Maybe a little? The sweet spot is probably somewhere between these two, at least as far as I can see, there is a lot of overlap, if not in theory then in practice. No matter where America goes next, or what it calls itself, having a strong safety net and a great spring board for everyone to get a start in life would really go a long way, if not all the way, to finally realising the American Dream. If nothing else, the fact that Mamdani got elected is reason to dare to hope again. Something I dont think anyone has done in 20+ years.
I still think it’s bad branding. A Democratic Socialist is, semantically, a Socialist. It implies that the social safety nets and limits on capitalism are intended as a stepping stone to full socialism, which I think most Americans don’t want. If that isn’t the intention, all the more reason to use a different branding. “Social Democrat” would not have the same connotation. It seems like the label has been worn proudly, especially by Bernie Sanders, for so long that it’s been accepted as the right label, but IMO it was a regrettable choice which makes it unnecessarily hard for the left to gain mainstream support.
Maybe a little? The sweet spot is probably somewhere between these two, at least as far as I can see, there is a lot of overlap, if not in theory then in practice. No matter where America goes next, or what it calls itself, having a strong safety net and a great spring board for everyone to get a start in life would really go a long way, if not all the way, to finally realising the American Dream. If nothing else, the fact that Mamdani got elected is reason to dare to hope again. Something I dont think anyone has done in 20+ years.
I still think it’s bad branding. A Democratic Socialist is, semantically, a Socialist. It implies that the social safety nets and limits on capitalism are intended as a stepping stone to full socialism, which I think most Americans don’t want. If that isn’t the intention, all the more reason to use a different branding. “Social Democrat” would not have the same connotation. It seems like the label has been worn proudly, especially by Bernie Sanders, for so long that it’s been accepted as the right label, but IMO it was a regrettable choice which makes it unnecessarily hard for the left to gain mainstream support.
Communism was just a red herring?