Bayard Rustin, as quoted in "Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy: A Symposium" by William Barrett (1 April 1978)
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Thus social democracy is neither pro-capitalist nor, for the present, rigidly anti-capitalist. Indeed, social democracy (and in the United States, a roughly analogous coalition of labor, liberals, and minorities) has already greatly transformed capitalism. Social democracy adopts a flexible approach to institutional arrangements and social reforms; it has no unalterable blueprint to impose on society. Every social-democratic proposal is motivated and tested by its probable consequences for the democratic life of the community. Social democracy is more a method of social change than a definition of what society should look like.

— Bayard Rustin on Democratic socialism

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Thus social democracy is neither pro-capitalist nor, for the present, rigidly anti-capitalist. Indeed, social democracy (and in the United States, a roughly analogous coalition of labor, liberals, and minorities) has already greatly transformed capitalism. Social democracy adopts a flexible approach to institutional arrangements and social reforms; it has no unalterable blueprint to impose on society. Every social-democratic proposal is motivated and tested by its probable consequences for the democratic life of the community. Social democracy is more a method of social change than a definition of what society should look like." in the context of "Bayard Rustin, as quoted in "Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy: A Symposium" by William Barrett (1 April 1978)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Democratic socialism" (Quotes, R) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Bayard Rustin

About Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin (/ˈbaɪərd/; March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was an African-American leader in the movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania where his family was involved in civil rights work. In 1936, he moved to Harlem, New York City and earned a living as a nightclub and stage singer.