https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism
Democratic socialism is a political philosophy that advocates political
democracy alongside
social ownership of the
means of production[1] with an emphasis on
self-management and
democratic management of economic institutions within a
market or some form of
decentralized planned socialist economy.
[2]
Democratic socialists hold that
capitalism is inherently incompatible with what they hold to be the democratic values of liberty, equality and solidarity; and that these ideals can only be achieved through the realization of a socialist society. Democratic socialism can be supportive of either
revolutionary or
reformist politics as a means to establish socialism.
[3]
The term 'democratic socialism' is sometimes used synonymously with '
socialism', but the adjective 'democratic' is sometimes used to distinguish democratic socialists from
Marxist–Leninist-inspired socialism which to some is viewed as being non-democratic in practice.
[4][5] Democratic socialists oppose the
Stalinist political system and
Soviet economic model, rejecting the perceived
authoritarian form of governance and highly centralized
command economy that took form in the Soviet Union in the early 20th century.
[6]
Democratic socialism is further distinguished from
social democracy on the basis that democratic socialists are committed to systemic transformation of the economy from capitalism to socialism, whereas social democracy is supportive of reforms to capitalism.
[7] In contrast to social democrats, democratic socialists believe that reforms aimed at addressing
social inequalities and
state interventions aimed at suppressing the economic contradictions of capitalism will only see them emerge elsewhere in a different guise. As socialists, democratic socialists believe that the systemic issues of capitalism can only be solved by replacing the capitalist system with a socialist system—i.e. by replacing
private ownership with social ownership of the means of production.
[3][8]
And then comes Totalitarianism.
“If you want to know who rules over you, just look for who you are not allowed to criticize.”
― Voltaire