Why So Much Fear About Socialism?

I have taught for fourteen seasons at one of the largest labor unions in America, with a 30,000-strong membership. In those classrooms, filled with hardworking men and women who fight every day for fair wages and respect, I was surprised to find how often the word “socialism” brought discomfort. Even among the working class — people who would benefit the most — there is a suspicion, even hostility, toward the idea.

I have seen the same in India. Workers who struggle with low wages, poor healthcare, and no social safety net often turn away when they hear the word. Why? Because decades of propaganda — from the media, from political elites, from those who profit off inequality — have painted socialism as the same as communism, as something dark, dangerous, and dictatorial.

But socialism is not communism.

Communism, as practiced in the Soviet Union or North Korea, is about a one-party state, top-down control, and suppression of individual freedoms. That is not what Zohran Mamdani or millions of ordinary people across the world are fighting for.

Democratic socialism is something very different. It simply means using our democratic systems to make sure that everyone has access to life’s basics:
• Good, affordable food.
• Safe and decent housing.
• Healthcare that doesn’t bankrupt families.
• Quality education for all children.
• Dignified jobs with fair pay.
• A healthy environment for future generations.

Is that really radical? Or is it just common sense?

Around the world, countries have put these ideas into practice:
• In Scandinavia, workers enjoy universal healthcare, childcare, and strong unions.
• In Canada and Ireland, healthcare is considered a right, not a privilege.
• In Germany, housing and labor protections are strong enough that workers do not fear sudden ruin.
• In Brazil and Bolivia, democratic socialist leaders lifted millions out of poverty through food programs, education, and redistribution of resources.

Even here in Peru where I am now, and across Latin America, the memory of inequality has pushed people to demand fairer systems.

So why are we so afraid in the United States and India? Because those at the top — the billionaires, the corporate media, and the political class — know that if working people unite around these basic demands, their power will shrink. And so they confuse us with labels, scare tactics, and false history.

That’s why Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for mayor of New York City is so important. He is not talking about creating a communist state. He is talking about something much simpler: making sure that the people who build the city — the teachers, taxi drivers, home health aides, delivery workers, construction workers — can live with dignity, not just survive.

If the richest nations in the world can guarantee healthcare and housing, why not New York? Why not India? Why not everywhere?

It is time we break the fear. Socialism, in its democratic form, is not about taking away freedoms. It is about giving them back.

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References & Further Reading
1. Bernie Sanders, “What Democratic Socialism Means Today” – The Nation, Nov. 2015.
2. Thomas Piketty, Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Harvard University Press, 2014).
3. Freedom House, “Scandinavian Democracies and Social Welfare” (2021 report).
4. UNDP Human Development Report (2023) – showing high well-being in countries with strong social safety nets.
5. Zohran Mamdani Campaign Platform (NYC Mayoral Race, 2025) – public statements and interviews.