I don't think anyone can accuse me of being pro-communist. With that in mind: accusations of socialism/communism in American politics are absurd. There is no major political figure that supports either socialist economic policies nor the totalitarian means of bringing them about. https://twitter.com/grudkev/status/1229484189336178689

Let me start with some basic definitions. What defines socialism is support for the socialized control over the means of production. Socialized = controlled by workers or a worker-dominated gov't. Means of production = resources and facilities used to produce goods and services.

A communist or socialist wants to bring that end about through revolution. A democratic socialist wants to do so through popular elections. A social democrat believes inequality is a serious problem demanding gov't action, but one carried out mostly through market mechanisms.

Bernie Sanders, the most left-wing among US mainstream politicians, is no more a democratic socialist than Kim's Korea is a democratic, people's republic. He does not want to nationalize resources nor all major firms and factories. His only socialist policy is Medicare for All.

High taxes aren't socialist. Under socialism, the gov't directly controls how much you're paid. It doesn't need to tax you more; it can directly decrease your wages. More regulations isn't socialism. Under socialism, the gov't is the one doing the producing; it regulates itself.

Support for civil rights (whether for women, racial minorities or sexual minorities) isn't socialist. If you read the thread I link to, you'll see those were definitely not the policies pursued by socialist states. If anything, divide & conquer is a more typical socialist policy.

For those fixating on M4A: it is no more socialist than Medicare in general (or VA for that matter). That's right, most conservatives in this country support the government provision of major services to the elderly and retired soldiers. I.e., socialist policies.

In fact, conservative parties in most Western countries support an equivalent to M4A. Virtually all policies supported by the mainstream left in America are social democratic. They might complain about capitalism, but their reforms are all within the context of a market economy.

What would a socialist America look like? At a bare minimum, natural resources would be gov't owned. All major companies would be gov't-owned. Your wages would be set by the gov't. Prices would be set by the gov't. The availability of consumer products would be set by the gov't.

How would this happen? Through a socialist education, with all education entirely gov't controlled. Through the nationalization of all media. Through the dismantling of the judiciary & federalism. Through severe limitations on religious worship. Assuming no Stalineque "excesses."

No serious US politician is proposing socialist policies. Anyone who lived under a socialist regime who calls the Democrats "socialist" should be embarrassed about their historical knowledge. There are no similarities with Chavez, Castro, or Mao. The very comparison is insulting.