this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2023
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I agree that the definition of Socialism tends to be a catch-all for leftist policies, especially in the context of US domestic policy. Here is a (nonextensive) list of the "Socialist" policies that the Dutch have that are attractive to me.
Strong Unions and high Union membership (twice that of the US)
Government Mandated PTO (20 day minimum)
Universal healthcare (Private and Public options. US healthcare is just not comparable)
Realistic minimum wage (scales with age)
US Politicians who support these policies domestically get labeled as a Socialist/Communist/fringe left/extreme left. I am not going to pretend that The Netherlands (or any Nordic country) is perfect or it isn't capitalist (Amsterdam is home to the oldest stock exchange in the world), but they are a working example of how a democracy with "Socialist" policies can create a country with a high quality of life.