Two Views Of Newsweek’s “The Socialist Republic Of America” Cover

The Newsweek cover for the week of October 23^rd is titled “The Socialist Republic of America” and features images depicting Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Abdul El-Sayed, and Hasan Piker in Soviet-style imagery.

The article comes complete with a 20-question quiz that asks:

“Ready To Join the American Socialist Revolution? Take Our Quiz and Find Out”

“It’s Not a ‘Socialist Revolution.’ It’s Misery, Starvation, and Death.”

“You, dear reader, might think you know where you land on the socialist-to-capitalist spectrum. At least, I thought I did (put me down as Reluctant Capitalist, please). But is it so simple? Plenty of people who would never sit through a DSA meeting get their electricity from a city-owned utility. Is that socialism? If you live in a planned subdivision, your HOA probably has more say over the height of your fence than the typical commissar had over a Moscow balcony. Is that free-market capitalism?”

The article clearly aims to illustrate foolish examples of how closely capitalism resembles socialism, which it does not in any way, shape, or form.

This is Newsweek's attempt to normalize what history has already established as a blight on humanity.

Really?

Trying to compare a municipally owned electric company or HOA compliance on fence height restrictions to socialism/communism is not only moronic; it’s childish.

I’m big on intent. When the intent is good. For instance, the Washington football team was called the Redskins for decades, and I have no doubt no one intended disrespect. Still, a group of snowflakes raised enough of a stink that the name was changed, and now they are the Commanders.

A snotty leftist group tried to do the same thing to the Florida State Seminole teams, but the Seminole Indians stepped in and said they considered it an honor and didn't want the name changed.

Newsweek is employing a harmful tactic of intent; even if they think it’s subtle, it is wrong.

However, there’s a funny thing about intent: it can backfire.

The White House rightly sees the cover as an opportunity to expose the Democrats and socialism for what it is.

“It’s Not a ‘Socialist Revolution.’ It’s Misery, Starvation, and Death.”

“Coordinated campaign” to “sanitize, normalize, and romanticize” socialism

It accused Newsweek of participating in a “coordinated campaign” to “sanitize, normalize, and romanticize” socialism.

The administration also criticized the magazine’s “little red test," a quiz that asks readers about topics such as oat milk, shorter workweeks, and tote bags before evaluating their position on the socialist-to-capitalist spectrum

The White House released a statement saying, “There’s nothing lighthearted about the reality that campaign is trying to hide.” The administration also cited estimates that socialist and communist regimes had killed some 100 million people through famines, executions, and forced-labor camps.

A recent report from the Council of Economic Advisers estimates that the 10-year cost of what it calls the “socialist agenda” could reach $49 trillion, or nearly $400,000 per American household. The report claims that these policies would necessitate significant tax increases, reduce wages by almost 30 percent, and drive mortgage rates above 12 percent.

House Speaker Mike Johnson characterized it as evidence of a “dangerous Marxist left” takeover of the party.

Here is the “Little Red Quiz”

01| Would you take a 32-hour week if your pay stayed exactly the same?

02| Have you ever paid extra for oat milk to protest an extractive food system?

03| Have you ever waited 14 weeks for a library book rather than pay $16 for it?

04| Have you ever worn a keffiyeh to Starbucks?

05| Should health care be free at the point of use?

06| Do you own an anti-capitalist tote bag?

07| Should Washington own a piece of Intel to keep up with China?

Here is Newsweek's answer:

DSA wants public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries. The Trump administration reached a similar conclusion, sort of. In August 2025, Washington took about 9.9 percent of Intel in exchange for roughly $8.87 billion in federal disbursements, without board or governance rights. Call it strategic capitalism or venture socialism, depending on your preference.

Instead of publishing a quiz for simpletons, Newsweek should have emphasized that socialism is a form of fascism

(Again, they are comparing apples and oranges. One has nothing to do with the other.)

08| Have you ever announced that you were leaving X ... on X?

09| Do you belong to an HOA?

10| Have you ever gone to therapy to talk about capitalism?

11| Should ICE be abolished?

12| Would you trust City Hall with your electricity?

13| Should all public college be free, and existing student debt be canceled?

14| Do you hate landlords but love your Airbnb?

15| Do you support strikes when they inconvenience you?

16| Would you shop at a government supermarket if the groceries were 30 percent cheaper?

17| Should billionaires face aggressive wealth taxes?

18| Should the United States abolish the Electoral College?

19| Have you ever supported a free bus by not paying for one that wasn't free yet?

20| Would you rather live in the America imagined by the 1912 Socialist Party than the America of 1912?

Using examples that sound similar but are not, Newsweek is trying to say, “See, socialism isn’t so bad.” However, that isn’t reality. Socialism is an oppressive, controlling form of government that strips individuals of their rights and inflates the power of the ruling class to astronomical levels.

It's ironic that Democrats often label conservatives as Nazis and fascists, yet they are allowing the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to gain control of their party. Instead of publishing a quiz for simpletons, Newsweek should have emphasized that socialism is a form of fascism. The conflict doesn't represent a struggle between left and right, but rather a battle between various leftist ideologies.