{"id":767,"date":"2026-08-26T19:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T23:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/?p=767"},"modified":"2026-08-26T20:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T00:11:13","slug":"dsa-fidel-castro-praise-made-me-think-twice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/26\/dsa-fidel-castro-praise-made-me-think-twice\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: DSA\u2019s Fidel Castro Praise Made Me Think Twice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Democratic Socialists of America built momentum around healthcare, housing and economic inequality. Then it chose to commemorate an authoritarian leader\u2014and left its own candidates explaining why they disagreed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"root-eb-toc-annl4 wp-block-essential-blocks-table-of-contents\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-toc-annl4 \"><div class=\"eb-toc-container eb-toc-annl4  eb-toc-is-not-sticky eb-toc-collapsible eb-toc-initially-not-collapsed eb-toc-scrollToTop style-2 list-style-none\" data-scroll-top=\"false\" data-scroll-top-icon=\"fas fa-angle-up\" data-collapsible=\"true\" data-sticky-hide-mobile=\"false\" data-sticky=\"false\" data-scroll-target=\"scroll_to_toc\" data-copy-link=\"false\" data-editor-type=\"\" data-hide-desktop=\"false\" data-hide-tab=\"false\" data-hide-mobile=\"false\" data-itemcollapsed=\"false\" data-highlight-scroll=\"false\"><div class=\"eb-toc-header\"><h2 class=\"eb-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"eb-toc-wrapper \" data-headers=\"[{&quot;level&quot;:2,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;DSA Chose to Praise Castro&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;DSA Chose to Praise Castro&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;dsa-chose-to-praise-castro&quot;},{&quot;level&quot;:2,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;Angie Nixon Drew a Line&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Angie Nixon Drew a Line&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;angie-nixon-drew-a-line&quot;},{&quot;level&quot;:2,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;Other Florida Democrats Are Creating Distance&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Other Florida Democrats Are Creating Distance&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;other-florida-democrats-are-creating-distance&quot;},{&quot;level&quot;:2,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;Not Every DSA Candidate Rejected the Statement&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Not Every DSA Candidate Rejected the Statement&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;not-every-dsa-candidate-rejected-the-statement&quot;},{&quot;level&quot;:2,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;This Is a Problem DSA Created for Itself&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;This Is a Problem DSA Created for Itself&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;this-is-a-problem-dsa-created-for-itself&quot;},{&quot;level&quot;:2,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;DSA Was Reaching Voters Like Me&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;DSA Was Reaching Voters Like Me&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;dsa-was-reaching-voters-like-me&quot;},{&quot;level&quot;:2,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;A Movement Must Decide What It Wants to Be&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;A Movement Must Decide What It Wants to Be&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;a-movement-must-decide-what-it-wants-to-be&quot;},{&quot;level&quot;:3,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;Sources &amp; Editorial Note&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Sources &amp; Editorial Note&quot;,&quot;link&quot;:&quot;sources-editorial-note&quot;}]\" data-visible=\"[true,true,true,true,true,true]\" data-delete-headers=\"[{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;DSA Chose to Praise Castro&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;dsa-chose-to-praise-castro&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Angie Nixon Drew a Line&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;angie-nixon-drew-a-line&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Other Florida Democrats Are Creating Distance&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;other-florida-democrats-are-creating-distance&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Not Every DSA Candidate Rejected the Statement&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;not-every-dsa-candidate-rejected-the-statement&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;This Is a Problem DSA Created for Itself&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;this-is-a-problem-dsa-created-for-itself&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;DSA Was Reaching Voters Like Me&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;dsa-was-reaching-voters-like-me&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;A Movement Must Decide What It Wants to Be&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;a-movement-must-decide-what-it-wants-to-be&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:false},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Sources &amp; Editorial Note&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:&quot;sources-editorial-note&quot;,&quot;isDelete&quot;:true}]\" data-smooth=\"true\" data-top-offset=\"\"><div class=\"eb-toc__list-wrap\"><ul class=\"eb-toc__list\"><li><a href=\"#dsa-chose-to-praise-castro\">DSA Chose to Praise Castro<\/a><li><a href=\"#angie-nixon-drew-a-line\">Angie Nixon Drew a Line<\/a><li><a href=\"#other-florida-democrats-are-creating-distance\">Other Florida Democrats Are Creating Distance<\/a><li><a href=\"#not-every-dsa-candidate-rejected-the-statement\">Not Every DSA Candidate Rejected the Statement<\/a><li><a href=\"#this-is-a-problem-dsa-created-for-itself\">This Is a Problem DSA Created for Itself<\/a><li><a href=\"#dsa-was-reaching-voters-like-me\">DSA Was Reaching Voters Like Me<\/a><li><a href=\"#a-movement-must-decide-what-it-wants-to-be\">A Movement Must Decide What It Wants to Be<\/a><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Democratic Socialists of America had been winning me over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not necessarily every plank in its platform, and not every statement issued by its national leadership. But many of the issues advanced by DSA members\u2014universal healthcare, affordable housing, stronger labor protections, fully funded public schools and limits on corporate power\u2014speak directly to problems that the country\u2019s political establishment has repeatedly failed to solve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those policies are not fringe concerns. Millions of Americans work full time and still struggle to afford housing, healthcare, childcare and groceries. Private-equity firms are purchasing homes while families are priced out of their communities. Workers produce more while seeing an increasingly disproportionate share of the rewards flow upward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DSA-backed candidates have found an audience because they talk about those conditions plainly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, on Aug. 13, the national organization decided to commemorate Fidel Castro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The statement did not merely acknowledge the historical significance of Castro\u2019s birth or argue against American sanctions on Cuba. It described him as an organizer and fighter who remained a symbol of anti-imperialist struggle and self-determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That made me stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If an organization calling itself democratic can speak so admiringly about a leader whose government imprisoned dissidents, eliminated meaningful political competition and punished independent expression, what exactly am I being asked to support?