Democracy, ideology, and the question of communism
Dear Mr. Joel Ruiz Butuyan,
First, I send you my best regards to Berlin, where I also had the pleasure of studying philosophy for a few semesters. My minor subjects, history and political science, also prepared me well for life. Only then can one truly see through an ideology, and many people are mistaken in this regard. For example, there is a significant difference between socialism and communism.
Many Germans, as well as French and British people, still find something appealing about democratic socialism. My professor was even known to be a fan of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, yet he never had anything to do with terrorism; that’s all history.
In a democracy, mistakes can be corrected every four years at the polling station, so there’s no need for violence. I still vividly remember the civil, nonviolent resistance of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who were politically closer to the left than the right.
Today, the greatest danger comes less from political extremism than from religious extremism, which is regrettable. Albert Einstein formulated his pacifism thus: “The world is not threatened by those who are evil, but by those who allow evil.” It is therefore good to actively fight against evil like fascism.
Anyone who wants to help should register for the next elections in 2028, because the polling station is a good place to counter evil. Best of all, it’s also nonviolent.
Socialism, as practiced in many European countries, such as Scandinavian countries (Sweden), strives for social justice and the overcoming of capitalism within a democratic system. The focus is on expanding the welfare state, strengthening workers’ rights, and democratic control of the economy. At its core is the freedom of the individual from state power. The political agenda includes the protection of civil rights and the rule of law, based on the principle: “As much freedom as possible, as much state as necessary.” Much, of course, is subjective and open to interpretation.
Anyone who rejects a current system must propose a concrete new order. After all, people need to know what to expect.
The socialist Rosa Luxemburg put it this way: “Freedom is always also the freedom of those who think differently.” She was murdered by fascists in 1919.
Although the famous quote, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,” actually comes from his biographer, Evelyn Beatrice Hall, it perfectly summarizes Voltaire’s position. He saw the free expression of thought as the most important tool against tyranny. I wholeheartedly agree. One should never try to change a country from the outside.
When Iraq was conquered and Saddam Hussein was brought down (where were the weapons of mass destruction again?), it was the birth of the Islamic State. Therefore, it’s best to keep your hands off countries like Venezuela, Cuba, or Iran. A boomerang can be dangerous.
Jürgen Schöfer, Ph.D.,
