The Rise of Socialism in America

There’s this unsettling notion floating around America—communism. It seems that socialists, once considered fringe players in politics, are now popping up across the nation, believing that their moment has finally arrived.

Recent successes by Zoran Mamdani and Daria Lisa Avila Chevalier, along with protests in New York and Melat Quiroz in Colorado, have invigorated American Democratic Socialists. The group is now aiming its sights beyond traditionally liberal areas, focusing on battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin.

“Red waves are rising. We must act before they reach our shores,” one might say.

Abdul El Said is looking strong for a Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. Meanwhile, Francesca Hong is making waves in Wisconsin with her campaign for governor, having recently just narrowly trailed behind Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez in a poll of Democratic activists.

However, things took a downturn in Maine when Graham Platner halted his Senate run due to sexual assault allegations from a former girlfriend, which he denies. His departure doesn’t necessarily mean that socialist influence in the Democratic Party will fade.

Interestingly, some Democratic leaders are attempting to distance themselves from this wave, but it’s harder than it looks to absolve themselves of responsibility.

For years, Democrats have unwittingly nurtured the political climate that fosters such radical views.

In Portland, activists recently destroyed a statue, and local authorities either stood by or were simply unable to intervene—demonstrating a profound shift. Mamdani, during his Fourth of July address, depicted his detractors as believing that America is a space primarily meant for certain races or backgrounds.

This rhetoric doesn’t openly condemn the U.S., but it showcases a common trend on the left to view the nation’s narrative primarily through the lenses of oppression and exclusion.

According to a recent Gallup poll, this sentiment resonates deeply among Democratic voters—only 14% express strong pride in being American, in stark contrast to 70% of Republicans and 28% of independents.

Patriots feel a natural urge to resist such disdain for their homeland. But it’s crucial to grasp why socialism and communism clash with core American values.

The Founding Fathers established a republic grounded in natural rights, which foster liberty, property ownership, religious freedom, enterprise, and self-governance.

Socialism directly opposes these principles.

It replaces personal property with state ownership, spiritual beliefs with materialism, voluntary exchanges with bureaucratic planning, and dissent with oppression.

While contemporary democratic socialists might shy away from terms like dictatorship and revolution, their goals are similar: shifting power from individuals and communities to the government.

Mamdani advocates for government-operated grocery stores and rent controls, while Hong calls for vigorous state intervention in economic and environmental matters. El Said’s “Medicare for All” campaign aims to bring more healthcare systems under federal authority.

Each of these proposals seems beneficial on its own. Collectively, however, they sketch a vision of governance where state responsibilities expand dramatically to encompass the provisioning of food, housing, healthcare, jobs, and personal safety.

And yet, this promise comes at a significant cost.

Socialists propose funding their initiatives by extracting what they describe as the nation’s fair share from wealthy individuals, often beginning with free services. But the economy doesn’t function on resentment. When governments manipulate prices, penalize investments, confiscate property, and swap market signals for political decrees, the resulting scenarios include scarcity, corruption, censorship, and poverty.

Historically, the Soviet Union under Stalin imposed devastating collectivization on Ukraine, resulting in millions of deaths. Similarly, Cuba under Castro continues to grapple with basic needs and reliable power supply. Venezuela has deteriorated from one of Latin America’s wealthiest nations to a state plagued by hyperinflation and widespread emigration.

These failures weren’t mere accidents within the socialist framework. Instead, they highlighted how such power consolidates economically and politically in a few hands.

Contrarily, America operates on the assumption that citizens, rather than bureaucrats, are better suited to discern their needs and carve out their lives. The Constitution’s division of power reflects the Founders’ concerns about a government that might trample freedom under the guise of public service.

At present, the Democratic Party is witnessing a wave of candidates who are rejecting this foundational legacy, pushing through from Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapters to primaries, increasingly gaining traction.

The stakes now reach beyond key states like New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Colorado.

If America continues to embrace the ideologies that impoverished and devastated societies in the last century, survival for another 50 years—or even 250—seems grim.

The new brand of socialists may have modern marketing, trendy social media platforms, and polished rhetoric, but their agenda still necessitates the relinquishment of individual property, freedom, and authority to the state.

The red waves are indeed rising, and the time to act is now, before it’s too late.