Do democratic socialists really want socialism? If so, they have no place in America

Like many Democrats, I patiently wait for the party to find ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The upcoming 2026 midterms have instilled the same amount of dread in me as in previous elections. It seems that the Democrats love to hate President Trump, but they don’t seem to offer any practical solutions on how they would do things better.

It has been beaten to death that the rise of so-called democratic socialists is a result of Democrats’ impotence. I don’t have to remind you that the constant failures of Democrats in Washington has led to voters (especially young voters) turning to candidates who proudly wear the title of socialist while trumpeting populist policies.

But pushing aside the Red Scare run-for-the-hills rhetoric, there needs to be a serious discussion. Are these so-called democratic socialists actually socialists? And do we really want socialism in America? Like the Beatles song “Revolution” said — “If you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, You ain’t gonna make it with anyone anyhow.” If these candidates truly view themselves as socialists, then the answer should be an unequivocal no.

The first thing we need to ascertain is whether these candidates and politicians — ranging from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros to Washington, D.C. mayoral hopeful Janeese Lewis George — truly want to seize the means of production in this country and limit private business, private property, and private ownership. Because, folks, that is what socialism is.

It is easy to look at Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos and think that socialism makes sense. It’s not so easy when you apply the concept to your parents’ real estate investments or your family........

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