Bro, we just want fucking healthcare like all the other countries. We're really just talking about capitalism with stronger social safety nets, unless tax loopholes for the wealthy.
Bro, government healthcare is a social democratic., not socialist program. Capitalist countries can have good healthcare, government ownership of the means of production is not a prerequisite.
That and some things should not be privatized, like prisons. It sets up incentives that are unethical as hell. And omg the idea the perhaps hospitals shouldn't be for rapacious levels of profit is about as controversial as the electrical grid answering to the Public Service Commission or water systems not being privatized. None of this is radical or communist or implies run of the mill Americans want a Soviet style planned economy. Regular people do not listen to a few unknown kooks on the fringe, none of which are running for office. They just don't like that 40% of the people on their state can't buy enough food because the rich must get richer.
I want to barf every time I see privileged people preaching for communism. Megan Romer is lying to herself and others that hardcore socialism is the answer to our ills.
Tai, the demands are realistic - don’t bite the dangling hook - 🪝 😱commie scare tactic - oh it’s a Marxist revolution !!!! Oh my God , the sky is falling !!
The fact that some grievances are very real doesn’t change the fact that people who promise simple sounding solutions actually plan to deliver on them. Literally every totalitarian regime, whether fascist or communist, started out with real grievances , legitimate or not, being subverted.
I promise to you that if people like Romer get their wish, free healthcare will be the last thing on your mind. It’s for a very good reason that every implementation of socialism requires machine gun towers for border control to keep happy proletariat in their paradise.
You have no way , at all , on Gods green earth , of predicting any of this . Period, full stop.🛑 what is real and true RIGHT now , is t bc at talk like this is being used to drive fear into the hearts of Americans. So - you need to stop this talk - it’s dangerous - esp now since there is already a totalitarian regime in power. Just like the trans scare, so goes the commie scare. Simmer down - the sky isn’t falling and it isn’t gonna fall because of one person like Romer. There is only 1 Cuba, only 1 N Korea, there are many (MANY) countries we could model ourselves after that are reasonable , successful - far more than there are failed Marxist models. There is no way I see US becoming a Cuba , the same way it’s having severe troubles manifesting a Nazi germany. Stop fear mongering . Let the electorate move to the Left , the world will not end.
WTF are you talking about , LITERALLY EVERY TIME this was tried it followed the same failed, oppressive , miserable scenario. There is no success story. And people who tried it before were infinitely more capable than the deranged malignant narcissist zoomers who made aggressive ignorance and performative self-debilitation into a full time career .
Including the socialist paradise in which I was born and lived almost half of my life.
And no, Denmark and Norway have absolutely nothing to do with socialism and are very vocal about it. In fact that talking turd Romer actually picked Cuba as a place for us to emulate.
How about this - everyone who actually wants to try this should be able to do so, on their own terms and to themselves. Buy a ticket to Pyongyang or something. The rest of our should fight this cancer with same commitment as any other totalitarian fascist takeover.
Thanks for sharing. Bates seems like a nightmare for anyone who is not buying into the ideology. I would want to say it is isolated, but a visit to my Alma mater a couple years ago would say it is not.
I don't have it in front of me but I think Gary has documented some very worrisome prior statements by the DSA founders and top brass. Have a look back on his prior posts.
FWIW, I consider myself a Social Democrat with the emphasis on Democratic. The Scandinavian countries are my model. The Democratic Socialists, some fear, put the emphasis on Socialism and quietly forget about the Democracy part. I admit this may be an unfair characterisation but we need to hear more from the DSA on this question. JMTC...
The one indispensable and non-negotiable human liberty is self-determination. Neither Fascism nor Marxism will tolerate self-determination. Neither can allow individuals control of their own lives and survive. I will live free or die free, but my freedom will not be taken from me without a fight. Not by Marxists, not by Fascists, not by religious fanatics who would impose their metaphysical fantasies.
