The “Consumer Socialism” Trap
The wrong way to solve the affordability crisis
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
IdeasThe ‘Consumer Socialism’ TrapThe wrong way to solve the affordability crisisBy Idrees KahloonIllustration by Ben HickeyJuly 6, 2026, 7 AM ET ShareSave Listen−1.0x+Seek0:0011:54This past January, in his inaugural address, Zohran Mamdani memorably promised to “replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” In the parlance of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani is a member, collectivism is a good thing. It is not meant to recall Stalin’s seizure of farms, which resulted in mass famine, or Mao’s Great Leap Forward, which also resulted in mass famine. American socialism today is different. The DSA still formally aspires to “popular control of resources and production,” otherwise known as seizing the means of production.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Atlantic.
