Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) - Workings towards a better future for all.
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Democratic socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically—to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. To achieve a more just society, many structures of our government and economy must be radically transformed through greater economic and social democracy so that ordinary Americans can participate in the many decisions that affect our lives.
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“Go Live in a Cave if You’re Really Anti-Capitalist:” On Having a Smartphone and Hating Capitalism Too - Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
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Whether or not you consider yourself anti-capitalist, you’ve probably heard that tired retort that socialists regularly encounter: “If you hate capitalism so much, why do you have a smartphone? If you were really against capitalism, you’d become an off-the-grid caveman instead of participating in the capitalist system.” The spirit of this argument has prevailed among critics who speculate about the allegedly expensive tastes of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one among a recent wave of democratic socialists to hold political office.
As a case in point, consider how she was ridiculed by one Fox News reader for making the modest suggestion that profit shouldn’t be prioritized at the expense of human lives and the planet:
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AOC on the ideology that she calls capitalism: "We seek and prioritize profit and the accumulation of money above all else and we seek it at any human and environmental cost... To me that ideology is not sustainable and cannot be redeemed"
Someone mocked her with "As she talks on her cell phone and flies in private jets and funnels money to her boyfriend while driving her high priced car. Don't forget her high rise apartment. Yeah, capitalism really sucks, AOC. Naptime."
AOC herself has talked about capitalism vs. socialism, and I find what she says rather muddled, as if she hasn't thought it through as well as she ought to have. I say that about someone who very much appreciates what she has done to US politics, bringing up a lot of issues that many mainstream politicians have been very timid about -- at best. I also appreciate her career and her moral character and her being very thoughtful.
She is funded by small donations, and I recall an interview where she considered the conundrum of some big donor who completely agrees with her. She decided that she would refuse, because that is a dangerous slippery slope.
She also thinks that we ought to think more about specific proposals than about ideologies, like Medicare for All and a Green New Deal.
She herself has done some capitalism, it must be conceded. Back in 2012, she attempted to start a publishing house, Brook Avenue Press, one that would specialize in children's books that reflect the experiences of inner-city children. I recall a screenshot of a bit of one: M is for Metrocard, N is for newspaper, and the like. That startup flopped without any books ever published.
She sums up her political program as "In a modern, moral, and wealthy society, no American should be too poor to live."