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I apparently wasn\u2019t the only person asking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-wp-embed is-provider-state-of-disorder wp-block-embed-state-of-disorder\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"3ZGhC9Q24S\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/23\/freedom-250-trump-penske-taxpayer-cost\/\">Penske Says It Paid for Trump\u2019s Freedom 250. What Did Taxpayers Pay For?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cPenske Says It Paid for Trump\u2019s Freedom 250. What Did Taxpayers Pay For?\u201d \u2014 State of Disorder\" src=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/23\/freedom-250-trump-penske-taxpayer-cost\/embed\/#?secret=9baVy0d8ad#?secret=3ZGhC9Q24S\" data-secret=\"3ZGhC9Q24S\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DSA Chose to Praise Castro<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DSA published its statement on what would have been Castro\u2019s 100th birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFidel was an organizer, a fighter,\u201d the organization declared, describing him as an enduring symbol of anti-imperialism and self-determination. The statement demanded an end to American restrictions against Cuba, normalization of relations, reparations and the prosecution of Secretary of State Marco Rubio for alleged crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States\u2019 treatment of Cuba deserves serious criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The longstanding embargo has imposed hardship on ordinary Cubans while repeatedly failing to produce democratic change. Even Human Rights Watch, while documenting Castro\u2019s repression, has described the embargo as a misguided policy that harmed the Cuban population and gave the government a convenient justification for its failures and abuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is entirely possible to oppose that policy without romanticizing Fidel Castro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction is what DSA\u2019s statement failed to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Castro\u2019s government made significant advances in literacy, healthcare and education. Those accomplishments are part of the historical record and should not be erased simply because the government responsible for them was authoritarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither should the repression be erased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During Castro\u2019s rule, Cuba became a one-party state in which political dissent was punished, independent institutions were suppressed and thousands of people were imprisoned, intimidated or driven into exile. Human Rights Watch concluded that Castro constructed a system that punished virtually every form of dissent. Amnesty International documented prisoners of conscience detained for peacefully exercising freedom of expression, association and assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A political movement can oppose American imperialism, defend Cuban sovereignty and demand an end to policies that hurt civilians without treating the leader who built that system as an inspirational symbol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"638\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/castros_record_in_power@0.75x-8.png\" alt=\"Cuban leader Fidel Castro speaks from a stage during an international conference in Cuba in 2005.\" class=\"wp-image-789\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/castros_record_in_power@0.75x-8.png 638w, https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/castros_record_in_power@0.75x-8-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fidel Castro addresses an international conference in Cuba in June 2005. Photo: Giorgiopilato\/Wikimedia Commons, public domain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DSA chose otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Angie Nixon Drew a Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The timing could hardly have been worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only days after the statement appeared, Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in one of the year\u2019s most surprising primary upsets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nixon defeated heavily funded establishment favorite Alex Vindman despite being outraised by an extraordinary margin. Her victory demonstrated that grassroots organizing and a message centered on affordability, healthcare and working families could overcome an enormous financial disadvantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was precisely the kind of result that should have strengthened DSA\u2019s argument that its economic message can reach voters whom the Democratic establishment has neglected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nixon had recently joined DSA, although the organization neither endorsed her nor appeared to anticipate her victory. Almost immediately, she began explaining where she differed from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She rejected eliminating every prison, defunding the police and opening the borders. She described herself as a social democrat rather than a socialist. Most importantly for this controversy, she directly rejected DSA\u2019s treatment of Castro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI do not celebrate Fidel Castro,\u201d Nixon told Axios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a subsequent CBS Miami interview, she was asked whether Castro deserved praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t believe he\u2019s someone that should be praised,\u201d Nixon answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"303\" src=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/angie_nixon_campaigning@0.5x-8.png\" alt=\"Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon speaks to supporters during a campaign event.