Socialism Communism Capitalism & Democracy What’s Best?

ANALYSIS and OPINION:

 

[Editors Note:  Either prior or subsequent to this blog post and video, we  did or have done several related articles on this subject.  One deals with how various socialist-linked politicians’ and candidates’ beliefs line up with the Democratic Socialist of America platform.

See: https://reasonandbalance.com/aoc-el-sayed-angie-nixon-socialist/

In another we provide you with the actual data regarding how many “socialists” have been elected to federal, state and local government positions:

See https://reasonandbalance.com/bucking-socialist-control-is-it-needed/

Because there misconceptions on the issue run rampant, in another video we go into considerable detail about what socialism and communism actually are.

See: https://reasonandbalance.com/socialism-communism-capitalism-democracy-whats-best/

In still another article/video we discuss “distraction politics”.  By this we mean attempts by the GOP and right wing news media to resurrect the “Red Scare” tactics of Joe McCarthy of the 1950s.

See: https://reasonandbalance.com/distraction-politics-2026/]

[Editors Note 2:  Below is an introductory comment followed by our deep dive video into Socialism, Communsim, Capitalism & Democracy.   The video itself also discusses the Democratic Socialists of America (the DSA) and contains a brief discussion of some of the policy positions of Senator Bernie Sanders.  The video is then followed by ChatGPTs analysis of the political positions of  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as they pertain to the existing planks of DSA’s current political platform. ]

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Many moons ago we did nothing but long educational videos.  Since recent news and opinion pieces (especially from Fox News) have focused on an increase in voter support for “socialists”, we decided to do an old -fashioned deeper dive into the subject of what  “socialism” exactly is.  Of course, Fox and right wingers think that anything and everything that is designed to help the poor, the elderly, the sick and/or workers is a form of “socialism”; and, to make matters worse (from the right wing perspective) socialism, is but a gnat’s eyelash away from…gasp….communism, that we would take a deep dive into learning about and discussing socialism and communism.

Frankly, both terms have been misued and even abused to such an extent, that their real meaning has become blurred and the mere use of them is often designed merely to scare, inhibit and/or to outright intimidate either a particular person and/or all or a portion of the general public.  Is what we are seeing today, nothing but a 21st century version of Senatory Joe McCarthy’s “red scare” of the 1950s?   That’s a major issue because the strong opinion here is that the midterm elections of 2026 will be the most important midterm elections ever held.  In fact, they may also be the most important elections of any type ever held, period.

Of course, if the right wingers are going to fire up the electorate by scaring them with warnings about the evils of socialism and/or communism its best to know that those evils are.  Sometimes if one takes time to do one’s homework the bogeyman isn’t the bogeyman.

Okay.  Okay.  We at reasonandbalance.com are not Marxists.  We are not communists.  (Marxism and communism are not necessarily the same.) If you read Rao’s Solution (availabe at this website) you know that we believe that good old capitalism is the best economic system going.   In fact, we are very pro free trade.  (Remember the good ole days when the Republicans worshipped Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations?  Tariffs? What the Hell happened?!!).

However.  And this is a big however.  We agree with Marx that capitalism leads to undesirable and dangerous concentrations of power.  Congress apparently also agreed with Marx because they adopted anti-trust laws forbidding monopolies.  If you read Rao’s Solution you know that rich players have greater ability to take more risks (because they can take more than one bite of the apple if they lose) than do poor players. Anyone who can take more and bigger risks and not die in the process has a big advantage over poor players; or even middle income players for that matter.  This is a major reason why the rich always get richer and, relatively speaking, leave the poor and middle income folks further and further behind–all of which, by the way, leads to disproportionate large amounts of political power in the hands of the poor.  (And if you don’t believe us consider Elon Musk’s $300 million dollar contribution to Donald Trump’s election campaign in 2024, and the huge effect Republican Super PACs have on American politics.) (Yes Democrats have super PACs but they are not quite as significant.)

Moreover, history has shown that profit motivated capitalists, don’t seem to care too much about whether their activities are going to cause environmental harm.  And not just a little bit of harm.  Harm that’s already starting to kill tens of thousands of people and which will eventually cause population dislocations, famine, etc. etc., in short, an environment which will kill us all, if AI doesn’t do so first. At the rate we are going our children, grandchildren and future generatons (if they survive) are going to hate us, or perhaps worse, suffer a very difficult life.

Before we get any further afield, suffice it to say, that we fervently support our constitutional democracy and while we believe in capitalism, capitalism must be regulated in such a way so as to prevent undue concentrations of wealth and political power in the hands of a few.  Otherwise we will have oligarchy or worse a dictator.

And yes, much much more needs to be done to protect the environment.

And by the way.  Our Constitution and a whole myriad of statutes prohibit the vast majority of discrimination that can occur out there in every day society.   That’s a great thing.  Simply put, there can be no genuine peace if folks are being discriminated against because of race, color, religion, national origin and/or sex.

