On The Left Side of Things

This is probably pointless to write, as very few people will read it and the majority of those who will will already know this, but it still feels important to do, as the level of misunderstanding surrounding socialism in American political discourse is just insane. Politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have popularized the term and increased support for broadly progressive policies, but they have also helped to introduce many moderates and progressives to a nonsensical view of socialism and a lack of understanding of what it is. Despite the fact that members of this progressive wing are easily the best figures in American politics, they are not socialist, and it is important to understand what socialism is and why it should be supported. A very basic definition of socialism is a system in which the means of production are owned collectively, rather than individually. Under capitalism, capitalists own the means of production (factories, land, etc.) and use the la...