Its always the accumulation of power (be it ideological, political, religious, or MONETARY) that leads to a person being able to divest someone of liberty of self determination.
the point of government should be to make the rules that limit the runaway power....
so far it is relatively able to limit the personal power (someone cannot rob you simply for being stronger than you)
it was able to curb political power (one cannot be a monarch anymore)
it was able to curb religious power (in theory you cannot be burned as a witch by inquisition on religious grounds)
so now the focus is on limiting how far the accumulated money should be allowed to control lives of others (lobbying, buying elections, pursuing monopoly or rent seeking - like feudal inherited lords)... interesting times
Corporations are just the plutocrats that own them. The mythology that they are “public” because anyone can buy their stock serves the owners politically, but Amazon is Jeff Bezos, Paramount is Larry Ellison, you can go down the list, but more and more these corporations have one ultra capitalist that really calls the shots, controls the board, sets the objectives.
but how to add it to your last sentence "Not by Marxists, not by Fascists, not by religious fanatics who would impose their metaphysical fantasies." in a way that the common right wing reader could agree as well would be a worthwhile goal...
the right is known to be somewhat more authoritarian leaning (towards each of those ideologies tend towards as an extreme endpoint)
Ever read Chris Mooney’s “The Republican Brain?” It’s a really thorough examination of the psychology and sociology of people who feel comfort and safety from tribal membership and authoritarian structures.
I’ve found the most reliable way to diagnose what I call a “brain stem cognitive” is whether or not the individual has voluntarily spent their life within ten miles of their place of birth, or if they left it was only because they had no choice (no employment, military draft, business failure, marriage etc). It’s primarily a reflection of psychological insecurity that permeates their responses to cognitive dissonance, their hostility to education, fear of outsiders and difference, paranoia, conspiracy theories, etc..
I think a major miscalculation of classical liberalism has been assuming education can cure this affliction. My librarian mother as a young woman believed that. But after years seeing the same handful of people in the library she concluded that it wasn’t because the hateful authoritarians lacked educational opportunities, it was because they actively avoided them as they found learning anything that might challenge the beliefs their tribal membership conferred discomfiting. As for myself, I’ve pretty much concluded that brain stem cognitives are a waste of time and effort. You might neutralize them, but you can’t change their wiring.
Unfortunately the GOP will jump on articles like this to help their divide and conquer approach against the Democrats. McCarthyism all over again.
Are there still people left in the middle ground? It’s where most people should be but the modern digital world thrives on hate and divisiveness. It’s their business model.
Is it McCarthyism if I want the Democrats to seriously confront people who say they aren't in favor of the separation of powers? Am I helping Republicans when I say that people who support imperialist dictatorships like Russia or terrorists like Hamas should probably not be part of the tent? Am I a lunatic when I say that I actually like capitalism and we shouldn't abolish it?
Either you just copy-pasted something completely unresponsive or you wrote up something that is completely unresponsive. I raised specific issues, you respond with a general explanation that is meant to sanewash insane individuals.
You have to vaguely understand the position of Garry Kasparov... he fled authoritarianism ...so he is justly oversensitive to any semblance of "far left communism" ... while consciously or subconsciously failing to understand he fears the authoritarianism aspect (that can be found on both ends of the economic spectrum) not the economic aspect and current political debate is about the economic aspect... since its difficult to get even more authoritarian from where you are now...
his motive is not to flee one and end up in the same problem ... (the fear of any refugee) but i feel that fear is misplaced...
The ghost of Russia is centuries of two tier societies with a shitty ruling class. The ghost of the USA is and always has been white male supremacy. Garry Kasparov has his fears, and I understand that well enough (I have friends who fled the Soviet Union in the 50s, after all), but I don't see what it has to do with the US, when the problem we face is decidedly on the far right and has big fat white male supremacist stamp staring everyone in the face.
"Democratic socialism isn’t booming across the country because of a fundamental shift in American priorities. Quite the opposite.
