This week, an odd juxtaposition of stories jumped out at us. Somehow Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez found herself squarely in news stories about the failed Texas power grid, which killed electricity and plunged most of the state into darkness amid freezing temperatures. Most New Yorkers probably shrugged it off, but we really need to question how a local politician got into a Texas story.
Before Bernie or AOC: Socialism is Not New to America
Eugene V. Debs, who ran in the 1912 presidential election for the Socialist Party and received nearly one million votes, illuminating a strong presence of socialism within America’s borders.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was a popular Democratic candidate in the past two presidential elections, as he grappled the frontrunner spot at one point in the 2020 race against now President-elect Joe Biden, despite touting the label of being a Democratic Socialist.
Sanders has guided a modern American socialism movement, as dozens of members of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) were elected into state and local government positions in the 2018 midterm elections, along with Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.). Although Sanders doesn’t represent DSA, he has embraced democratic socialism ideals that back widespread, taxpayer-funded government programs like Medicare For All.
The Number Of Democratic Socialists In The House Will Soon Double. But The Movement Scored Its Biggest Victories Down Ballot The resurgence of democratic socialism has occurred during a period of growing activism against widening inequality, persistent racism and looming environmental disaster. WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a town hall hosted by the NAACP on September 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured is Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The congresswome. WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a town hall hosted by the NAACP on September 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured is Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The congresswomen talked about their backgrounds and how they were disruptors who “challenged conventional wisdom and assumptions” about how to get elected, among other topics. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)