It was the fall of 1972 and I was beginning my senior year at Queens College (CUNY) as a political science major. I had registered for a seminar course on Socialism. My professor, Michael Harrington, had just joined the faculty. Notably, he was the father of the Democratic Socialists of America. Harrington did not proselytize but invited open discussion. The focus of the seminar was on how certain socialist principles might be incorporated into a democratic society while still existing within a constitutional republic. He did not advocate abandoning that constitutional republic, but instead, working within it to achieve what he considered to be reasonable economic, social justice and political objectives. In regard to the latter he rejected, in large part, the extremes of both Marxism and Communism.

Fast forward to 2026. The recent platform put forth by the current Democratic Socialists of America runs far a field from what are reasonable economic and social objectives. Instead of working within the construct of a constitutional republic, which has worked quite effectively to advance the goals he set out, those who still fly under the banner of the DSA seek to tear it down. They would eliminate the separation of powers enshrined in the constitution and subordinate the Executive and Supreme Court to Congress…they would eliminate the Senate…eliminate the office of President and replace it with another executive position…and eliminate the Electoral College. The current DSA would eliminate prisons and effectively open our borders while simultaneously liberalizing our social welfare programs…a formula for bankrupting a nation that is already burdened with a massive deficit.

The US just celebrated the 250th Anniversary of this great political and economic experiment…an experiment founded on democratic principles and a capitalist economic system that, while not perfect, has allowed many to rise above the poverty that many who live in socialist and communist nations still experience. Does the DSA platform have some admirable goals? Yes. Abandoning the Constitution and a capitalist economic system is not one of them.

We need to reject the extremism currently being promoted by the Democratic Socialists, who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, running under the umbrella of the Democratic Party.

PS. My seminar paper countered many of Harrington’s socialist arguments. I got an “A.”