10 Similarities and Differences of National and Democratic Socialism

2. Both criticize Communism, but require authoritarianism to impose their system upon the economy.

Hitler had a well known disdain for communists. When he blamed the communists for burning down the capital building, his party gained power and influence from a distraught voter base. Additionally, modern National Socialists distrust Communism and find it counter-productive. From Justice 4 Germans:

“National Socialism stood in stark contrast to Marxist-Socialism or Bolshevism which is based upon ‘class warfare’ and the destruction of individualism and social classes, making all equally poor, and subject to a supreme state authority, resulting in the lowest common denominator, without natural inherent rights, and only privileges at best, with the promise of benefits that are usually not forthcoming, or which are unsustainable, and not conducive to creating incentive. “

 

Democratic Socialists agree that Communist regimes were totalitarian, and did not spread the message of socialism correctly. They believe socialism should not benefit the state, but members of society. From Democratic Socialists of America:

 

“Socialists have been among the harshest critics of authoritarian Communist states. Just because their bureaucratic elites called them ‘socialist’ did not make it so; they also called their regimes ‘democratic.’ Democratic socialists always opposed the ruling party-states of those societies, just as we oppose the ruling classes of capitalist societies. We applaud the democratic revolutions that have transformed the former Communist bloc. However, the improvement of people’s lives requires real democracy without ethnic rivalries and/or new forms of authoritarianism. Democratic socialists will continue to play a key role in that struggle throughout the world.”

If both of these systems agree that Communism did not foster a cooperative socialist environment through totalitarianism, how would one be created? Both offer criticisms of Communism but neither offer how to achieve a socialist system fairly. As the great Hayek said: