Embracing Socialism (and all its implications)

Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that the American Right and its liberal servants sincerely believe in the “dangers” of socialism: that Leftist institutions pose a threat to capital accumulation (“innovation”); that socialism stifles the individual wills of propertied men; and that Leftist ideology is a markedly collectivist project. Let’s also assume that, if all of the policies advocated for by the American Left were to be achieved, some fundamental part of the American project would be lost.

As Leftists, should our response be to dispute these accusations? Should we devote all of our energies towards masking the implications of our ideology, baking them in the rhetoric of the so-called “Heartland,” and avoiding the indisputable fact that, in building up a new and robust American economy, which prioritizes people over private property, we necessarily destroy its predecessor?

I believe that for our project to be successful — success meaning nothing less than the emancipation of the working class from a state of material dependence on the capitalist class — we must not be ashamed of that project’s radical implications. The people we need on our side simply will not respect us if we lack the confidence to stand by the socialist project in its entirety.