Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words

Victor Davis Hanson: Socialism Sounds Better Than It Works

August 7, 2026

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5 min read

Victor Davis Hanson: Socialism Sounds Better Than It Works

In the 2024 primaries, Michigan's Democratic primary became the most expensive House primary in history—roughly $80 million spent—and the establishment-backed candidate lost to a self-described democratic socialist. Victor Davis Hanson argues this is not an isolated event but a symptom of a deeper problem: a generation of left-wing activists who have never had to defend their ideas in practice, who live like capitalists while denouncing capitalism, and who are shielded from accountability by a media and academic establishment that refuses to ask hard questions.

The socialist paradox: wealthy revolutionaries

Hanson's central observation is that the most prominent figures in the American socialist movement—Hassan Piker, Abdullah El-Sayed, Zoran Mondami, Ilhan Omar—share a pattern. They are either first- or second-generation immigrants who came to the United States and prospered under the system they now denounce. Piker owns a $3 million home in West Hollywood and drives a Porsche. Mondami's family was part of Uganda's wealthy Indian elite. Omar's father was a colonel in Siad Barre's genocidal regime in Somalia. "They do very well, and they show nothing but ingratitude," Hanson says. "Then they start lecturing Americans on what's wrong with their country."

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:45) **Marxists, Socialists, and the Left's Contradictions** - Hanson opens by arguing that self-proclaimed socialists and Marxists are wealthy hypocrites who live as capitalists while advocating for policies that harm the poor.
  • 2 (02:13) **Introduction: The "Counter-Revolution" Thesis** - Hanson introduces his new book, *Counter-Revolution*, framing Donald Trump's 2024 comeback as a movement to undo the root causes of the progressive project, not just its symptoms.
  • 3 (07:51) **The Democratic Primary and the "Unformidable" Left** - Hanson analyzes the Michigan primary, arguing that socialist candidates like El-Sayed and Piker are not charismatic or intelligent, and that their agenda is fundamentally communist.
  • 4 (14:40) **The Violent and Hypocritical Nature of the Left** - Hanson argues that the left is inherently violent and racist, specifically targeting Jewish institutions and white people while ignoring their own countries' genocidal histories.
  • 5 (25:17) **The Left's "Adolescent Mentality" on Rules** - Hanson identifies the core theme of the Democratic Party as a victimhood mentality that seeks to change the rules whenever they do not get what they want.
  • 6 (34:04) **The Hypocrisy of Socialist Politicians** - Hanson details the hypocrisy of socialist politicians like Mondami, who are wealthy elites that benefit from capitalism while proposing government-run alternatives.
  • 7 (43:26) **The Return of Ancient Plagues: Public Health and Broken Rules** - Hanson uses the typhus epidemic in Los Angeles as an example of how the left's "empathy" has led to the violation of ancient public health rules, with deadly consequences.

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Guests on this episode

Victor Davis Hanson

Show Notes

Victor Davis Hanson and Sami Winc dive into the results of Tuesday's primary elections in Michigan. They argue the Democratic Party is increasingly divided between establishment figures and democratic socialists, discussing candidates such as Abdullah El-Sayed, Zohran Mamdani, and Francesca Hong while examining the broader ideological direction of the party.

They also discuss the challenges of progressive governance, including New York City's proposed government-run grocery stores, the rising cost of universal childcare plans, and Los Angeles' growing public health problems related to homelessness. 

This episode also discusses the plagiarism scandal surrounding a Cambridge University professor, discussing the fall of standards in modern academia. This episode concludes with a discussion of reports that retired U.S. military leaders participated in a Chinese-backed dialogue initiative, raising concerns about national security and the role of retired military officials.  


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Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words

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