(Harbinger’s Daily)—On June 24th, the specter of Socialism was once again thrust onto the American political scene with the victory of Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City. It was a surprise, upset victory over Andrew Cuomo, New York’s former Governor.
Mamdani is an out-and-out Socialist who, like most Socialists, is promising freebies to everyone but the rich. It was the biggest Socialist political upset since another Socialist, U. S. Senator Bernie Sanders, won the New Hampshire Democratic primary for President in February of 2020. In both cases, support from those under 30 years of age was a key factor.
The Rise and Fall of Socialism in America
The Socialist Party of America was founded in 1901. It received support from trade unionists, progressive social reformers, populist farmers, and various immigrant groups. But it never did well at the polls, particularly in presidential elections. Its staunch opposition to American involvement in World War I resulted in a large number of defections.
The best showing ever for a Socialist ticket was in 1912, when their candidate, Eugene Debs, received 901,551 total votes, or 6% of the popular vote. In 1920, Debs ran again, this time from prison, and received 913,693 votes, 3.4% of the total.
Socialism rebounded in the 1930s during the Great Depression under the leadership of Norman Thomas. However, President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies, which introduced America to Welfare-Statism, prevented Socialism from gathering much steam. Later, the party’s opposition to American involvement in World War II cost it much of its support.
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