If there ever were an issue on which Democrats and Republicans could agree, it should be that socialism is bad and capitalism, with a little tweaking, is good.

Yet Republicans are the loudest voices saying so. As we approach the November election, democratic socialists are making headway among voters who have been emboldened by the 2025 election of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist. And candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America have advanced in a few dozen primary elections this year.

In response, Republicans and conservatives have begun speaking out against socialism, Marxism and communism, if at times disingenuously. These three orthodoxies are not the same, though there are overlaps. Not many communists are running for public office, at least not as communists, despite President Donald Trump’s claim on Monday that “we’re running against communists.”

Even popular Catholic Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, has chimed in, explaining that a market economy, as opposed to socialism, is consistent with human freedom and dignity.

The DSA wants to take over the largest corporations — a core socialist ideal — and bring democratic principles into the workplace. This may appeal to some, but a thorough reading of the DSA’s........

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