\" class=\"wp-image-791\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.782199209034941;width:709px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/angie_nixon_campaigning@0.5x-8.png 540w, https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/angie_nixon_campaigning@0.5x-8-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon has rejected DSA\u2019s praise of Fidel Castro while continuing to support many of the organization\u2019s economic priorities. Photo courtesy of Angie Nixon for U.S. Senate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is not a minor disagreement over campaign strategy. It is a Democratic nominee drawing an ethical boundary between the economic policies that attracted her to DSA and the authoritarian leader its national organization chose to commemorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nixon\u2019s distinction is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Supporting universal healthcare does not require supporting Castro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wanting stronger unions does not require defending political imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Believing wealthy corporations exercise too much power does not require celebrating a government that denied its citizens meaningful political freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If DSA wants to build a mass democratic movement, it should understand why candidates who embrace parts of its domestic agenda feel compelled to say those things aloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other Florida Democrats Are Creating Distance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nixon is not the only Florida Democrat trying to establish where the Democratic Party ends and DSA begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Miami-Dade Democratic Party chair Laura Kelley offered one of the clearest condemnations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is no room in our party for people who would support, praise Fidel Castro,\u201d Kelley told Local 10, also naming Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and Hamas. She described DSA as separate from the Democratic Party and \u201ctruly, truly misguided.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly did not limit his response to the Castro statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI reject the DSA,\u201d he said. \u201cI reject socialists. I am a capitalist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried similarly introduced her response by declaring, in Spanish, that she is a capitalist, although she defended the party\u2019s ability to unite around affordability and other shared concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These statements are not interchangeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nixon explicitly rejected praising Castro while continuing to identify with policies and organizing associated with DSA. Kelley directly condemned support for authoritarian figures. Jolly rejected DSA and socialism altogether. Fried emphasized her own ideological identity without abandoning the Democratic nominee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Together, however, their reactions demonstrate the political problem DSA created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of spending the days after Nixon\u2019s extraordinary victory discussing how she defeated a candidate with vastly greater financial resources, Florida Democrats found themselves answering questions about Fidel Castro and socialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That was avoidable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not Every DSA Candidate Rejected the Statement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other DSA-affiliated Democrats have been less willing to establish that boundary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb, a Democratic congressional candidate and DSA member, was asked directly on CBS\u2019s <em>Face the Nation<\/em> whether he agreed with the Castro statement and whether celebrating Castro validated voters\u2019 concerns about the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rabb did not condemn it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he was not concerned with how people construed DSA and redirected the discussion toward healthcare, housing, economic inequality and anti-imperialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those are important issues. They also did not answer the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rabb could have opposed American policy toward Cuba while acknowledging that Castro\u2019s suppression of political freedom contradicts the democratic values the organization claims to represent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His refusal to do so illustrates why the controversy cannot simply be dismissed as Republican messaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When candidates are asked whether an authoritarian ruler deserves celebration, voters should not need to interpret a pivot to healthcare policy as an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">This Is a Problem DSA Created for Itself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans will undoubtedly exploit this controversy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Florida, opposition to socialism has particular force among Cuban, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan and other communities shaped by experiences with authoritarian governments. Republican campaigns were always going to portray Nixon and other progressive Democrats as extremists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"572\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/castro_remains_potent@0.5x-8.png\" alt=\"Monument depicting the island of Cuba at Cuban Memorial Plaza in Miami\u2019s Little Havana neighborhood.\" class=\"wp-image-793\" style=\"width:696px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/castro_remains_potent@0.5x-8.png 572w, https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/castro_remains_potent@0.5x-8-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A monument depicting the island of Cuba stands in Cuban Memorial Plaza off Calle Ocho in Miami\u2019s Little Havana. Photo: Kafuffle\/Wikimedia Commons, public domain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That does not mean every Republican characterization of DSA is accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nixon\u2019s positions demonstrate why it would be dishonest to attribute every statement in DSA\u2019s platform to every person associated with the organization. Candidates are responsible for what they actually advocate, not everything somebody else says under a shared label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But DSA has made that distinction more difficult to communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization had an opportunity to center the material concerns driving its electoral momentum. Instead, it gave opponents a statement that allows them to change the subject from healthcare, housing and wages to Fidel Castro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is not solely a public-relations failure. It raises a legitimate question about the organization\u2019s principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The word \u201cdemocratic\u201d should mean something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It should mean that political pluralism, free expression and the right to oppose the government are not optional values applied only when convenient. It should mean refusing to excuse authoritarianism merely