It’s booming because, despite the political smear campaigns, when people hear that these candidates really just care about core domestic issues like the cost of living, protecting the environment, and taking care of families, they’re forced to ask one inevitable question:
how does this compare to Republican priorities of hiding the Epstein files, forever war in Iran, and billionaires forcing data centers down our throats?"
A congenital defect of communism’s emigres is a paranoid and misplaced association of Western social democrats with the communist shibboleth. In this sadly they shill for fascist oligarch neoreactionaries, not democracy.
I couldn’t be more repulsed by this display of DSA delusion. The sheer lackadaisical attitude toward revolutionary socialism and an eventual communist objective—ideologies with an appalling historical record—is staggering, especially coming from the co-chair of a political organization.
A movement that talks seriously about abolishing prisons, borders, the presidency, the Senate, and ultimately capitalism itself should not be treated as some harmless progressive tendency. These are radical political objectives, and Americans should understand exactly what is being advocated.
I oppose this kind of far-left extremism for the same fundamental reason I oppose Trumpian MAGA extremism: both represent dangerous departures from liberal democracy and the institutions, pluralism, and political restraints necessary to preserve a free society.
These movements need to be openly challenged, denounced, and politically defeated—not normalized or allowed to masquerade as ordinary democratic politics.
NO DSA. NO MAGA. Period.
Democrats, wake up and kick these ideological extremists to the curb before they do even more damage to the credibility of the democratic left and hand the far right exactly the ammunition it wants.
The biggest problem today is that we have no way of knowing where money is coming from to support many of our candidates. Most Americans don’t care about names of parties or even their platforms….no one reads them and often they don’t reflect the politicians that get elected. We want decent opportunities to hold a job that contributes and the ability to remain healthy.
Marxism claims to be international 'socialism" (though there were Russian nationalist/colonialist aspects to the Soviet Union). Nazism claims to be national "socialism" (though historically, the Axis powers formed an international alliance). Fascism is a cousin to Nazism, though de-emphasizes racism in favor of alliance between big government and large corporations.
While Trump is not ideologically pure (like every other elected politician), he is not a fascist and leans libertarian. Sometimes force must be organized in defense of natural justice against those who organize force in violation of natural justice. The two should not be conflated.
Foreign aid amounts to using tax dollars or government-backed debt to subsidize the defense or welfare of other governments. Opposing US foreign aid to Ukraine doesn't amount to opposition to Ukraine. The 2014 revolution gave Ukraine a chance to reform its corruption, economy, and to prepare for war. The pre-2022 leadership of Ukraine failed in all three areas. Zelensky is surrounded by thieves, which is why he defended Syrski and fired Fedorov.
At this point, Ukraine is the lesser evil, but the US is bankrupt and cannot afford the absurd generosity we displayed after WW2 and in bailing out Europe in two world wars. The US can no longer afford to protect the world, but must focus on American interests first. Let Europe pay for the defense of Europe, and reshore manufacturing to the US and away from mainland China.
I think what’s going on right now in our country is a generational shift in what are the most important problems we face, challenges to our “traditional” hierarchical structures, and what can be done to address problems and reorder things to be more the way we would like them to be. It’s an uncomfortable, chaotic time. Change is scary, especially if you don’t know what’s coming next.
The right’s part in this discussion has mostly been to double down on its authoritarian tendencies, pushing failed, rigid ideologies and fear. The center and left have been having mostly non-ideological and painfully slow discussion and experimenting a little.
Fear-mongering about a group of wacky ideologues, who aren’t even homogeneously wacky, which numbers 129k (AFTER a big bump in membership due to Mamdani) runs the risk of stifling the non-ideological discussion sane Americans (minus, obviously, MAGA and the DSA ideologues) are having about our future. Medicare for all isn’t socialist. Wanting to break up big corporations isn’t socialist. Advocating improving our disaster of an education “system” isn’t socialist. Wanting to address obscene wealth inequality isn’t socialist.
