It’s not just Republicans and conservative activists who are calling Democrats socialists — the party’s own rank-and-file are doing that themselves.
Recently, Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala bluntly told voters that there are socialists in the party, because the Democrat Party is a “big tent” that includes people with different beliefs. At the same time, she tried to allay voter fears that the party is veering too far to the left by touting her own moderate credentials and willingness to work across the aisle with Republican lawmakers. Rep. Shalala also noted that there are plenty of moderate Democrats in the House of Representatives — all while downplaying the number of socialists. Clearly, she can’t make up her mind…
Rep. Shalala is accurate in stating that many Democrats in Congress today are socialists. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, perhaps the most vocal Democrat in Congress, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, an organization that is in favor of easy access to abortion, gun control, the Green New Deal and the eventual abolishment of capitalism. Senator Bernie Sanders, one of leading candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination, is by his own admission a democratic socialist, and has been endorsed by the DSA.
Not every Democrat is that obvious with his or her socialism. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, another leading Democrat candidate for the presidency, likewise espouses many of the DSA’s ideas, including the increased regulation of private companies in order to make the market “more accountable” to the general public. The Equality Act, which would put LGBTQ rights above the rights of conservative Christians, Jews, Muslims and other individuals, was recently passed by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. The bill is in line with the DSA’s platform.
So, the socialist streak is well-documented — but it’s hard to see just where the moderates in the Democratic Party are. While Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s stance on many issues isn’t nearly as far left as those of many of her party members, the party as a whole cannot really be classified as a “big tent” that happens to include a few socialists. Instead, the socialists in the party are rapidly taking control, even though there are some who would prefer to believe that this isn’t really the case.
Socialism is a dangerous model for any country to follow. In its extreme form, it has led to the murder of tens of millions of innocent men, women and children. The ideas that many socialist Democrats are touting would ruin America’s economy, leading to widespread job loss, soaring utility costs, high taxes and stringent government regulations that would make life worse for just about everyone in the United States.
The fact that the Democratic Party is giving people with these dangerous ideas free rein doesn’t mean the Democrat Party is a “big tent”; rather, it is a big disaster in the making. Unfortunately, unlike the voter who called Rep. Shalala out on the presence of socialism in the Democraic Party, many Americans don’t have first-hand experience with a socialist government and so are blissfully unaware of the many dangers that socialism poses. Sadly, many of these voters may find out just what’s wrong with socialism the hard way…
