The “Horrors of socialism” were condemned by Congress, whilst social-democratic leaders reassured the White House.
Details. On 21 November, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution denouncing the “Horrors of Socialism”. The measure recycles long-standing anti-communist propaganda, including the fabricated “100 million” figure and claims of “brutal crimes” by socialist states. The same rhetoric appeared in Trump’s recent proclamation establishing a new “Anti-Communism Week”.
► While many Democrats opposed the resolution (98 voting against), and social-democratic representatives such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib decried it as “pointless,” 86 Democrats voted alongside 199 Republicans to pass it. No House Republicans opposed the measure.
► The vote took place shortly before a meeting between New York City’s Mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, and President Donald Trump. Despite past animosity between them, the meeting was very friendly. Trump withdrew his threat to cut New York’s funding, and Mamdani dismissed the House resolution as a mere “difference in ideology,” stressing that his priority was “the work at hand”.
Context. As the Trump administration continues to lose public trust, the Democrats are positioning themselves as the “lesser evil” ahead of the next election by giving more visibility to their social-democratic figures such as Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Zohran Mamdani. Though criticised by the party’s centrists, this wing remains crucial for drawing back disillusioned voters.
► The resolution is part of the ongoing fascisation of the US. It follows the Trump administration’s attacks on the left, particularly the blanket targeting of “Antifa” as a label for all leftist organisations, seeking to conflate communists with terrorists.
►The cordial meeting between Trump and Mamdani highlights how, although representing different branches of capital, both simultaneously represent the capitalist class as a whole. As Stalin described: “Fascism is the bourgeoisie’s fighting organisation that relies on the active support of Social-Democracy,” which “is objectively the moderate wing of fascism.” The capitalist class is unable to “achieve decisive successes in battles, or in governing the country, without the active support of Social-Democracy.”