So, Garry, keep that in mind as you try to scare up as much outrage as you can about the pathetic DSA, even if they are having a bit of a moment right now.
Thank you for writing this, I think you make some good points. However, I think there is some nuance being glossed over here.
1) Candidates aren't always as extreme as their most vocal supporters. Mamdani in particular has been in many respects a centrist mayor (something that he gets bashed for in certain circles). And while I agree with you that platforming Piker was a mistake, I suspect Al-Sayed will turn out to be in the same mold.
2) I disagree with you that the establishment Democrats are being feckless. The party is spending real capital -both financial and political - preventing the most extreme candidates from winning primaries. And it's not always unsuccessful; for every Al-Sayed who squeaks through, there's a Francis Hong who doesn't.
3) I feel like Platner is a different kettle of fish. As far as I know, his flaws had little to do with extreme political positions and more to do with abhorrent personal behavior: more like Swalwell than Hong.
Rallying around the primary candidate after the voters have spoken seems to me to be a realistic, even centrist approach, because the alternative at that point is ceding ground to people who let ICE murder people with impunity. For all people like Romer spout nonsense, at least we are not yet at the point where they are enabling that level of tangible harm. There is some hope that, like AOC and Mamdani, once people assume positions of authority they will realize they need to modulate their approach; with the GOP on the other hand, we are seeing the opposite.
Anyway, again I really appreciate you speaking up about these issues, even if we don't agree on everything.
Bro, we just want fucking healthcare like all the other countries. We're really just talking about capitalism with stronger social safety nets, unless tax loopholes for the wealthy.
That's social democracy.
Democratic socialism is socialism and requires a revolution, albeit democratic - not the Marxist Leninist kind.
Social democracy doesn't imply a "revolution" on the short term. Historically that's only a pragmatic compromise. On theory they're the same thing
Bro, government healthcare is a social democratic., not socialist program. Capitalist countries can have good healthcare, government ownership of the means of production is not a prerequisite.
That and some things should not be privatized, like prisons. It sets up incentives that are unethical as hell. And omg the idea the perhaps hospitals shouldn't be for rapacious levels of profit is about as controversial as the electrical grid answering to the Public Service Commission or water systems not being privatized. None of this is radical or communist or implies run of the mill Americans want a Soviet style planned economy. Regular people do not listen to a few unknown kooks on the fringe, none of which are running for office. They just don't like that 40% of the people on their state can't buy enough food because the rich must get richer.
I think that's just called "authoritarianism."
I want to barf every time I see privileged people preaching for communism. Megan Romer is lying to herself and others that hardcore socialism is the answer to our ills.
Tai, the demands are realistic - don’t bite the dangling hook - 🪝 😱commie scare tactic - oh it’s a Marxist revolution !!!! Oh my God , the sky is falling !!
The fact that some grievances are very real doesn’t change the fact that people who promise simple sounding solutions actually plan to deliver on them. Literally every totalitarian regime, whether fascist or communist, started out with real grievances , legitimate or not, being subverted.
I promise to you that if people like Romer get their wish, free healthcare will be the last thing on your mind. It’s for a very good reason that every implementation of socialism requires machine gun towers for border control to keep happy proletariat in their paradise.
You have no way , at all , on Gods green earth , of predicting any of this . Period, full stop.🛑 what is real and true RIGHT now , is t bc at talk like this is being used to drive fear into the hearts of Americans. So - you need to stop this talk - it’s dangerous - esp now since there is already a totalitarian regime in power. Just like the trans scare, so goes the commie scare. Simmer down - the sky isn’t falling and it isn’t gonna fall because of one person like Romer. There is only 1 Cuba, only 1 N Korea, there are many (MANY) countries we could model ourselves after that are reasonable , successful - far more than there are failed Marxist models. There is no way I see US becoming a Cuba , the same way it’s having severe troubles manifesting a Nazi germany. Stop fear mongering . Let the electorate move to the Left , the world will not end.
