Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has described Democratic candidate Kamala Harris as a communist and Marxist, calling her “a racist, a …Comrade KamalaIt's doubtful that badmouthing Trump is helping to win voters' support, but if you had to call Harris something, a socialist would be better, since her key policy proposals are almost identical to those promoted by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
DSA isOur Platform.”
First, “deepening and strengthening our democracy.” Of course, Presidents Biden and Harris and almost every Democrat have repeatedly asserted that “democracy is under attack,” and Trump has said, “Threat to Democracy.”
The DSA says it “want to end minority rule” by abolishing the Senate and the Electoral College. Harris would likely agree to abolish the Senate filibuster, allowing all legislation and presidential appointments to be passed by a majority vote.
Additionally, socialists want to add seats to the U.S. Supreme Court (expand the courts) and impose term limits on justices. Harris and most The Democratic Party is promoting Both are SCOTUS reforms.
DSA's second item is “Abolish the Carceral State.” (By “carceral” I mean prisons and jails.) DSA wants to “defund the police” (where have I heard that term before?) and “free all incarcerated people.” Harris Supported “defunding” She campaigned on abolishing bail and eliminating bail for some crimes before those positions became politically taxing, and now she tries to hide her soft-on-crime policies by highlighting her background as a prosecutor.
The DSA advocates for the “abolition of white supremacy,” calls for the government to pay reparations to Black people, “expand and expand protected areas across the United States,” and “end environmental racism” — all of which Harris supports, or at least used to support.
Under “Strong Labor Movement” is a lengthy list of DSA demands, including the right to form unions and the repeal of “right to work laws.” Isn't the Biden-Harris administration supposed to be the most pro-union administration in history?
One of the DSA's major themes is “economic justice,” which includes a range of demands, including free public college, 100% student loan and medical debt forgiveness, and major new regulations. Harris' “opportunity economy” includes all three.
Of course, I had to assume that “gender and sexuality justice” was on the DSA's list, which also included “reproductive justice for all” (i.e. abortion) and “queer-friendly, Gender-Affirming MedicineHarris embraces both.
Next up was the “Green New Deal,” which is neither green nor new. The Green New Deal was a social justice program disguised as an environmental policy. Harris said, Former GND co-sponsor.
Under the theme of “health justice,” the DSA supports Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) “Medicare for All” bill, a government-run health care system that bears no resemblance to Medicare. Harris was a co-sponsor. Until they decide it becomes a political burden.
DSA item 9 is “Housing for All.” Wait, Harris has spoken about expanding government-built housing. And offering a $25,000 tax credit to first-time homebuyers? Well, come to think of it, she does.
The DSA's final heading suggests “international solidarity” and “anti-imperialism.” It is not clear what Harris' foreign policy would be, but it is likely to mirror Biden's appeasement policies toward China and Iran.
Admittedly, the DSA agenda goes deeper on each main point than Harris does, but who doesn’t dig deeper than Kamala Harris? So while Harris may not agree with some of the DSA’s subpoints, there’s no denying that she agrees or was in agreement with the main socialist themes.
Harris has sought to distance herself from positions she has publicly expressed in the past, thus:Freed from the burdens of the pastBut she hasn't made any meaningful change on any issue, and she made that clear in a softball interview with CNN's Dana Bash when she declared, “My values haven't changed” — a wink to those who worried that Harris had veered too center.
Her values, and those of the Democratic Party today, are essentially the same as those of the Democratic Socialists of America. The only big difference is that DSA members don't try to hide their socialist beliefs, whereas Harris does.
Merrill Matthews is a public policy and political analyst and co-author of “On the Edge: America Faces the Entitlements Cliff.” X@MerylMatthews.
