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Interesting.

I'm referring to the US associations; I think that's the cultural zeitgeist that the New York Times is more familiar with :-P

Sort of the backlash to the right wing calling both European Social Democrats and American moves to expand the welfare state "socialist" as a term of abuse.



I honestly don't think Bernie would have had a chance at getting the kind of traction he got if the US right hadn't basically massively overplayed its hand by trying to tell a generation that grew up after the end of the cold war that Obama was a socialist.

It led to a very strong, very noticeable shift in perception where a much wider group of Americans in discussions would start asking questions about socialism instead of shooting down any mention of it with insults.


He probably wouldn't have chosen to call himself a socialist if the American right hadn't watered down the term so much.




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