WTF are you talking about , LITERALLY EVERY TIME this was tried it followed the same failed, oppressive , miserable scenario. There is no success story. And people who tried it before were infinitely more capable than the deranged malignant narcissist zoomers who made aggressive ignorance and performative self-debilitation into a full time career .
Including the socialist paradise in which I was born and lived almost half of my life.
And no, Denmark and Norway have absolutely nothing to do with socialism and are very vocal about it. In fact that talking turd Romer actually picked Cuba as a place for us to emulate.
How about this - everyone who actually wants to try this should be able to do so, on their own terms and to themselves. Buy a ticket to Pyongyang or something. The rest of our should fight this cancer with same commitment as any other totalitarian fascist takeover.
If you really want to see bizarre lefty echo-chamber dynamics, this recent article in the Atlantic had me gripped: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/09/elite-academia-leadership-hypocrisy/687969/
I'm not sure I agree with the sweeping generalization to all of academia, but as a personal narrative, it's hard to dispute the cringe.
Thanks for sharing. Bates seems like a nightmare for anyone who is not buying into the ideology. I would want to say it is isolated, but a visit to my Alma mater a couple years ago would say it is not.
what is hardcore socialism?
I was here before the comments turned into a warzone.
Very good points, Gary. Thanks.
I think Gary remains suspicious of the motives of the people heading the DSA movement. I think his suspicion may well be warranted. JMTC…
I don't have it in front of me but I think Gary has documented some very worrisome prior statements by the DSA founders and top brass. Have a look back on his prior posts.
FWIW, I consider myself a Social Democrat with the emphasis on Democratic. The Scandinavian countries are my model. The Democratic Socialists, some fear, put the emphasis on Socialism and quietly forget about the Democracy part. I admit this may be an unfair characterisation but we need to hear more from the DSA on this question. JMTC...
The one indispensable and non-negotiable human liberty is self-determination. Neither Fascism nor Marxism will tolerate self-determination. Neither can allow individuals control of their own lives and survive. I will live free or die free, but my freedom will not be taken from me without a fight. Not by Marxists, not by Fascists, not by religious fanatics who would impose their metaphysical fantasies.
you forgot the corporations as well.
Its always the accumulation of power (be it ideological, political, religious, or MONETARY) that leads to a person being able to divest someone of liberty of self determination.
the point of government should be to make the rules that limit the runaway power....
so far it is relatively able to limit the personal power (someone cannot rob you simply for being stronger than you)
it was able to curb political power (one cannot be a monarch anymore)
it was able to curb religious power (in theory you cannot be burned as a witch by inquisition on religious grounds)
so now the focus is on limiting how far the accumulated money should be allowed to control lives of others (lobbying, buying elections, pursuing monopoly or rent seeking - like feudal inherited lords)... interesting times
Corporations are just the plutocrats that own them. The mythology that they are “public” because anyone can buy their stock serves the owners politically, but Amazon is Jeff Bezos, Paramount is Larry Ellison, you can go down the list, but more and more these corporations have one ultra capitalist that really calls the shots, controls the board, sets the objectives.
agree there 100%!
but how to add it to your last sentence "Not by Marxists, not by Fascists, not by religious fanatics who would impose their metaphysical fantasies." in a way that the common right wing reader could agree as well would be a worthwhile goal...
the right is known to be somewhat more authoritarian leaning (towards each of those ideologies tend towards as an extreme endpoint)
Ever read Chris Mooney’s “The Republican Brain?” It’s a really thorough examination of the psychology and sociology of people who feel comfort and safety from tribal membership and authoritarian structures.
I’ve found the most reliable way to diagnose what I call a “brain stem cognitive” is whether or not the individual has voluntarily spent their life within ten miles of their place of birth, or if they left it was only because they had no choice (no employment, military draft, business failure, marriage etc). It’s primarily a reflection of psychological insecurity that permeates their responses to cognitive dissonance, their hostility to education, fear of outsiders and difference, paranoia, conspiracy theories, etc..
