Neosocialism (also hyphenated as neo-socialism) is a term used to describe any one of a wide variety of left-wing political movements that are considered socialist and have developed recently. The term has been in use since at least the 1930s, though its definition is always in a state of flux. Since "neosocialism" refers simply to the forms of socialism that have emerged most recently, its meaning changes as new kinds of socialism are developed. At the present time, the political movements and ideologies considered "neosocialist" are those forms of socialism that have arisen since the 1980s. This mainly includes three tendencies: The centrist "Third Way" embraced by some European social democrats, the new revolutionary socialism developing in Latin America, and the proposals for technologically-assisted socialism put forward by some Marxists. Some right-wing commentators use "neosocialism" as a pejorative against people or organizations which do not consider themselves socialist, but which are seen as socialistic by their opponents. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Third way can refer to: The Third Way, an economic and political idea that positions itself between democratic socialism and laissez-faire capitalism, combining the ordoliberal social market with neo-liberalism. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... Flag of the Revolutionary Socialists Revolutionary Socialism is a political ideology based on the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels advocating the revolutionary yet democratic liberation of the Proletariat. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Marxism takes its name from the praxis (the synthesis of philosophy and political action) of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ...

Third Way

Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino gave a lecture in 1998 describing the evolution of socialism from its roots through changes in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s leading up to the emergence of the Socialist International, modern social democracy, and ultimately the Third Way philosophy as embodied by the British Labour Party under Tony Blair. He argued that these latest developments in the reformist socialist movement should be called neosocialism, because they depart significantly from traditional socialist positions - so much so that they come to agree with the premises of liberalism rather than classical socialist principles. According to Antonio Martino, "while all [Third Way] socialists and most liberals agree that some amount of regulation may be necessary, the difference between the two is given by the socialists' high propensity to give government the power to control the economy through regulation. In this, as in other areas (like taxation, environmental protection, public spending, etc.), the difference between socialists and liberals is quantitative." [1] Antonio Martino (born December 22, 1942 in Messina) has been Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1994 and Italian Minister of Defense from 2001 to 2006. ... The official symbol of Socialist International The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of social democratic, labor, and democratic socialist political parties. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... Third way can refer to: The Third Way, an economic and political idea that positions itself between democratic socialism and laissez-faire capitalism, combining the ordoliberal social market with neo-liberalism. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Reformism is the belief that gradual changes in a society can ultimately change its fundamental structures. ... Social liberalism is either a synonym for new liberalism or a label used by progressive liberal parties in order to differentiate themselves from the more conservative liberal parties, especially when there are two or more liberal parties in a country. ...

In 2006, Swiss Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher, commemorated the fortieth anniversary of the death of Third Way founder Wilhelm Röpke in a speech asserting that Röpke's Third Way is both neoliberal and "neosocialist". In his words, "it is the neoliberals who are the true socialists, for no other school of thought has made a greater contribution to full employment, welfare and against poverty than that of neoliberalism." [2] Christoph Blocher (born 11 October 1940) is a Swiss politician, industrialist and member of the Swiss Federal Council heading the Federal Department of Justice and Police. ... Third way can refer to: The Third Way, an economic and political idea that positions itself between democratic socialism and laissez-faire capitalism, combining the ordoliberal social market with neo-liberalism. ... Wilhelm Röpke Wilhelm Röpke (October 10, 1899, Schwarmstedt, a village near Hannover - February 12, 1966, Geneva) was one of the most important spiritual fathers of the German social market economy. ... The term neoliberalism is used to describe a political-economic philosophy that had major implications for government policies beginning in the 1970s – and increasingly prominent since 1980 – that de-emphasizes or rejects positive government intervention in the economy, focusing instead on achieving progress and even social justice by...

There are a number of political parties worldwide that share common roots in the socialist movement but have come to adopt views more typical of liberalism than socialism. This has led to efforts from within and without these political parties to adopt "neosocialism" as a label for them. [3] [4] The uniting similarities of these movements are various levels of support for a regulated market economy, liberal democracy, redistribution of wealth through taxation, and liberal social policies.

Latin American revolutionary movements

Economic and political events in Latin America during the late 1990s and 2000s have brought new radical socialist movements to power in several countries, notably Venezuela and Bolivia. Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez has advocated an ideology that he calls "socialism of the 21st century" and Bolivia's Evo Morales was elected on the MAS (Movement Toward Socialism) ticket. Some have used the term "neosocialism" to describe these movements. [5] Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (IPA: ) (born July 28, 1954) is the current President of Venezuela. ... Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: ), is the President of Bolivia, and the countrys first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 470 years ago. ... The Movement toward Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS) is a leftist party led by Evo Morales. ...

