When watching the news, it’s hard not to hear the words democratic socialism. To some, it’s a term they haven’t heard in over a decade, and for others it’s a concept they never knew existed.
The media alludes that this wave of Democratic Socialists and their values are unheard of and could never work in our freedom-loving USA. What some people forget is our state and federal systems have had aspects of socialism since the 1900s.
During the boom of industrialism. Children worked in factories, there was no union in sight, and the mortality rate of adults and children was morbidly high. When men and children came home from work, they lived in poverty and survived on diets composed of the bare minimum they managed to scrape together.
If such a thing exists, the 1920s was capitalism at its finest. The federal and state government left corporations alone and citizens to suffer. When Americans realized that corporations prioritized profits over workers’ health, they wanted change. They forced corporations to create unions, stop children from working and create safer work environments.
These changes were built off the back of socialism. Americans realized the need to focus on the collective good of the people and not the overall product/money.
Soon after industrialism came the great depression. Socialism strengthened because of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His implementation of Medicare/Medicaid, the protection/creation of national parks, the revival of the job market and implementation of public transportation helped citizens in their time of need.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Red Scare hit the Western world, and socialism became conflated with communism. The Soviet Union showed America how communism could turn into an unjust dictatorship where freedom didn’t belong. Because of media interpretation, American propaganda and the creeping fear of the Soviet Union, socialism’s appeal disappeared. Americans ran from anything that smelled like communism, becoming independent and priding themselves on a private economy.
The tensions between the States and the Soviet Union became a battle of freedom vs. total control. Movement organizations in the 1960s, like the Democratic Socialists of America and any civil rights groups, were called communists, often resulting in death and imprisonment.
Internally, the Soviet Union faced its own demons, and on December 26, 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, effectively dismantling the Soviet Union, which led to its Russian rebirth and an attempt at democracy. The Cold War came to an end, and American capitalism ignited anew, but neither victory has proved to be sustainable.
In the early years of the 21st century, in 2008, the U.S. economy plunged into its deepest downturn since the Great Depression of 1930, driven by the collapse of the housing market and a financial crisis. Major banks and investment firms faced enormous losses as mortgage-backed securities deteriorated. Credit markets froze, businesses cut jobs and spending, and governments intervened with emergency bailouts and stimulus measures. The resulting recession spread worldwide, causing millions of Americans to lose jobs, homes and savings.
That recession ignited the spark that, over time, led to today’s democratic socialism.
Defining Democratic Socialism
Democratic socialism is a political and economic philosophy that seeks to combine democratic government with greater public or collective control of major economic resources. It generally supports capitalism’s replacement or substantial transformation through publicly owned or worker-controlled enterprises, while protecting democratic institutions, political freedoms and civil rights. The approach differs from communism by emphasizing political democracy and individual liberties.
A statement from the Democratic Socialists of America best describes their mission: “We want a democracy that creates space for us all to flourish, not just survive, and answers the fundamental questions of our lives with the input of all.” They continue, “We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation. We want the multiracial working class united in solidarity instead of divided by fear. We want to win “radical” reforms like single-payer Medicare for All, defunding the police/refunding communities, the Green New Deal, and more as a transition to a freer, more just life.”
Instead of focusing on individual gains, Democratic socialism incorporates the democracy US citizens are accustomed to while centering services like healthcare, education and public housing as collective goals everyone works to build. In a democratic socialist society, the people have a say in the policies implemented and ownership of housing and business.
When Americans have struggled they’ve often turned to socialist programs to survive, knowingly or not. The growing approval and support surrounding Democratic Socialists like Zorahn Mumdani, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Chris Rabb reflects that.
Today, citizens feel divided and frustrated with a system that has failed them. Democratic Socialism, as described above, could be the very key Americans seek to bring the reform the country needs for thriving prosperity and well-being for all.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