I think a major miscalculation of classical liberalism has been assuming education can cure this affliction. My librarian mother as a young woman believed that. But after years seeing the same handful of people in the library she concluded that it wasn’t because the hateful authoritarians lacked educational opportunities, it was because they actively avoided them as they found learning anything that might challenge the beliefs their tribal membership conferred discomfiting. As for myself, I’ve pretty much concluded that brain stem cognitives are a waste of time and effort. You might neutralize them, but you can’t change their wiring.
Unfortunately the GOP will jump on articles like this to help their divide and conquer approach against the Democrats. McCarthyism all over again.
Are there still people left in the middle ground? It’s where most people should be but the modern digital world thrives on hate and divisiveness. It’s their business model.
Is it McCarthyism if I want the Democrats to seriously confront people who say they aren't in favor of the separation of powers? Am I helping Republicans when I say that people who support imperialist dictatorships like Russia or terrorists like Hamas should probably not be part of the tent? Am I a lunatic when I say that I actually like capitalism and we shouldn't abolish it?
Either you just copy-pasted something completely unresponsive or you wrote up something that is completely unresponsive. I raised specific issues, you respond with a general explanation that is meant to sanewash insane individuals.
Historically Social Democracy have been a pragmatic compromise on socialism. The long term goal in theory is the same
You have to vaguely understand the position of Garry Kasparov... he fled authoritarianism ...so he is justly oversensitive to any semblance of "far left communism" ... while consciously or subconsciously failing to understand he fears the authoritarianism aspect (that can be found on both ends of the economic spectrum) not the economic aspect and current political debate is about the economic aspect... since its difficult to get even more authoritarian from where you are now...
his motive is not to flee one and end up in the same problem ... (the fear of any refugee) but i feel that fear is misplaced...
The ghost of Russia is centuries of two tier societies with a shitty ruling class. The ghost of the USA is and always has been white male supremacy. Garry Kasparov has his fears, and I understand that well enough (I have friends who fled the Soviet Union in the 50s, after all), but I don't see what it has to do with the US, when the problem we face is decidedly on the far right and has big fat white male supremacist stamp staring everyone in the face.
the overton window went too far right
https://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2024
https://substack.com/home/post/p-210935967
"Democratic socialism isn’t booming across the country because of a fundamental shift in American priorities. Quite the opposite.
It’s booming because, despite the political smear campaigns, when people hear that these candidates really just care about core domestic issues like the cost of living, protecting the environment, and taking care of families, they’re forced to ask one inevitable question:
how does this compare to Republican priorities of hiding the Epstein files, forever war in Iran, and billionaires forcing data centers down our throats?"
A congenital defect of communism’s emigres is a paranoid and misplaced association of Western social democrats with the communist shibboleth. In this sadly they shill for fascist oligarch neoreactionaries, not democracy.
I couldn’t be more repulsed by this display of DSA delusion. The sheer lackadaisical attitude toward revolutionary socialism and an eventual communist objective—ideologies with an appalling historical record—is staggering, especially coming from the co-chair of a political organization.
A movement that talks seriously about abolishing prisons, borders, the presidency, the Senate, and ultimately capitalism itself should not be treated as some harmless progressive tendency. These are radical political objectives, and Americans should understand exactly what is being advocated.
I oppose this kind of far-left extremism for the same fundamental reason I oppose Trumpian MAGA extremism: both represent dangerous departures from liberal democracy and the institutions, pluralism, and political restraints necessary to preserve a free society.
These movements need to be openly challenged, denounced, and politically defeated—not normalized or allowed to masquerade as ordinary democratic politics.
NO DSA. NO MAGA. Period.
Democrats, wake up and kick these ideological extremists to the curb before they do even more damage to the credibility of the democratic left and hand the far right exactly the ammunition it wants.
