Communism, Socialism, and Democratic Socialism: What’s the difference and what’s the threat today?

“It’s okay, I’m not a socialist, I’m a democratic socialist!” How often have you heard that one? Or this: “I support socialism, but not communism. There’s a big difference.” But is there? Marx and Engels and Lenin said that socialism is the final transitionary step to communism. And quite remarkably, Marx and Engels and Lenin—and even the likes of Mao and Mussolini—praised “democracy.” Lenin actually defined “democracy” in a way not very different from how Bernie Sanders defines it. Before the Bolsheviks were Bolsheviks, they were the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party. So, what’s really the difference between communism, socialism, and democratic socialism? Join our discussion with Dr. Paul Kengor, author of many books on communism, including The Devil and Karl Marx, as we take a deep dive into these destructive ideologies and consider the question of just how different—or similar—they really are.

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