Inspired and
encouraged by the successes of socialist construction in the Soviet
Union and other socialist countries, middle of the road socialists
proposed to move gradually and legally from capitalism to socialism.
Conservative socialists who were members of coalition governments in
parts of Eurasia, described such welfare states as victories for
socialism, despite the fact that they left the essentials of state power
in bourgeois hands.
Between 1920 and 1950 the western world found itself in this essentially
revolutionary situation: the world-wide revolution in science and
technology had opened the way for the human race to turn its back on the
limitations and inadequacies of civilization and advance to a new level
of culture and human opportunity.
The impact of this revolutionary situation expressed itself at several
levels:
1. Much of west and central Europe, important parts of North
America, much of Australasia, important parts of East Asia
and fringes of Africa had at least two generations of experience
with some degree of affluence.
2. Scientifically and technologically maturing societies that
had opted for socialism constitutionally and legally were
engaged officially in socialist construction. These countries
and peoples were located chiefly in Eurasia.
3. Former colonial and client dependencies of the nineteenth
century empires struggling for self-determination and statehood
were entering a stage of affluence.
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