The biggest problem today is that we have no way of knowing where money is coming from to support many of our candidates. Most Americans don’t care about names of parties or even their platforms….no one reads them and often they don’t reflect the politicians that get elected. We want decent opportunities to hold a job that contributes and the ability to remain healthy.
🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Marxism claims to be international 'socialism" (though there were Russian nationalist/colonialist aspects to the Soviet Union). Nazism claims to be national "socialism" (though historically, the Axis powers formed an international alliance). Fascism is a cousin to Nazism, though de-emphasizes racism in favor of alliance between big government and large corporations.
While Trump is not ideologically pure (like every other elected politician), he is not a fascist and leans libertarian. Sometimes force must be organized in defense of natural justice against those who organize force in violation of natural justice. The two should not be conflated.
Foreign aid amounts to using tax dollars or government-backed debt to subsidize the defense or welfare of other governments. Opposing US foreign aid to Ukraine doesn't amount to opposition to Ukraine. The 2014 revolution gave Ukraine a chance to reform its corruption, economy, and to prepare for war. The pre-2022 leadership of Ukraine failed in all three areas. Zelensky is surrounded by thieves, which is why he defended Syrski and fired Fedorov.
At this point, Ukraine is the lesser evil, but the US is bankrupt and cannot afford the absurd generosity we displayed after WW2 and in bailing out Europe in two world wars. The US can no longer afford to protect the world, but must focus on American interests first. Let Europe pay for the defense of Europe, and reshore manufacturing to the US and away from mainland China.
Universal healthcare is not Marxism. That’s all that people want.
I think what’s going on right now in our country is a generational shift in what are the most important problems we face, challenges to our “traditional” hierarchical structures, and what can be done to address problems and reorder things to be more the way we would like them to be. It’s an uncomfortable, chaotic time. Change is scary, especially if you don’t know what’s coming next.
The right’s part in this discussion has mostly been to double down on its authoritarian tendencies, pushing failed, rigid ideologies and fear. The center and left have been having mostly non-ideological and painfully slow discussion and experimenting a little.
Fear-mongering about a group of wacky ideologues, who aren’t even homogeneously wacky, which numbers 129k (AFTER a big bump in membership due to Mamdani) runs the risk of stifling the non-ideological discussion sane Americans (minus, obviously, MAGA and the DSA ideologues) are having about our future. Medicare for all isn’t socialist. Wanting to break up big corporations isn’t socialist. Advocating improving our disaster of an education “system” isn’t socialist. Wanting to address obscene wealth inequality isn’t socialist.
So, Garry, keep that in mind as you try to scare up as much outrage as you can about the pathetic DSA, even if they are having a bit of a moment right now.
Thank you for writing this, I think you make some good points. However, I think there is some nuance being glossed over here.
1) Candidates aren't always as extreme as their most vocal supporters. Mamdani in particular has been in many respects a centrist mayor (something that he gets bashed for in certain circles). And while I agree with you that platforming Piker was a mistake, I suspect Al-Sayed will turn out to be in the same mold.
2) I disagree with you that the establishment Democrats are being feckless. The party is spending real capital -both financial and political - preventing the most extreme candidates from winning primaries. And it's not always unsuccessful; for every Al-Sayed who squeaks through, there's a Francis Hong who doesn't.
3) I feel like Platner is a different kettle of fish. As far as I know, his flaws had little to do with extreme political positions and more to do with abhorrent personal behavior: more like Swalwell than Hong.
Rallying around the primary candidate after the voters have spoken seems to me to be a realistic, even centrist approach, because the alternative at that point is ceding ground to people who let ICE murder people with impunity. For all people like Romer spout nonsense, at least we are not yet at the point where they are enabling that level of tangible harm. There is some hope that, like AOC and Mamdani, once people assume positions of authority they will realize they need to modulate their approach; with the GOP on the other hand, we are seeing the opposite.
Anyway, again I really appreciate you speaking up about these issues, even if we don't agree on everything.
Well said Gary. Subscribed and looking forward to pushing these extremes back underground where they belong.