Red Freedom. The application of reformed socialism for a fairer future.

... principles which the party has advocated for so long in favour of more conservative economics. This was clearly shown by the last budget, where for example income tax was reduced still further. Socialism in Britain, then, has undergone a similar period of decline to the cause of worldwide socialism, and its support has dwindled as even the traditional socialist party has abandoned it.

What, then, is the answer? Traditional socialism has gone completely out of favour, and has faced a terminal decline. Does this mean that in the twenty-first century society will have no alternative but the inequality and privilege of the capitalist system, or is there still any future for left-wing ideologies? The answer lies in the ability of socialism, just like any other ideology, to evolve and change. While traditional socialism is incompatible with the free-market and in extreme cases with democracy itself, there are other types of socialism which are not. One such ideology is "Market socialism" which is a combination of the best points of the free market combined with the best points of socialism. The capitalists may boast that theirs is the way of freedom; freedom to trade, freedom to accumulate wealth and the freedom of the people to run their lives free from government control. This liberty, however, is an illusion; without a certain amount of equality there can never be universal liberty, as some groups in society (under capitalism those without capital, the workers) will always be disadvantaged and hence will not have the means to accumulate wealth. Capitalism gives people the freedom to be unequal; it is a system based on privilege, inequality and oppression. Market socialism hopes to reform this by reconciling the advantages of the free market with some of the equality of socialism. It is a pluralist doctrine, which considers the interests of all socio-economic groups &endash the employers, the employees and the consumers equally without giving priority to any one group as happens under traditional socialism and capitalism. This kind of reformed socialism, where the people themselves really do run the government, is a far cry from the repressive authoritarian regimes of China or Cuba.

The difference between Reformed socialism and traditional socialism is vast; while traditional ...