Jonah Goldberg: Can socialism ever be more than just a fad in America?
In recent months, a noticeable shift in public sentiment towards socialism has emerged, as highlighted by a new NBC poll indicating that a majority of registered voters are expressing dissatisfaction with capitalism. This trend is echoed by a Gallup poll from September, which revealed a decline in support for capitalism, while a Data for Progress poll suggested that when framed with specific questions about democratic socialism, respondents showed a favorable inclination towards it. Media outlets like Politico have interpreted these findings to suggest that socialism is gaining traction, while NPR has even explored the phenomenon in a podcast segment titled “How socialism got sexy.” This resurgence of interest in socialism is not entirely new; in 2018, Gallup found that more Democrats viewed socialism favorably than capitalism, a trend that influenced the Democratic primary landscape in 2020.
Despite the apparent popularity of democratic socialism, particularly in urban centers like New York City, the broader applicability of these sentiments is debatable. For instance, while New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, identifies as a democratic socialist, candidates in neighboring New Jersey have found success without adopting similar labels, indicating that the appeal of socialism may not extend far beyond metropolitan areas. Critics argue that the fluctuating nature of public opinion polls can be misleading, as they are often influenced by the political climate. For example, support for capitalism has waned during the Trump administration, leading some to associate the concept with the party in power, which has faced criticism. Moreover, the brand of capitalism promoted by Trump, characterized by substantial government intervention and cronyism, diverges from traditional free-market ideals, further complicating the public’s perception of capitalism.
The discourse around socialism and capitalism often lacks nuance, with many Americans responding to “vibes” rather than a deep understanding of the ideologies involved. Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, argues that while the current trend may suggest a growing acceptance of socialism, it is important to recognize that the underlying principles and implications of socialism remain poorly understood by the general populace. As historical examples suggest, the true test of socialism’s appeal may come when those who advocate for it are placed in positions of power. Goldberg concludes that while socialists may celebrate their increasing popularity, the prospect of implementing socialism in practice could lead to disillusionment among the American public, ultimately dampening the current enthusiasm for the ideology.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs0DeBs2KTA
Here we go again.
Socialism is making a comeback, according to friend and
foe
alike. A new
NBC
poll
now suggests that a majority of registered voters don’t like capitalism.
A Gallup poll in September also found that support for capitalism was
slipping
. A Data for Progress poll around the same time showed that — after asking some decidedly leading questions about democratic socialism — people liked democratic socialism. Still,
Politico
combined the results to declare: “Capitalism is out … and socialism is in.” And just this week, an NPR podcast dedicated a segment to explaining “
How socialism got sexy
.”
This has happened
before
. In 2018,
Gallup
found for the first time that a majority of Democrats had a more favorable view of “socialism” than of “capitalism.” And we got
similar headlines as a result
. No doubt such polls partly explain why Democratic presidential primary candidates overwhelmingly ran in the Bernie Sanders lane in 2020. Joe Biden, the candidate who mostly avoided that lane, however, won the nomination.
Like Sanders, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist. His popularity has driven many to claim that democratic socialism is popular too. It may well be, especially in New York City. But what plays in NYC may not have legs far outside the Big Apple. Indeed, Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in neighboring New Jersey, which shares much of the same media market, didn’t run as a democratic socialist and beat primary candidates who more or less did.
But punditry is not my aim here. My problem is with these periodic, poll-driven, “socialism is coming” fads.
For starters, issue polling — even when done well — is not very reliable. Change one word and you’ll get very different
results
. For decades, if you call a program “welfare,” Americans won’t like it. Call it “assistance to the poor” and Americans like it whole a lot more.
It’s also difficult to keep other issues from influencing issue polling. Capitalism’s popularity dropped — particularly among Democrats — during President Trump’s first term. It has dropped again during his second term. Is it really so hard to imagine people associating capitalism with the avowed party of capitalism? When that party is in power and is unpopular, it shouldn’t be surprising that the thing it claims to stand for is (slightly) less popular too?
And then there’s the messy fact that Trump’s brand of capitalism isn’t exactly the uncut free market stuff (that I like). It’s not socialism, but it’s definitely close to “
state capitalism
” — a system involving massive government interventions in the economy, usually on behalf of favored industries. Most serious libertarians would rather eat glass than call Trump’s program of massive tariffs, cronyism, industrial planning and partial government ownership of industries “capitalism.”
There’s a famous —
and widely attributed
— line that the problem with socialism is socialism, but the problem with capitalism is capitalists. When the administration is run from the top by private-jet-flying billionaires seemingly getting richer with insider deals and literally
cosplaying “The Great Gatsby”
at a time when SNAP benefits are running out for 40 million Americans, you’d think capitalism would be in even worse odor.
But take Trump out of it. When the status quo is unpopular, if you call the status quo “capitalism” they’ll have problems with it. Call the economic status quo “capitalism” and a lot of people will choose option number two, whether you call it “socialism” or not.
It’s not like the new “socialists” have cracked the books in their free time and suddenly have a newfound respect for Karl Marx, Sidney Webb, Michael Harrington or some other socialist thinker.
Socialist intellectuals have a hard enough time agreeing on what socialism is. The best definition the very well-read editors of the socialist journal Dissent could come up with in 1954 was
“socialism is the name of our desire.”
The idea that millions of Americans have a fully formed and coherent understanding of the concept, never mind know how to implement socialism, is preposterous. Asking people if they like socialism or capitalism is a “vibes” question and little more.
Of course, socialists are entitled to be happy about improving vibes. But the best way to make Americans sour on socialism is to put socialists in charge — which is why I’m not too worried about America becoming a socialist country.
Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His Twitter handle is
@JonahDispatch
.
