I do not understand the difference between socialism and social democracy?

[Binders Full Of Women]

The terms seem to be mixed up all the time. Now if Im correct, socialism is a classless society where means of production are owned by the people. So does this mean everyone makes the same amount of money since society is classless? If not, what does it mean?

If Im corrext about social democracy, it is a mix of capitalism and socialism. There are different social classes, but people's taxes pay for things such as universial healthcare, high quality public transportation, etc.

People call European nations socialist, but if I am correct, they arr actually social democracies. Anf what about Canada and Australia, are they social democracies too?

[thecharleslloyd]

the latter is more liberal and less controlling than the first. The word socialism is not used in the correct context with many European country, Liberal is how ever closer to it's form.

[Alex]

You already asked a similar question, and I already answered it. But I'll go again...

"Now if Im correct, socialism is a classless society where means of production are owned by the people." Yes, you are correct. "So does this mean everyone makes the same amount of money since society is classless?" Well, there are many different ideas about what a socialist economy would look like, but most of them envisage the abolition of money. It would either be replaced by some sort of labour voucher system or by a gift economy.

The rest of what you say is fairly accurate: social democracy has different social classes but with progressive taxation to provide for a welfare state and public services, and European nations are social democracies rather than socialist (actually, only a few could be described as social democracies, more have neo-liberal free market economies).

For more information on possible forms a moneyless socialist economy would take, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_voucher
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_economy

[Edward Carson]

A social democrat is a socialist without the courage of his/her convictions.