[Angelino97]

Well by your definition, most people who are accused of "socialism" on FR are not socialist.

COVID and DEI handouts have been called "socialist" by many on FR, yet they fail to meet your definition.

I don't think even AOC or Obama has called for government "ownership" of the means of production. So by your definition, they are not socialist.

[econjack]

There are a lot of politicians who are "Left-leaning" towards Socialism. There's a book by Charles Beard titled An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States in which he states the "legitimate" economic activities of gov't: 1) the provision of social overhead capital (i.e., those things needed by society but not provided by private markets, like the public road system), and 2) the policing of property rights (i.e., a legal system, standing military, etc.). Our gov't has overstepped its duties by creating agencies that compete in private markets (e.g., SBA, Student Loans, AMTRAK, etc). This is creeping socialism that the Left wants which, to me, shouldn't exist.