Liberal Democrat

Liberal Democrat
Individual Freedom For Everyone

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Gresham College: Professor Vernon Bogdanor- Aneurin Bevan and The Socialist Ideal

Source: Gresham College- Professor Anuerin Bevan 
Source: The New Democrat Plus

I’m not that familiar with Aneurin Bevan, but as a Socialist, he seems to differ from Karl Marx, at least in the sense that Bevan’s brand of socialism was democratic. That you got elected to power and to govern and brought your policies with you and your form of government with you. Whereas Karl Marx was more of a revolutionary. And was always talking about revolution, similar to Fidel Castro. That the people should rise up and take over the government and keep power once they get in. Along with bringing their socialist policies about.

The Democratic Socialist and the Marxist are different. The Democratic Socialist sees private enterprise and even capitalism as perhaps a necessary evil in order to have a functioning economy where as many people as possible can do well. As well as the financing mechanism to fund the welfare state, that will take care of everyone’s basic necessities in life. Like health care and health insurance. And Bevan was one of the designers of the British government-run and owned health care system. Health care, obviously being a basic necessity that we all need to live well.

What all Socialists have in common and perhaps what would be the so-called Socialist Ideal, is that they all see a world where there wouldn’t be any poor, or rich people. There goal is not so much freedom, but equality. That everyone is the same economically with no more, or less than anyone else. Which is why Socialists get labeled as Utopians, because they see that Utopia, or paradise where everyone thrives and doesn’t have to go without, or has too much. At least according to everyone else in society.
Gresham College: Professor Vernon Bogdanor- Aneurin Bevan and The Socialist Ideal