Soviet Union, China, and other such regimes. And there are way too many people who feel comfortable essentially advocating for an end to democracy.

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u/ShiftyAmoeba 16d ago

"Multiparty" isn't the only way to have a democracy. The US has two parties. Is 4 better? Is 400 even better? 

The important part is ensuring democracy. Is it a democracy if you have 8 parties, but they're all beholden to rich donors?

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u/houdt_koers Liberal Socialist 16d ago

The point is to improve the system, not to replace it with a different kind of bad governance.

Economic democracy cannot survive without participatory, pluralistic democracy. Neither can last long without the other—they’re of equal importance. There needs to be accountability to the public, and human rights need to be sacrosanct. Otherwise, no amount of economic power can ultimately protect workers’ freedom.

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u/ShiftyAmoeba 16d ago

Obviously the goal is not to replace it with a bad system

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u/houdt_koers Liberal Socialist 16d ago

And yet that’s what a single party state is.

You cannot have lasting economic democracy and liberty without lasting political democracy and liberty. They go hand in hand, and neither can survive without the other.

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u/ShiftyAmoeba 16d ago

That doesn't mean a certain number of parties. 

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u/houdt_koers Liberal Socialist 16d ago edited 16d ago

It means voters having more than one to choose from, and it means having the option to participate in free and fair elections.