About the Website

“Logic of Progress” is a social-democratic online journal dedicated to exploring topics in history, politics, and economics. We adhere to a specific set of values and focus on developing programs to implement them, grounded in objective and scientific methodologies, while also analyzing historical experiences of their application. The journal’s goal is to establish a foundation for social-democratic transformations in the 21st century. This foundation will be continuously refined based on lessons learned from political practice.

Economist Bekhzod Khoshimov wrote in 2020: “Ideas of globalization, freedom, and democracy are becoming increasingly unpopular. I will not speculate on the reasons, and there is no clear consensus in economic literature explaining this trend. However, psychologists offer convincing explanations, noting that human memory is not particularly long”. Indeed, much knowledge is forgotten if it is not reliably preserved. Consider the lost techniques of producing “Greek fire,” Stradivarius violins, or “Roman concrete.” Similarly, the importance of democracy, peace, and other progressive values may also be forgotten, especially when people take their benefits for granted. Some knowledge might be perceived as so self-evident that teaching it seems unnecessary, leading to its eventual loss. If people forget why aggressive foreign policy harms those who pursue it, cunning populists and demagogues could convince them otherwise, much like many believe theft leads to easy wealth rather than prison.

One of the purposes of the “Logic of Progress” website is to preserve and document critical knowledge, ensuring it is not lost. This is vital for the social-democratic movement to retain its accumulated experience and insights, as these are rarely documented elsewhere. Losing such knowledge could have serious consequences.

Articles on the site are organized into categories, the list of which is available in the article database. Over time, these categories aim to cover nearly all political questions necessary for a thriving society: how social democrats can achieve power, the economic policies they might pursue, how institutions should be built, and so on. We aim to leave no aspect of human society unaddressed. The latest advancements from the world’s best minds will be integrated into “Logic of Progress” articles, forming a guide to building a prosperous society for the future. Below are the categories of articles currently available or planned for the site.
Categories

Progressive Deal. This section features articles that outline core policy principles on various issues. Key articles are part of the site’s structured study program.

Economy. Articles here focus on economic issues, discussing how economies should be organized, which models are effective, and which are not.

Institutions. This category examines key institutions whose creation and improvement foster progressive values. Building effective institutions, such as the rule of law or a free press, is one of the most important tools for creating a prosperous society.

Political System. Articles in this section describe the political structure of a social-democratic state and how it should be implemented once social democrats are in power.

Political Struggle. This section explores what social democrats need to do and how they should act to win elections or overcome authoritarian regimes.

Values. This category outlines the core goals of social democrats and their stance on various values and principles. Social-democratic policies are rooted in these values, and every aspect of their agenda aims to realize them to the greatest extent possible.

Social Democracy. Articles here explain what social democracy is and examine its key theoretical aspects.

Antifascism. Fascism, racism, and other forms of identity-based discrimination threaten social democracy. This section explores and explains the harm caused by such ideologies.

Nomenklatura. Unelected bureaucrats are among the main adversaries of social democracy. This section exposes how they exploit citizens and drain resources through extractive institutions.

Religion. Social democrats respect individuals’ freedom of thought and belief but oppose imposing beliefs on others, especially when they contradict established facts or common sense. This category seeks a compromise between these positions.

Science. This section discusses how science can aid the realization of social-democratic values and which scientific disciplines are most useful for various issues.

Parties. Information about various political parties and movements (not just leftist or social-democratic) is collected in this section.

History of Social Democracy. Articles on the global history of social democracy and analyses of specific episodes provide insights into the successes and failures of different movements, helping refine theory and practice.

Marxism. This ideology played a significant role in the early development of social democracy. This section examines its relevance today and analyzes its components individually.

Stalin. For Russian social democracy, Joseph Stalin embodied many traits incompatible with its principles. This section presents facts to support this assertion.

USSR. The Soviet Union was one of the most prominent projects associated with social democracy, as the communists led by Lenin originated from the Russian Social Democratic Party. This experience offers lessons on mistakes to avoid.

Political Ideologies. This section analyzes major contemporary political ideologies and movements, identifying competitors’ strengths (potentially adoptable) and weaknesses (targets for critique).

Conservatives. The actions and values of conservatives, social democracy’s main rivals today, are examined in this section.

Stalinist Legendarium. Stalinism relies on myths created by propaganda. This section debunks these myths to ultimately eradicate Stalinism as a political force.

Conservative Legendarium. Similar to Stalinism, conservatism maintains itself through propaganda myths, which are also systematically debunked here.

Propagandists of Stalinism. Combating Stalinism involves exposing its propagandists as frauds and falsifiers.

Propaganda. This section analyzes the mechanisms of political propaganda and explores ways to counteract its influence.

Bolsheviks. A critical analysis of the Bolshevik Party’s successes and failures provides lessons to avoid repeating their mistakes.

Culture. Articles in this category explore cultural topics, including literature, events, music history, and film reviews.

Persons. Biographies of historical figures who influenced social democracy, either as allies, leaders, rivals, or opponents, are included in this category.

Trade Unions. This section explains the role of trade unions, their benefits, how to join one, and how to organize strikes, promoting trade unionism in Russia.

The Russian Regime. This category addresses contemporary issues in Russia, such as corruption, low living standards, and human rights violations.

Future. A futurist section exploring hypotheses about human society’s future, including planetary colonization, robotics, urban planning, and more.