Scary Democratic Socialists!

Empty the Prisons, Fire the Police, Be Afraid

BILL ASTORE

SEP 02, 2026

I had to laugh as I saw this definitional alchemy in the New York Times this morning:

What is the difference between the agenda of the Democratic Socialists and the agenda of the Democratic Party? | Marilyn McIntyre | Huntley, Illinois

The Democratic Socialists of America (D.S.A.) is an activist organization, not a political party, so its members typically run as Democrats. This has prompted confusion about the two groups. Many mainstream Democrats and D.S.A. members want to move in the same economic direction — raising taxes on wealthy Americans, increasing the minimum wage and expanding health care access. But while most Democrats consider themselves capitalists, D.S.A. members envision ultimately accomplishing those goals by establishing public ownership of the largest corporations. The D.S.A. agenda is also further to the left than most Democrats on social and foreign policy issues. It includes policies like ending all aid to Israel, closing overseas military bases and fully abolishing the police and prison systems. — Lisa Lerer, national politics correspondent

Now, I must admit I’m not an expert on the DSA. But in this “great” land of ours, how likely are we to see “the public ownership of the largest corporations”? How likely is a complete cessation of aid to Israel, the closing of all military bases overseas, and the total abolition of police forces and prisons? Is the DSA really calling for this?

Those scary Democratic Socialists! Radical leftists are they! Vote for them and all prisoners will be unleashed—even the most violent murderers and rapists. And they’ll be no police to protect you because they’re being abolished too. 

I like the line about “most Democrats consider themselves capitalists”: WTF? I’ve never defined myself as a “capitalist” as if it’s some kind of religion and money is something to be worshipped. Capitalism is an economic system that favors people with, well, capital. I’d wager the more capital you have, the more you identify as a capitalist. In short, working- and middle-class Democrats, even “mainstream” ones, don’t go around thinking they’re “capitalists” like Thurston Howell III on “Gilligan’s Island.”

Also, so-called mainstream Democratic leaders like Schumer, Pelosi, and Jeffries have been singularly unsuccessful in raising taxes on the wealthy or in providing a higher federal minimum wage and Medicare for All (M4A). I like the way M4A isn’t even mentioned: the much more benign formula of “expanding health care access” is used. For most people access isn’t the biggest problem, affordability is.

I saw recently where, assuming the Democrats regain the House and Senate this November, the stated policy goal of Schumer and Jeffries is a return to the status quo under Joe Biden, meaning a fight for restoration of Obamacare subsidies, restoring funding for Medicaid, and the like. Nothing about M4A, nothing about a higher federal minimum wage, nothing about major cuts to Pentagon spending, and nothing about impeachment of Trump for waging an unconstitutional war against Iran.

As usual, establishment Democrats are protecting the establishment and especially “capitalists.” Compared to them, I’ll eagerly vote for and support just about any “scary” DSA member running for office.