Why You Should Be a Socialist

A primer on Democratic Socialism for those who are extremely skeptical of it, from the founder and editor of Current Affairs.

"A scrupulous, carefully argued work that will challenge liberals and confound conservatives." —Ryan Cooper, national correspondent for The Week

America is witnessing the rise of a new generation of socialist activists. From the heyday of Occupy Wall Street through the 2020 presidential election and beyond, young progressives have been increasingly drawn to socialism—today, the movement has more support than it has had since the 1920s. The Democratic Socialists of America, a big-tent leftist organization, has well over 70,000 members nationwide, including some of the most influential politicians in the country.

But what does this all mean? Should we be worried about our nation, or should we join the march toward our bright socialist future? In Why You Should Be a Socialist, Nathan J. Robinson gives readers a crash course in twenty-first-century socialism: what it is, what it isn't, and why everyone should want to be a part of this exciting new chapter of American politics. This charming, accessible, and well-argued book will convince even the most doubtful readers of the merits of socialist thought.

"A welcome and useful addition to the bumper crop in cases for left-wing politics. . . . Robinson persuasively lays out the moral case against capitalism, a system of brutal exploitation, oppression, and waste that Robinson dissects and disposes of in short order." —Jacobin