Harger: It’s only Socialism when Democrats do it
Nov 6, 2025, 9:07 AM | Updated: 2:30 pm
Capitalism has served this country remarkably well. It built the middle class, created prosperity, and gave millions of Americans the opportunity to work their way to a better life.
And capitalism has been pretty good to me. I’ve worked hard, got a house in the suburbs, can afford braces for my kids, and don’t panic when the car needs repairs. The free market created my job, my iPhone, and Amazon, where I buy way too much stuff I don’t need.
We’ve also recognized that pure capitalism needs guardrails. Social Security prevents elderly poverty. Medicare ensures seniors get healthcare. Public education gives every child a chance to succeed. These aren’t communist plots. They’re the consensus that emerged after the Great Depression about how a modern society functions.
And now some politicians seem to be all-in on having even more socialism in our daily lives.
Case in point: Katie Wilson, still in the running to be Seattle’s next mayor. She’s proposing government-owned grocery stores. To be clear: the city government, running supermarkets. Setting prices. Deciding inventory. Competing with private businesses using taxpayer subsidies. She also wants rent freezes across the city and the establishment of a $30 minimum wage. These aren’t tweaks to capitalism. This is the government directly controlling commerce.
Now, you can debate whether these are good ideas. But let’s be clear about what they are: government taking over functions of the private market. The classic definition of socialism is “government seizing the means of production.” When the government runs the grocery stores, sets the rents, and provides the services, that’s exactly what we’re talking about.
Conservatives have been sounding the alarm. They say this represents a fundamental shift in how we organize our economy.
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But hasn’t Trump been doing the same?
Here’s what I find fascinating.
While conservatives are terrified of Katie Wilson’s produce department, President Trump just seized a piece of the means of production himself. The U.S. Government took an $11 billion ownership stake in Intel, and he demanded for Intel’s CEO to resign. He made it so the government now gets a 15% cut of revenue from AMD and Nvidia when they sell computer chips to China.
He secured veto power over U.S. Steel through a “golden share.” The government now has the authority to veto corporate decisions at the company. If that’s not seizing the means of production, what is?
When Democrats propose government-run grocery stores, Republicans scream, “They’re seizing the means of production!” When a Republican president literally seizes equity stakes in major corporations, it’s called patriotic industrial policy.
The government owning the means of production is either socialism or it’s not. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t scream “Socialist!” at Katie Wilson’s grocery store while cheering when the government becomes a shareholder in Intel.
Unless the rule is: It’s only socialism when Democrats do it.
So here we are: Democrats seizing grocery stores, Republicans seizing tech companies and the steel industry, and everyone pretending their version doesn’t count.
That’s capitalism in 2025. Clear as mud.
That’s the commentary for Nov. 6. Text us at (888) 973-5476 or leave a comment at MyNorthwest.
Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here.
