Some things to consider about using the S-word of politics
There are many mainstream Democrats who wish that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) had chosen a different name — you know, without the S-word.
In recent days, Republican Congressman Jeff Crank of Colorado inserted language in a House bill that “condemned socialism in all its forms” and a few Democrats in tough districts felt compelled to vote for the measure. One can imagine the ads attacking those who voted no.
So, just to be clear is Social Security socialism? Is Medicare? Is universal education? What exactly are we talking about?
Make no mistake, some members of the DSA have espoused ideas that the vast majority of Americans would find, well, screwy — abolish the Senate, abolish prisons and the police, public ownership of large corporations, etc. However, some of their other ideas would seem to have some purchase. About two-thirds of Americans think that the government should guarantee healthcare coverage. About half think ICE should be abolished — a backlash against the cruelty and violence that is very much at odds with the values of a nation of immigrants. And taxing the rich is always popular — at least if you are not rich.
For many Americans, socialism is something that does not fit with a free-market economy where everyone — theoretically — has a chance to strike it rich, and yet it has a long history on the margins on American politics.
To our north, Milwaukee was — for a time — run by what were known as “Sewer Socialists” — a group that emphasized reform, honest government and infrastructure. Today, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is seen as a political heir with his “pothole politics.”
If you ask Americans to give an example of a socialist country, they might choose one of the Nordics. The Economist recently had a column that suggested that politicians as different as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk are/were fans of Sweden.
Maybe. It seemed that Kirk like d to troll liberals who think the Nordic countries are worthy of emulation by pointing out certain capitalist contradictions.
For example, Kirk noted that Norway has become wealthy because of oil — no woke Green New Deal there. Yes, except Norwegians drive more EVs per capita than any other country, thanks to generous subsidies, which sounds like a deal that’s a bit green.
He pointed out that Sweden has no minimum wage. True. And, he suggested, one can pay anyone anything. Well, not really. Three-quarters of all Swedish workers are unionized and their wages are negotiated, so that seems a little leftist.
He allowed that Sweden has a very generous welfare state (too generous, Kirk opined) but that the Heritage Foundation’s World Economic Freedom scorecard placed Sweden above the U. S. He could have added that the conservative Tax Foundation rates Sweden’s business environment superior to America’s. Sounds like capitalism, which was Kirk’s point.
Guess what? One cannot fund a generous welfare state without a robust economy. That said, in the case of Sweden, there is a philosophy known as folkhemmet — the people’s home — that says a nation should function like a well-run home where everyone contributes and no one is left behind.
A more pertinent question, beyond debating what is and is not “socialism” in the modern American political context, is why it has surfaced now? Perhaps history is a guide. The Social Democrats in Sweden took power in 1932, the same year Franklin Roosevelt — often called a socialist — won the presidency. In both cases their electorates wanted someone to ease the pain of the Great Depression.
Today, as many Americans struggle to pay for everything from groceries to gas to health care, perhaps some will ignore labels and take a chance on those who promise to focus on them.
• Keith Peterson, of Lake Barrington, served 29 years as a press and cultural officer for the United States Information Agency and Department of State. He was chief editorial writer of the Daily Herald 1984-86. His book “American Dreams: The Story of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission” is available from Amazon.com.