because the authoritarian government describes itself as socialist or opposes the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A movement does not demonstrate moral consistency by condemning repression from its enemies while minimizing repression committed by its ideological allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DSA Was Reaching Voters Like Me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why this statement bothered me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DSA\u2019s economic arguments had been persuasive because they addressed experiences recognizable to ordinary Americans: medical bills that can destroy a family\u2019s finances, rents that rise faster than wages, corporations purchasing political influence and workers struggling despite doing everything society asks of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those problems remain real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Castro\u2019s record does not make universal healthcare a bad idea. DSA\u2019s statement does not eliminate the need for stronger labor rights, affordable housing or limits on corporate consolidation. Nixon\u2019s campaign showed that those issues can connect with voters even when the political establishment and financial odds favor someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But political support is built on trust as well as policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When an organization praises a leader who denied people freedoms that the organization claims to champion at home, that trust becomes harder to extend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have not suddenly rejected every DSA-backed candidate. Nixon herself has shown why candidates should be judged individually. She rejected praising Castro and openly identified the places where her beliefs differ from the national organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That independence makes me more willing to consider her candidacy, not less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is DSA\u2019s judgment that now concerns me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Movement Must Decide What It Wants to Be<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DSA is approaching a consequential moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its candidates and ideas have gained visibility. Voters frustrated with establishment politics are listening. Organizers have demonstrated that campaigns built around economic inequality can defeat opponents with far more money and institutional support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dsa_current_momentum@0.75x-8.png\" alt=\"Democratic Socialists of America supporters gather with signs and red banners during a 2026 rally in Milwaukee.\" class=\"wp-image-795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dsa_current_momentum@0.75x-8.png 720w, https:\/\/stateofdisorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dsa_current_momentum@0.75x-8-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Democratic Socialists of America supporters gather for a \u201cPower to the People\u201d rally in Milwaukee on June 24, 2026.<br> Photo: Paul Johnson\/@7pej, licensed under CC BY 4.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization can use that momentum to build a broader democratic coalition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or it can remain attached to an ideological tradition that treats authoritarian leaders as symbols so long as they opposed American power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It cannot do both without creating contradictions that its candidates will repeatedly be forced to explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nixon should not have needed to spend the aftermath of a remarkable primary victory clarifying that she does not celebrate Fidel Castro. Other Democrats should not have needed to establish that supporting affordable healthcare and housing does not mean endorsing a one-party state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DSA created that distraction itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization was winning me over by arguing that working people deserve more power over their government and economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then it praised a man who denied people the political power to challenge his own government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That does not make every DSA policy wrong or every DSA-associated candidate unworthy of support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it made me think twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\"><em>Sources &amp; Editorial Note<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This is an opinion article. Its central assessment\u2014that DSA\u2019s Castro statement may undermine its political appeal\u2014is analysis rather than a measurable finding about voter behavior or membership losses. No reliable evidence reviewed for this article establishes how many supporters, if any, left DSA because of the statement.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The description of DSA\u2019s position is based on the organization\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dsausa.org\/statements\/dsa-commemorates-100-years-of-fidel-and-denounces-rubios-genocide-against-the-cuban-people\/\">Aug. 13 statement<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Angie Nixon\u2019s positions and disagreements with DSA are based on her interviews with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/08\/21\/florida-senate-angie-nixon-socialist\">Axios<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/angie-nixon-interview-democratic-socialist-victory-florida\/\">CBS News<\/a> and CBS Miami. Reactions from Laura Kelley, David Jolly and Nikki Fried were reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.local10.com\/news\/politics\/2026\/08\/19\/socialism-does-not-fly-nixon-victory-forces-south-florida-dems-to-address-ideological-divide\/\">Local 10<\/a>. Chris Rabb\u2019s response appears in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/face-the-nation-full-transcript-08-16-2026\/\">CBS<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/face-the-nation-full-transcript-08-16-2026\/\">Face the Nation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/face-the-nation-full-transcript-08-16-2026\/\">transcript<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Historical descriptions of repression under Fidel Castro are supported by documentation from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/11\/26\/cuba-fidel-castros-record-repression\">Human Rights Watch<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2016\/11\/fidel-castro-s-human-rights-legacy-a-tale-of-two-worlds\/\">Amnesty International<\/a>. The article also acknowledges documented advances in literacy, healthcare and education under the Cuban government and distinguishes opposition to the U.S. embargo from praise for Castro.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The opinions expressed are those of the author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DSA\u2019s economic message was gaining support. 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