Reflections on socialism in the twenty-first century : Facing market liberalism, rising inequalities and the environmental imperative

In this volume, the authors reflect on the question “what is socialism” as it pertains to today’s economy. There is particular emphasis on democratic socialism models as a potential alternative to classic authoritarian socialism. A number of topical questions are addressed such as: What is democratic socialism and is it feasible, or even viable? What can be learnt from existing democratic socialist experiences? What would an ideal democratic socialist society look like today? Under what circumstances, and where, could such a model emerge today? In exploring these questions, several themes arise within these chapters such as the role of socialist values and inspirations in capitalist societies; and how capitalism and socialism relate to the knowledge economy. The contemporary world is showing many contradictions with uncertain future scenarios that preoccupy mankind. The global capitalist system as we know it is in deep crisis-and some even predict its slow death, because of its inability to handle the environmental imperative. At the same time, classic socialism as experienced in the Soviet Union and its proxies is a stone dead alternative to capitalism today. So what options remain? The book considers this question as it examines a range of countries where socialism (in one form or another) has arisen, or where democratic socialism could be possible, including Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Sweden and the United States

Revolutionary Cuba at 50 Growth with Equity Revisited

A balance sheet of the Cuban Revolution in terms of growth performance, equity, and the satisfaction of basic needs after 50 years is a mixed bag. Growth performance has been disappointing during most of the past 25 years, although there are today some encouraging new trends. Income distribution that was quite equal in 1985 has seen some deterioration since 1990. Agriculture has been one of the failures, and the question is raised whether current reforms are sufficient to redress this situation. The success stories of the revolution are education, health, and international solidarity

Challenges of rising inequalities and the quest for inclusive and sustainable development

This chapter provides the conceptual and contextual backdrop for the case studies in this volume. The chapter discusses some of the challenges that the world is currently confronting in addition to environmental degradation and climate change: rising income and wealth concentration, with social exclusion and the marginalization of many segments of the population. This is a trend in developed and developing countries alike. The chapter deals with the growth and impact of global capitalism and discusses the imperative of inclusive development policies to address and fi nd solutions to these issues. Alternative measures of economic and social progress are discussed. The chapter also looks at social innovation and social entrepreneurship and discusses why these concepts are different from traditional ways of looking at innovations. Finally, the chapter looks at the growth of the so-called Third Sector and discusses to what extent it can deliver innovational solutions to social problems, where both the business sector and the public sector have failed