Democrats sway toward socialism: Letters to the Editor Aug. 20, 2026

The danger of romanticizing the radical left is akin to the fable wherein a frog that’s trying to cross a creek hitches a ride on the back of a scorpion who stings the frog, thus sending it to its death (“Socialist lean for Dems,” Aug.17).The frog asks why he did that, to which the scorpion responds “because it is what I do.”There is no such thing as a “democratic socialist.” The term is used to cloak their real intent of communism and to lull folks into a false sense of safety, similar to the frog who tried to ignore the truth of the scorpion’s nature.

If we do not acknowledge what democratic socialism really is, we may suffer that same fate.Ken KarcinellHewlettDemocratic socialists want a government that helps workers rather than the billionaire class.Socialism is not really an accurate term for them.

If anything, Republicans are far more socialist.A socialist government takes over major industries and tells them what to do.Trump has taken government stakes in major corporations and, in some cases, given himself veto powers.

He wants to control the media and have say over who is allowed to be on the air and what they are allowed to say.Republicans hate the Constitution, our system of government and most Americans.Bruce EllisHouston, TexasThe DSA commits to scrapping the Senate, defunding the Department of War, granting amnesty for all immigrants and replacing “the president and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.”I don’t understand how they think they can win when they’d have to take an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” They are the enemy.Michael PacerKingman, Ariz.Senate and House Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have the power to save America by telling voters that communism is on the way if the democratic socialists win.Reasonable Dems will listen to them.They must stick up for our democra...