By Ray Cardello for August 25, 2026, Season 32 / Post  50

The Progressive mind is a dangerous space for a conservative to venture into, but it is essential if we are to understand the newest political force since the Tea Party. The biggest difference between the Tea Party and the Democratic Socialists of America is that the Tea Party wanted the country to come back to a center-right position. In contrast, the DSA wants to tear down America as we know it and rebuild it in a Socialist or Communist model. On the surface, the DSA platform is very frustrating, because there is not a single instance of Socialism or Communism that has worked for its people or country. The young people behind the DSA do not have a core understanding of Socialism and how it has starved and stifled every population where it surfaced. The plan has many wants and asks, but it has been obvious since early on that no one in this new party has given much thought beyond creating catchphrases or talking points.

There are numerous reasons for the increase in Socialism’s popularity. The most significant is that Socialism and Communism are no longer explained in our schools, while Capitalism and the concept of a Democratic Republic are denigrated. We have watched the number of followers of Hasan Piker, the 35-year-old radical Left-wing podcaster who openly hates America and Israel, grow to over 3 million across many platforms. In a surprising segment this week with Jesse Watters, Michigan Senate candidate EL Sayed was pressed on the entire DSA platform. I have seen many interviews with this candidate, and he is consistently evasive in his answers. He is emphatic about abolishing ICE and advocates Medicare for all, but like everyone in his lane, they have no idea of the cost or how these programs would be funded, except to spout the party line: tax the rich. Ask him how much a “rich” person should be allowed to keep, and you hear crickets.

El Sayed had no problem using Piker for maximum exposure. Still, now that the primary is behind and the general is ahead, he is disavowing his relationship with the America-hating Piker. It will not work. These two are already joined at the hip. He will also have to account for the exaggeration of his resume. He has been calling himself a doctor and bragging about the lives he has saved, but there is a huge problem with his claim: he never finished his education or completed his residency. He is no more a doctor than you or I.

There is another reason American students leave college and lean away from our republic or Capitalism. With over 300,000 students who are citizens of Socialist or communist countries, but are attending American schools on a student visa. There is no way that American students can avoid the influence of this block. It is part of the clandestine attack on America, and this Socialist movement is its product.

The Democrats have a huge problem between now and November. They have foolishly welcomed these progressives under their Big Tent, but now they are being associated with these foolish ideas. What initially seemed like a good idea to beat Trump is now becoming a way to beat incumbent Democrats.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Author’s Note: Graphics created by Grok AI. Grok’s comments about the images: The Capitol stands firm under gathering storm clouds, the American flag still flying, while young people gather below amid competing symbols and ideas. It captures the tension the article describes — a classic American institution facing ideological pressure from a rising progressive force that seeks not reform, but replacement. The contrast is clear: the enduring structure of the Republic versus the restless energy seeking to remake it.