Socialism, Capitalism, and the Middle
Where the DSA has something to offer, where it falls short, and what voters actually want
I keep thinking about our discussion of the Pew Research political types and your reactions to that rubric. In this community of high-information voters, we struggle to articulate where we fall on the ideological spectrum and what priorities draw us to one candidate versus another. I think that’s really healthy. It’s also what makes political predictions so challenging.
With this week’s primary elections, we have renewed conversation about democratic socialism. Is it now, eight years after AOC primaried Joe Crowley, a super-charged movement that will make a real stand in Congress? Does it have answers to complaints “most Americans” share? Today, we’re talking about the politics and the policies, which we think are pretty separate, and we follow-up on that Pew Research conversation by talking more about capitalism. -Beth
P.S. Don’t miss our America250 celebrations next week, with Good Morning from 1776, Founding Father karaoke, and two very special guests on the show.
Topics Discussed
The Mamdani effect and the June primary results across four states
Why Mamdani spent political capital endorsing three House races
The generational shift on Israel and the "Ossoff off-ramp"
How the DSA and the IMF each define their economic vision
Where markets fail (caregiving, healthcare) and where capitalism still works
"State-guided capitalism" and what Trump is actually building
Billionaires as a manifestation of the system, not the cause
Outside Politics: Confessions of a know-it-all and getting "fired" by your doctor
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Episode Resources
Democratic socialists surge in mayoral races as anti-Trump fervor rises (AP)
The primary results summary we opened with (Washington Post)
What is Democratic Socialism? (Democratic Socialists of America)
Episode Transcript
Coming soon…
Show Credits
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I said this on the last episode too… I don’t hate billionaires. I think that having that much wealth does something corrosive to the soul — something my sacred text, the Bible, agrees with. I sincerely do not hate them. I have great compassion and care for them, and I want them to be free of the inclinations towards sin that are inherent with possessing that much wealth. I want to be whole and free and safe; I want them to be whole and free and safe too.