How much further left will the Democrats go?  They’re increasingly aligning themselves with ideologies historically associated with violence and oppression: Islam and socialism or communism.  Their incorporation of Marxist thought and accommodation of the influences of radical Islam threaten the American values of individual liberty, free enterprise, and national security.

Communist leaders slaughtered over 100 million people in the 20th century through regimes like the Soviet Union, Maoist China, and North Vietnam.  When Democrats advocate for socialism, wealth redistribution, and expanded government control, they echo the ideologies of those regimes.  Figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez openly identify as “democratic socialists,” promoting policies such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and student debt forgiveness.  Conservatives view these as steps toward a command economy, eroding capitalism.  The Democrat (they’re not democratic) party’s 2020 platform emphasized “economic justice” and taxing the wealthy, which conservatives liken to Marxist class warfare.

When conservatives shine a light on the Democrats’ agenda, they invariably respond that “no Democrat is advocating for seizing the means of production or eliminating private property,” yet New York City residents are poised to elect a socialist and Islamist mayor who openly advocates for those very things.  See for yourself here, here, and here.  Zohran Mamdani is on the record saying, “We need a socialist New York because the market cannot be what determines the distribution of dignity.”

Bernie Sanders often cites the Nordic countries, which blend capitalism with strong social safety nets, as socialist success stories.  Denmark’s former foreign minister disagrees with Sanders, stating that “Denmark is a market economy.”

Democrats claim that their goal is to address the inequalities exacerbated by globalization and automation.  The danger lies in potential overreach: ballooning deficits; stifled innovation; and dependency on government, which weakens America’s economic edge against rivals like China.

Turning to Islam, conservatives point to historical conquests, jihadist terrorism, and sharia law’s incompatibility with Western democracy.  Democrats are increasingly embracing Islam through identity politics and alliances with Muslim advocacy groups.  The left supports immigration from Muslim-majority countries, especially those of the Third World.  Leftists oppose travel bans on high-risk nations and criticize Israel’s actions in Gaza.  “Jihad Squad” members Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have made antisemitic statements and have ties to organizations like CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), which has links to Islamist agendas.

The left’s emphasis on multiculturalism and anti-Islamophobia initiatives is downplaying threats from radical Islam.  After 9/11, the left has prioritized avoiding bigotry over security.  Leftists were reluctant, for example, to label attacks like the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting as Islamic terrorism.  More recently, their support for Palestinian causes and calls for ceasefires in Gaza can be viewed as appeasing groups like Hamas and indirectly aligning with jihadist ideologies.

This does pose the risk of conflating Islam — a religion practiced peacefully by nearly 2 billion people — with its extremist fringes, sort of like equating Christianity with historical crusades or inquisitions.  However, it’s been centuries since Christians carried out a crusade or an inquisition, whereas attacks from radical Islamists happen on a near-daily basis.  Interestingly, the more closely Christians and Jews adhere to their most sacred text, the Bible, the more generous and philanthropic they generally become.  Fundamentalist Christians and Jews don’t normally fly airliners into buildings or slaughter concert-goers. 

The real issue is policy disagreement: Conservatives favor stringent border controls and alliances with Israel to counter Iran-backed threats, while Democrats prioritize appeasement and avoiding accusations of bigotry.

America faces multifaceted dangers.  A socialist, or “communist lite,” agenda could lead to economic stagnation, as seen in Venezuela’s collapse under socialist policies — though Democrats claim to reject such models.  They reply, “Real socialism (communism) has never been tried.”  Although leftists acknowledge communism’s violent history, they nevertheless extol its alleged egalitarian ideals.  

Socially, accommodating radical Islam will erode Jewish and Christian foundations, exacerbating cultural relativism to the point where honor killings or gender segregation gain footholds via unchecked immigration.  Nationally, this invites security risks, with conservatives citing Europe’s no-go zones as warnings.  The thought of electing a socialist Muslim as mayor of New York immediately after 9/11 would have been unthinkable.  But now here we are.  The left ignores the atrocities of radical Islam or shrouds it under the First Amendment.  The “Queers for Palestine” movement beggars belief.

Ultimately, the threat is to the Constitution: Excessive government erodes freedoms, while unchecked multiculturalism dilutes national identity.

As of now, these ideologies aren’t fully embraced by Democrats but selectively critiqued or adapted.  I suspect they’re slowly enlarging the Overton Window.

A non-partisan view urges dialogue over demonization.  America’s strength lies in debating ideas without resorting to fear-mongering.  Sadly, fear-mongering is about all that remains to the left.  We don’t even seem to speak the same language anymore.  Nevertheless, to safeguard America, we must return our focus to the core principles of liberty, security and prosperity, principles that should transcend party lines.

Republicans have always been willing to do so.  Will the left follow suit?

Image via Max Pixel.