(en) France, Alternative libertaire #221 - Dico antis?curitaire: What is social democracy? (fr)

Each month, a word or phrase under scrutiny ---- "Species of Soce-Dem". Sometimes there 
adds "dirty" sometimes insult is sufficient to itself. In the small revolutionary milieu, 
there is little that "social-traitor" who has more bad press. But, what exactly is a 
"Soce-Dem", whose mere mention makes the hair ruffle any self-respecting revolutionary? -- 
When you insult someone or dealing with the "Soce-Dem", it means he or she would indicate 
a social democrat. But what's so horrible to be assimilated to a militant or activist 
political trend today represented by the Socialist Party? ---- To understand why and how, 
we must make a brief history of this political trend. In the beginning, there was Marxism. 
Following the split of the current anti-authoritarian Bakunin 1, Marxists are divided 
between revolutionaries and reformists in the Second International (Socialist).

The First World War and especially the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 put an end to the 
International and the reformist and rightist revolutionaries find themselves in the 
Socialist Workers' International (SFIO which is part French). The arrival on the scene in 
front of the various communist parties, supported by the USSR, requires different parties 
claiming socialism to assert their differences, especially on the issue of violence, 
revolution, how to come to power. The terms "social" (for socialist) and "democratic" (as 
opposed to communism), began to be put together, especially in the Scandinavian countries. 
The Second World War put an end to Stalinism Marxist references among Social Democrats 
(Cold War forces). It is from there that reformism and social democracy will confuse: the 
objective is no longer to overcome capitalism and install a new society, but to "correct" 
the errors of social reform.

Since the main left parties in Europe and around the world have converted to this more 
electorally carrier that revolutionary break against capitalism. According to the Social 
Democratic dogma, which we usually stood at every strike or every reform challenged, it is 
better to negotiate than to fight, 'save' pensions by working more workers instead of 
spitting capitalists and above all, inspire the Scandinavian countries. Once the argument 
out, has no further voice.

In France, there is not, strictly speaking, the Social Democratic Party and the PS fills 
this role very well. For the record, there existed a French Social Democratic Party, the 
result of division of the PS in the 1970s. It was chaired by the former Minister Sarkozy 
and avid cigar, Andr? Santini. Further evidence that social democracy has nothing much 
attractive for an activist or an activist who would do even a minimum, improve the 
condition of workers'. Can be understood as a revolutionary, to be called "Soce-Dem" may 
slightly annoyed.