"The DSA is not promoting socialism."
The DSA is promoting something closer to communism. From the DSA Website:
"A Day Without Capitalism"
"Imagine taking a day off from work in a future without capitalism. It might not feel as badly needed as it does now. You enjoy your work; it's interesting to you, and you're well trained for it. You work as much as you are able and no more than needed, and you would control your own labor and see it going to good use. It's not just a job to pay the bills. Speaking of bills: you don't really have them anymore. You have no debt. You don't need health insurance. You don't pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren't for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities.
OK, enough about bills. What do you do on your day off? Maybe in the morning, you walk your kids to school, run errands, or go to a doctor's appointment. In the afternoon, you might play a sport, practice a new skill, read, plan a trip. In the evening, you could meet up with friends or family and eat together, maybe go to the movies or down to the park. These are all familiar, everyday activities. A socialist day off could be like any good day now. But what if you were free to spend your time how you like without worrying about cost or dreading going back to work? What if you didn't have to think about paying rent or loans at the end of the month, or saving for college, or affording groceries?"
That doesn't sound much different than what Marx and Engels offered up in 1847, no?
It's also something very different than what you see in the social democracies across Europe.
"Yes, by law because they have to."
Because they are ruled by dictators?
Do you think the Scandic economic models would work without the support of the voters?
"When corporations paid a living wage in this country, that wouldn't have been a problem... and it wouldn't be a problem now if corporations are required to provide a living wage the kind of benefits they have in Nordic countries."
In terms of median household income, the US comes in 5th. Well above most European countries. Which means that the US working population is better postured to accept a VAT and higher taxes than Finland or Sweden. Norway is an outlier due to their SWF. But Norway is also the most expensive country I've ever been to.
I go to Norway a lot. When I'm there, it's Pizza and Hot Dogs. A beer is $15 at a restaurant. $5 at the grocery store. And that's the cheap stuff. I needed a notebook the last time I was up there. It was going to cost me $22.