God Bless our Constitution with its three co-equal branches of government (The Congress, the President and the Supreme Court) , its federal/state system, its notions of due process and equal protection of the law and it’s Bill of Rights!   And let us not forget and always support the rule of law and the notion that the government and all government officials are themselves subject to the law just like private citizens.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of our system and before we digress any further, here’s our video.  Please note that the first part of the video contains a “table of contents” that allow the viewer to search out specific topics of interest without watching the whole video.  Note that the video contains a discussion of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Senator Bernie Sanders simply because they are two highly relevant actual examples of an organization and a public official who are regularly (rightly or wrongly) associated with “socialism”.

On August 15, 2026 we decided to do a 3 minute supplement the above video. Here it is:

Is ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ actually a Democratic Socialist?

[Editor’s Note: “Rx” is our name for ChatGPT.]

Rx. Has Alexandria Ocasio Cortez ever been a member of Democratic Socialists of America?

Yes. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

In fact, the DSA itself repeatedly identified her as a DSA member, beginning with her 2018 congressional campaign. In June 2018, immediately after she defeated incumbent Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary, DSA issued a statement explicitly calling her a “DSA member.”

The DSA continued to identify her as a member in subsequent years, including:

• 2019: DSA called her a “DSA member” when she endorsed Bernie Sanders.
• 2020–21: DSA described her as one of its congressional members.
• 2022: DSA referred to her as an “endorsed member.”

There is an interesting distinction, however: AOC is a member of the Democratic Party as well as having been a DSA member. DSA is not a separate U.S. political party; it is a socialist political organization that works within and outside the Democratic Party.

So, if your question is for the point we were discussing previously about whether there actually are American politicians who are members of Democratic Socialists of America, the answer regarding AOC is unequivocally YES.

And the DSA’s own records are particularly strong evidence here—not merely something inferred from her political positions.

Has AOC ever disavowed or publicly disagreed with any positions of the DSA?

Yes — and the distinction is important. AOC has publicly taken positions that conflict with positions held by the DSA, and the disagreement has become particularly pronounced over Israel, Palestine, and U.S. military aid.

The clearest example is Israel:

• In 2024, the DSA’s national leadership was sufficiently unhappy with AOC’s position that it made a potential endorsement conditional on her agreeing to oppose all U.S. military aid to Israel, including defensive aid such as Iron Dome, and support BDS.
• AOC did not agree to those conditions. Indeed, she has supported Israel’s right to exist and has supported the Iron Dome, positions that portions of the DSA regard as fundamentally inconsistent with their politics.
• DSA members subsequently criticized her for what they regarded as a departure from DSA’s anti-Zionist position.

There is an even more interesting development right now, in August 2026. AOC has begun distancing herself from some of the rhetoric and positions associated with the left during the 2020 period, particularly regarding policing and “defund the police.” She recently characterized some of that era’s rhetoric as being reflective of its time rather than necessarily representing her current position.

But here’s the important distinction

I would not characterize this as AOC saying, “I disavow the Democratic Socialists of America.” I haven’t found evidence of such a blanket repudiation.

Rather, the record shows something more nuanced:

AOC remains identified as a DSA member, but she has disagreed with — and in some cases moved away from — particular DSA positions. And this has produced a real rift between her and parts of the national DSA.

In fact, some DSA activists now argue that AOC has become too pragmatic and too willing to compromise with mainstream Democrats. Others, particularly in NYC-DSA, continue to strongly support her.

So if you’re getting at the broader question we were discussing earlier — whether being a DSA member means that AOC necessarily agrees with everything DSA advocates — the answer is clearly no.

And there’s a particularly useful distinction here between “member of DSA” and “political representative of DSA’s current platform.” AOC’s history demonstrates that those are not necessarily the same thing.

Comparing AOC’s position with that of the DSA, what is her position on the followinng points: (a) does she agree that America should move away form capitalistic system and go to one of socialism where the government owns the means of production? (b) does she want to change the way that we elect the President, and if so, how does she think the President should be elected? (c) does she think the U.S. Senate should be abolished? (d) does she think the U.S. Supreme Court and/or the the federal judicialy should be structured differently, and/or have less independence and if so how so? (e) is she in favor of abolishing the electoral college; (f) does she have any other notable differences with the DSA?

Yes. I dug into this specifically because the DSA adopted a substantially more radical political program in 2026, and that makes the comparison with AOC much more interesting than simply asking whether she calls herself a democratic socialist.

The short version is: AOC overlaps substantially with DSA on economic redistribution and worker power, but she does NOT appear to agree with the DSA’s 2026 program on several fundamental questions about the structure of the federal government.

Here is the point-by-point comparison.

(a) Does AOC want America to abandon capitalism and have the government own the means of production?

No — at least not in the traditional sense of government ownership of the means of production.

This is an important distinction.

AOC calls herself a democratic socialist, but she has specifically rejected state socialism as undemocratic and susceptible to corruption. Her economic vision has emphasized things such as unions, worker cooperatives, Medicare for All, higher taxes on wealthy Americans, and extensive government programs rather than government ownership of virtually all productive property.

The DSA’s position is considerably more fundamental. Its current program says capitalism itself needs to be replaced by democratic socialism and advocates democratic/public ownership and control of major economic sectors. DSA says explicitly that capitalism is a system that must be replaced.

