The DSA as 'Un-American': Kengor's Historical Analogy Argument
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "Meet America’s New Un-Americans… the DSA | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." August 7, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that just as Soviet-loyal communists in the mid-20th century were rightly investigated as un-American subversives despite claiming constitutional protections, today's Democratic Socialists of America are similarly un-American because their platform calls for abolishing major U.S. institutions like the Senate, Supreme Court, and police. He points to their party-infiltration strategy and radical platform as proof that they, like the old communists, want to fundamentally replace the American system rather than work within it.
Conclusion
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and its members/ideology are 'un-American,' analogous to the Soviet-aligned communists historically investigated by HUAC.
Premises
- HUAC was a legitimate, bipartisan congressional committee tasked with investigating genuinely subversive elements (Nazis, Soviet sympathizers) who sought to overthrow the American constitutional system.
- Historical American communists swore explicit oaths of allegiance to the Soviet Union and Leninist doctrine, revealing their loyalty was to a foreign socialist system rather than to the U.S. Constitution.
- Those historical communists hypocritically invoked constitutional protections (First and Fifth Amendments) to shield themselves while secretly working to destroy that same constitutional order.
- The DSA, described as 'the largest socialist organization in the United States,' has a strategy (articulated by figures like Cenk Uygur) of infiltrating and taking over the Democratic Party through primarying establishment Democrats.
- DSA's official 20-page platform calls for abolishing or radically restructuring core American institutions, including the Senate, Electoral College, Supreme Court, presidency, police, prisons, and Department of Defense.
- Socialism, communism, and Marxism are inherently antithetical to the founding principles of the American system, as evidenced by foundational texts like the Communist Manifesto.
- Prominent Democrats (e.g., James Carville) have publicly expressed alarm about the DSA's platform and its takeover of the party, indicating the threat is recognized even by ideological opponents.
Assumptions
- Advocating for structural/institutional change to the U.S. government (abolishing the Senate, Electoral College, etc.) is equivalent to being 'un-American,' rather than a legitimate (if radical) form of political reform within a democratic tradition.
- There is a meaningful and direct equivalence between historical Soviet-allegiant communists (who swore foreign allegiance) and contemporary DSA members (who are running for and holding elected office within the American system).
- The 'American system' has a fixed, correct form as conceived by the founders, and deviation from this form constitutes disloyalty to America itself.
- Being a socialist or holding socialist policy positions is inherently equivalent to being a totalitarian or anti-democratic actor.
- Public transparency about political goals (which the author acknowledges DSA has, unlike Obama's 'devious' vagueness) does not mitigate the 'un-American' characterization it's used to support it instead.
- Institutional or rhetorical opposition from establishment Democrats validates the characterization of DSA as dangerous/subversive.