was the New Deal/Fair Deal/Great Society US social-democratic?

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

Where this cluster of liberal/left domestic agendas akin to the European social-democratic movement, such as the German SPD and British Labour party agendas?

I know that the US Democrats where not really "socialist" and didnt come from marxism like the European partys did, but Im wondering if we could say that the US policy initiatives where close enough to be social democratic in effect if not in name....for example, Truman did, I think, try to push for a UK-style national health plan, but was defeated. But Truman wasnt a socialist....

...so, more of a historical question?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. Do you understand the difference between Socialist and Social Democrat?

your post is confusing.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

2. yeah I think so..

..historically speaking social-democratic politics arose from marxism, but differed in that the social-democratic movement tried to use paliamentary means to move towards socialism, rather than a revolutionary means.

Eventually the notion of a social-class based political movement and a program of eventually achieving socialism was dropped (such as via the German SPDs Bad Godesburg program) and the social-democratic partys became more about ameliorating and reforming capitalism via governmental means, rather than overthrowing it or replacing it.


So, sure, there is a historical difference between the Democrats and the Europan social-democrats, but Im wondering if we could say they both had similar policy agendas..that, for a time, the liberal wing of the Democrats was a "de facto" social-democratic movement.