There is a qualification, though: DSA doesn’t necessarily mean that the government should own every business. Its conception includes public ownership, worker ownership and democratic control. Its own literature describes workers and their representatives controlling capital.

Bottom line:
AOC: democratic socialism within a mixed/market economy.
DSA: eventual transformation beyond capitalism toward democratic/social ownership.

So I would mark this a significant difference, although AOC is much closer to DSA than an ordinary Democrat is.

(b) Does AOC want to change how the President is elected?

Yes, she wants to abolish the Electoral College and elect the President by popular vote.

Her congressional campaign has actually maintained a specific “Abolish the Electoral College” campaign page.

She has also publicly described the Electoral College as undermining democratic representation.

But here’s an important distinction from the new DSA program.

The DSA’s 2026 program goes considerably further than simply saying “popular vote.” It proposes a fundamental restructuring of the presidency and federal government, including replacing the existing presidential system with an executive structure chosen by and subordinate to Congress.

AOC: Popularly elected President, without Electoral College.

DSA: Much more fundamental restructuring of the presidency itself.

So AOC agrees with DSA on abolishing the Electoral College, but not necessarily on eliminating the independently elected presidency.

(c) Does AOC think the Senate should be abolished?

No.

This is one of the clearest differences.

The DSA’s new “Workers Deserve More” program explicitly calls for abolishing the United States Senate.

AOC, by contrast, has not endorsed abolishing the Senate. Recent reporting specifically identifies her as someone who has not supported that portion of the DSA’s program.

This is particularly significant because she isn’t merely some moderate Democrat who happens to disagree with DSA. She is a DSA member who is nevertheless unwilling to go along with one of the organization’s major constitutional changes.

(d) Does AOC want to restructure the Supreme Court/federal judiciary or reduce judicial independence?

Here there is some overlap but also a major difference.

AOC has been extremely critical of the Supreme Court and has supported significant action against individual justices. In July 2024, for example, she introduced articles of impeachment against Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, arguing that their conduct threatened the legitimacy of the Court.

But that is not the same thing as wanting the federal judiciary made subordinate to Congress.

And that distinction is crucial.

The DSA’s 2026 program calls for replacing the existing Supreme Court and judiciary with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.

I have not found evidence that AOC supports making the federal judiciary subordinate to Congress.

So:

AOC: Reform/discipline the Supreme Court and remove justices she believes have engaged in serious misconduct.

DSA: Fundamentally restructure the judiciary and make it subordinate to the elected legislature.

Those are very different propositions.

(e) Is AOC in favor of abolishing the Electoral College?

Yes. Clearly.

This is probably the strongest constitutional-institutional agreement between AOC and DSA.

Her own political website has explicitly promoted abolishing the Electoral College.

So on this particular question, I would say:

AOC = YES
DSA = YES

The difference is what they want to do after eliminating it.

(f) Other important differences

There are several.

1. Police and prison abolition

This is becoming a particularly interesting difference.

AOC has recently distanced herself from the “defund the police” and abolitionist rhetoric associated with the 2020 period, saying that political rhetoric from that period needs to be evaluated in its historical context.

That puts her at odds with significant portions of the DSA, which continue to advocate much more radical changes to policing and the carceral system.

2. Israel

This is probably the most serious current dispute between AOC and DSA.

DSA has taken a very strong anti-Zionist/anti-Israel position and has demanded opposition to U.S. military assistance to Israel, including defensive assistance such as Iron Dome, as a condition for certain endorsements.

AOC has not accepted that position, particularly regarding defensive aid and Israel’s security.

This has generated considerable tension between her and the national DSA.

3. Relationship with the Democratic Party

AOC remains firmly embedded in the Democratic Party’s electoral structure.

The DSA has a significant internal debate over whether socialists should continue operating inside the Democratic Party or eventually build an independent political party.

AOC has not advocated abandoning the Democratic Party.

That is another substantial practical difference.

4. The two-party system

The DSA’s 2026 program calls for moving toward a multiparty democracy and away from the existing two-party system.

AOC has supported electoral reforms such as ranked-choice voting in various contexts, but I don’t find evidence that she supports the DSA’s much broader project of replacing America’s two-party system with a multiparty system.

End of ChatGPT chat about AOC and the DSA

Our Analysis re AOC and the DSA:  Given the above it seems to us that on the most important points in the DSA platform that AOC is not in agreement with the DSA.  Thus, our opinion is that while she may applaud DSAs desire to help working people and regular folks that she is not really a DSA member at heart.

Given, the fact that DSA membership is only 120,000 people, one has to seriously wonder if her membership with DSA is an advantage or disadvantage.  The thought here is that Fox News and the right wing media will endlessly pound her with Red Scare allegations about being a closet communist. While many liberals and progressives may ignore those kind of scare tactics, a lot of middle of the road moderates and fence straddling and/or “never Trump” conservatives may be sufficiently alarmed to turn back to the GOP in the general election.  And even worse, buy into the ridiculous notion that the whole Democratic party has gone “pinko”.

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