Why is there no Socialism in the United States?

             The article concerns the political nature of not having a party that represents the values and beliefs of the workers, and that the Democratic and Republican parties only seek to serve the established capitalists and to pander their beliefs to emulate those of the common good. In trying to analyze and interpret why there is no socialism in America, is to look at various momentums in history that have tried to bring the issue to the forefront, and the reaction of the public and government. To be socialistic and have socialism is to have policies and a way of government that is equal in the treatment of the individuals, in public goods and power. However, the article notes that this type of turnover has met opposition throughout our history, and hints that politicizing the argument and struggle of the working class, through the formation of a party, is the key to get close to the goal.

As mentioned in the introduction, the United States does not have a party for the working class, even though they constitute a large percentage of the U.S. population, they are not being represented in interests that will most benefit them. Race, has been the tool used to suppress this class-consciousness in Americans, and fueled policies of segregation and hatred between the poor African American community and the poor whites, even though they were/are in the same class bubble. The article suggests that if the workers want the opportunity to have a say in politics and its’ policies, they must organize and unionize, which eventually led to the creation of unions that had some political appeal; like the AFL and the IWW.  It would not be long until parties, with the foundation of unions, started developing, such as the Socialist Democratic Party and the Communist Party. However, it was still prone to the struggles that originate within, through issues like control and power. The Socialist Democratic Party emerged and became a force by Eugene Debs, to try to liberate the working class from the tyrannical rule from the elite and capitalists, but it did not last long.

            During the New Deal and FDR’s reign as president, there emerged another socialist party that tried to emulate, but be as influential as the two-party system, and that was the Communist Party. From them, there seem to be trouble in gaining a reputation that wasn’t tied to violence or anti-American appeals, as we saw with the HUAC investigations and the persecution by Joseph McCarthy, by labeling them as anarchists and bad for America.

            It seems that to have socialism in America is to balance the goals of workers and to play along with the political system, to a degree, without forgetting ones’ intentions of the party. Raising consciousness of the inequality of the workers to the capitalists is a way to bring forth a revolution—whether that be politically, socially, or economically—that can lead to the creation of equality among Americans.