This use of "neosocialism" refers to a new wave of radical socialism, rather than the centrist "Third Way" socialism described above. Several political organizations supporting a radical socialist platform - based on classical socialist principles and goals but advocating new means to achieve those goals - have begun calling themselves "neosocialist". Thus, for example, the United Socialist Front describes itself as supporting a neo-socialist platform. The USF defines neo-socialism as a form of democratic socialism that replaces capitalism with economic socialism while rejecting Maoist or Stalinist dictatorships in favor of democracy.[6] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Definitions of capitalism be merged into this article or section. ... Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893&#8211... Stalinism is a brand of political theory, and the political and economic system implemented by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. ...

Technologically-assisted socialism

In the 1990s, a number of Marxists began to see the exponential development of information technology as the key to the creation of a better, more efficient kind of socialist planned economy than had existed in the past. They argued that the growing processing power of computers could be used to resolve the economic calculation problem and create a non-market economic system based on a detailed central plan for the allocation of factors of production, and they believed that the use of technology rather than human bureaucracy would also help avoid the problems usually associated with centralized decision-making. This new type of technologically-assisted socialism was described in most detail in the book Towards a New Socialism, by W. Paul Cockshott and Allin Cottrell. Earlier, in the 1940s, the socialist calculation debate between Hayek and Oskar Lange resulted in the conclusion that a planned economy more efficient than a market economy was not conceivable with the then current state of information technology. This led Lange to develop an intermediary Market Socialism (set into practice in Yugoslavia), while he continued to term the market "a calculation device of the pre-electronic age". Heinz Dieterich, together with Konrad Zuse, outlined what they termed "Computersozialismus" (Computer Socialism). Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)is: the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... This box:      A planned economy is an economic system in which a single agency makes all decisions about the production and allocation of goods and services. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Bureaucracy is a concept in sociology and political science referring to the way that the administrative execution and enforcement of legal rules are socially organized. ...

Belgium and French Neosocialism in the 1930s

The term neo-socialism was used in France during the 1930s and in Belgium to describe several revisionist tendencies in the Socialist parties (SFIO (the French Socialists Party). In the wake of the Great Depression, a group of left-wing members, lead by Henri de Man in Belgium, Marcel Déat, Pierre Renaudel, René Belin, the "neo-Turks" of the Radical-Socialist Party (Pierre Mendès-France, etc.), opposed themselves both to Marxism and to gradual reformism. Instead, they promoted a "constructive revolution" headed by the state and technocrats, through economic planification (planisme, which would influence latter dirigisme, semi-planified economy, as well as Mendesism, "left-wing Gaullism" (Louis Vallon) and Socialist clubs in the 1960s (Club Jean Moulin, etc.). The French Third Republic, (in French, Troisième Republique, sometimes written as IIIème Republique) ( 1870/ 75- 1940/ 46), was the governing body of France between the Second French Empire and the Fourth Republic. ... Revisionism is a word which has several meanings. ... Sfio, or Safe/Fast I/O, is an I/O library developed by AT&T Research, with several improvements over the ANSI C stdio library. ... The Great Depression affected France from around 1931 onwards. ... Henri De Man (Flemish name Hendrik de Man) was a Belgian who was one of the leading socialist theoreticians of his period. ... Marcel Déat Marcel Déat (March 7, 1894-January 5, 1955) was a French Fascist and politician prior to and during World War II. Born in Guerigny, Déat became a member of the French Socialist Party in 1914. ... The Radical Party (Parti Radical or Républicains Radicaux et Radicaux-Socialistes, Radical Republicans and Radical Socialists), was a major French political party of the early to mid 20th century, originally considered radical due to its anti-clericalism. ... Pierre Mendès France Pierre Mendès France (Paris, 11 January 1907 - 18 October 1982), French politician, was born in Paris, into a family of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish origin. ... Marxism takes its name from the praxis (the synthesis of philosophy and political action) of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... Reformism is the belief that gradual changes in a society can ultimately change its fundamental structures. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Dirigisme (from the French) (in English also dirigism although per the OED both spellings are used) is an economic term designating an economy where the government exerts strong directive influence. ... Charles de Gaulle, in his generals uniform Gaullism (French: Gaullisme) is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Charles de Gaulle. ...

