“We want to collectively own the main economic engines that dominate our lives, such as power generation and transportation,” the group said. said. “We want the multiracial working class to be united in solidarity instead of being divided by fear. We want to win ‘sweeping’ reforms like single-payer universal health insurance, funding for police / reimbursement communities, the Green New Deal, and more as a transition to a freer and fairer life. “

Just as clearly, the Democratic Socialists are trying to make it clear what they are not. To be precise, they are not Communists as defined by Karl Marx and redefined by tyrants like Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union and Mao Zedong of China.

“Our vision goes beyond historic social democracy and leaves authoritarian visions of socialism behind in the dustbin of history,” says the Democratic Socialists website. “We want a democracy that creates space for all of us to thrive, not just survive and answer fundamental questions in our lives with input from all.”

Democratic socialism existed as a modest force in American politics in the first half of the 20th century, only to fade during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Lately, however, it has been on the rise. It all started with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and his 2016 presidential campaign, which inspired a generation of young activists – Walton included – to push the Democratic Party to the left.