No, Karen, Democratic Socialists Are Not Coming For Your Casserole Dishes
Gather ‘round, friends, because election season is upon us again, never left actually! Otherwise known as the national sport of mass hysteria. And happening now? The grand revival of our country’s favorite ghost story:
“Democratic Socialists are COMMUNISTS!!!”
(Insert dramatic organ music and one fainting goat.)
Before Grandpa Earl starts shouting about “the gulag” at the Thanksgiving table again, let’s just clear this up right now—because the propaganda machine is warming up and boy, is it already humming like a chainsaw in a quiet campground.
First things First: Words Mean Things
Communism = The government owns everything. Your land, your business, your chickens, your childhood diaries, all of it. It’s the government running the bakery and deciding how many cupcakes you’re allowed today.
Democratic Socialism = The people elect a government that ensures basic needs (healthcare, education, living wages) are accessible to everyone. The bakery still exists. The baker STILL bakes. You still buy the cupcake. The difference is:
- You can afford the cupcake
- The baker can pay rent
- And the baker’s kid doesn’t have to take out $80,000 in student loans to get a degree in baking science.
That’s it. That’s the whole mystery. A democratic socialist government is still DEMOCRATIC. As in voting. As in elections. As in “no one is coming to nationalize your Etsy crochet side hustle.”
But Here It Comes…GET READY TO LOCK HORN!
Because instead of actually debating policy like grown adults, the political propaganda strategy for the next year will be:
- Slap the word “Communist” onto literally anything that benefits people.
- Watch cable news hosts nod gravely.
- Hope voters panic rather than think.
You’ll hear:
- “Healthcare for all is COMMUNISM!”
- “Paid family leave is COMMUNISM!”
- “Free public college is COMMUNISM!”
- “Taxing billionaires at 2%? STALIN RISES FROM THE GRAVE!!!!”
And my personal favorite:
- “They want the government to CONTROL YOUR LIFE!”(Said unironically by people who want the government to control your uterus, your bookshelves, your bedroom, and your kid’s school library.)
Prepare Your Rebuttals, Soldiers.
Because oh, they are coming.
They are coming like cicadas in an Indiana summer. Loud, confused, and smacking into windows.
Here are your ready-made responses:
PROPAGANDA CLAIM: “Democratic Socialists want to end capitalism.”
YOUR REPLY: “No, they want capitalism that doesn’t treat human beings like disposable printer cartridges.”
PROPAGANDA CLAIM: “It’s communism!”
YOUR REPLY: “No, it’s literally the political system used in Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland—countries that are somehow doing just fine and are consistently ranked among the happiest nations on Earth.”
PROPAGANDA CLAIM: “But taxes!!”
YOUR REPLY: “I already pay taxes. I’d simply prefer they be used for healthcare, education, and infrastructure instead of corporate subsidies and $800 million defense contractor boondoggles.”
PROPAGANDA CLAIM: “People will get lazy if life is easier.”
YOUR REPLY: “If your entire personality collapses the moment survival isn’t a daily cage match, that’s something you should probably talk to a therapist about—not make national policy around.”
The Real Reason They Want You Scared
Because if people realized that:
- You could go to the doctor without a GoFundMe,
- Your prescription could cost $15 not $350,
- Your kid could go to college without debt,
- Your retirement could involve something other than eating canned peaches and like… dread,
You might start demanding it.
And THAT is what scares the billionaires, not socialism.
So Here’s Your Homework
- When someone calls something “communism,” ask them to define communism.
- Watch them glitch like a Roomba caught under the couch.
- Then hand them this simple line:
“Democratic socialism means a country that works for the people who live in it—not just the people who own it.”
And say it with a smile.
Because nothing terrifies a propagandist like a calm, informed person who refuses to be spooked.
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, warriors.
Armor up. Rebuttals loaded. Spines straight.
It’s going to be a year.
Julie Bolejack, MBA
juliebolejack.com
mindfulactivist.etsy.com