Some neo-Socialists, such as Marcel Déat or Pierre Renaudel, were expelled from the SFIO in November 1933, because of their revisionist stances and admiration for Fascism. The neos supported greater participation by socialists in the French political system and favored making compromising with center-left parties to enact the SFIO's program one issue at a time. Marcel Déat and his followers evolved toward a form of participatory socialism which eventually led them to join with the reactionary right and support the collaborationist Vichy Regime during the Second World War (René Belin was a member of the Vichy government. By 1940 there was little or no difference between Déat's socialism and fascism. Revisionism is a word which has several meanings. ... Italian fascism (in Italian, fascismo) was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Vichy France (French: now called Régime de Vichy or Vichy; called itself at the time État Français, or French State) was the French state of 1940-1944 which was a puppet government under Nazi influence, as opposed to the Free French Forces, based first in London and later... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Motto Travail, famille, patrie French: Work, family, fatherland Unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholic Government Dictatorship Head of state  - 1940 — 1944 Philippe Pétain President of the Council  - 1940 — 1942 Philippe Pétain  - 1942 - 1944 Pierre Laval Legislature National Assembly... Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests inferior to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on ethnic, religious, cultural, or racial attributes. ...

Although Déat became a fascist, Pierre Renaudel remain a follower of the father of the French socialist party, Jean Jaurès. Like Jaurès, Renaudel never accepted Marxism as the soul of socialism and looked to the French Republican tradition to define class struggle instead of German or Russian Marxism. Renaudel's brand of neo-socialism sought to cooperate with other republican parties to protect French democracy from its domestic enemies (the fascists and the communists) and to organize French defenses against its foreign enemy (Nazi Germany). His willingness to make ideological compromises in order to defend the Republic angered many Marxists within the SFIO and eventually led Léon Blum to expel him and his followers from the SFIO. [7] Jean Jaurès. ... This article is about communism as a form of society, as an ideology advocating that form of society, and as a popular movement. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Léon Blum Léon Blum (9 April 1872 - 30 March 1950), was the Prime Minister of France three times: from 1936 to 1937, for one month in 1938, and from December 1946 to January 1947. ...

Use by the political Right

Rupert Murdoch and other conservatives have defined neosocialism as the pursuit of the classical ideals of socialism or Marxism through high taxation of wealth and heavy regulation of industry. Murdoch, the conservative owner of News Corporation, wrote that a "new class" of neosocialists was using government regulation as a tool for personal gain. This class includes career politicians and union members, according to Murdoch. [8] Keith Rupert Murdoch AC, KCSG, (born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-American global media executive and is the controlling shareholder, chairman and managing director of News Corporation, based in New York. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... Marxism takes its name from the praxis (the synthesis of philosophy and political action) of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... News Corporation (abbreviated to News Corp) (NYSE: NWS, NYSE: NWSa, ASX: NWS, LSE: NCRA) is one of the worlds largest media conglomerates. ...

In traditional media, the word "neosocialism" has not been used widely outside of a few opinion articles, unlike the similar term "neoconservatism". A LexisNexis search conducted March 20, 2005, reveals 20 other uses of the terms "neosocialism" or "neosocialist" in newspapers, most of which agree with Murdoch's definition. In contrast, a search for the term "neoconservative" returns over 1,000 results. The Oxford English Dictionary does not include the term "neosocialism". Neoconservatism is a political movement which has emerged in the 1960s, coalesced in the 1970s, and has significant presence in the administration of George W. Bush. ... The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is generally regarded as the most comprehensive and scholarly dictionary of the English language. ...

External links

• Towards a New Socialism, by W. Paul Cockshott and Allin Cottrell
• "The Modern Mask of Socialism," Italian Minister of Defence Antonio Martino, the 15th Annual John Bonython Lecture, Melbourne, October 21, 1998.
• "Neosocialism versus Neoliberalism?" Speech by Swiss Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher at the 36th St. Gallen Symposium on 18 May 2006 at the University of St. Gallen
• "Capitalism and Statism in Latin America," Manuel F. Ayau, Town Hall, a speech to The Philadelphia Society, October 4, 1997.
• "Fascism and the Planned Economy: 'Neo-Socialism' and 'Planisme' in France and Belgium in the 1930s", Richard Griffiths, Science and Society, October, 2005. pp. 580-593.
• "Reinventing socialism: the triumph of neosocialism is the defining characteristic of politics today," Rupert Murdoch, National Review, September 1, 1997, from an earlier speech at a Forbes CEO conference.
• "Regulation and Litigation: The New Socialism in America," Ralph R. Reiland, Human Events, April 7, 1998. Previously in Austin Review, May 9, 1998, and Nation's Restaurant News, September 29, 1997.
• "Racism at work? - racism in mortgage loans," Peter Brimelow, National Review, April 12, 1993.
• The United Socialist Front, an American multi-national group supporting a form of neo-socialism.