Socialism did not fail in relation to capitalism
There is a standard belief that socialism as a social formation failed in Eastern Europe in comparison with Western capitalism. Unfortunately, this is not true. It did not fail in relation to something better but due to failing to accomplish own mission.
Socialism failed because it did not enhance the ‘negation of the negation’ with eliminating the barriers of the System and producing a better life for all. Socialist elites actually preferred to recognize ideological defeat than to work harder to fulfill their empowering mission because only in ideological defeat their elitist status was preserved.
Socialism failed from precisely the same reason as capitalism is failing presently. Because of betraying own essential predisposition to produce a better life for all — in this case through the improvement of economic freedom and efficiency.
What we can observe at the culmination of neoliberalism’s historical failure is an existential choice:
- either end of capitalism with extremely uncertain future, or
- radical change in capitalism that will result in economic wealth for all in a sustainable manner fort planet and for local diversity.
So it still needs to be seen if capitalism is really better social formation than socialism — depending on how it will react on fundamental contradictions invoked by its own inconsistency.
Discussion group, “Complex Public Governance”, https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8522366/
Rurther reading (my book “Complex Society: In the Middle of a Middle World”: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/social-complexity-complex-society-middle-world-bojan-bojan-radej/
