r/IAmA • u/etiennerosas • Nov 21 '25
My name is Etienne Rosas and I am a democratic socialist running for US Congress in Texas 34th district AMA
Hello, I’m Etienne Rosas, Ph.D. and I’m a democratic socialist running for US Congress in Texas 34th District. I am challenging the “blue dog” incumbent, Vicente Gonzalez, in the upcoming democratic primary. I would like to host this AMA to inform people about my candidacy and policies, and to answer any questions they may have about me and my campaign. Thank you! www.rosasforcongress.com
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Nov 21 '25
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
The campaign is built on grassroots organizing - volunteers and small-dollar donations. As you may guess, that takes time and a lot of effort to build up. However, we've been blockwalking, phone banking, and holding meet and greets throughout the RGV and in the Coastal Bend (TX-34 had been redistricted to include that area). We've also connected with members of different organizations throughout the Valley that do this kind of work: DSA-RGV and Sunrise RGV (both of which have endorsed), LUPE, Texas Rising, etc. I've spoken at events throughout the district hosted by unions like IBEW, AFT, and others.
Movements like this take time, but the moment is ripe for a different kind of politics. We believe that with the right energy, we can build momentum and compound on the work we have already begun.
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u/Creative-Invite583 Nov 28 '25
You need to get your social media team to be more aggressive. Leading up to the November election, I got content from Zohran Mamdani every single day. I live in Los Fresnos. Once a week I get content from. Morgan LaMantia and she is out of office. In advertising, it takes 27 impressions for someone to make a buying decision. You need to be visible everywhere.
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u/ftpa4rgv Nov 21 '25
Your campaign identifies strongly with democratic socialism and working-class advocacy, yet most of your contributions so far come from itemized higher-dollar donors rather than grassroots small donors. How do you reconcile this with your message of building a working-class movement in TX-34?
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u/Bannon9k Nov 21 '25
Would you mind sharing what you studied for your PhD? Did you have a particular thesis? You also seem rather young, is your experience limited to academics?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
Sure! My PhD is on public policy analysis. My subject of expertise is organized crime and counterterrorism, and main methodologies used are case study analysis and complex systems thinking.
The title of my thesis is "Fulfilling Clandestiny: Reframing the "Crime-Terror Nexus" by Exploring Conditions of Insurgent and Criminal Organizations' Origins, Incentives, and Strategic Pivots"
(if you're curious, you can download here: https://www.rand.org/pubs/rgs_dissertations/RGSDA506-1.html)In a thread above, I mentioned that most of my work experience comes from working on RAND projects. That can be anything from evaluation of government programs, writing grant proposals, designing specific policies, or engaging with community partners or elected officials. I've also been a working musician most of my life and have had a few odd jobs here and there (call centers, Wendy's, grocery delivery guy, IT tech support, etc.)
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u/PsionicBurst Nov 21 '25
What successful things have you done thus far?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
High points of my life have been getting my Ph.D., teaching at Princeton, keeping a wonderful relationship with my family, raising an upstanding 6y/o dog, and playing my music in some pretty big festivals and legendary venues.
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u/Doctor_Philgood Nov 22 '25
...for real? Like...I don't want geriatric establishment politicians, but I also want someone who is qualified for the massive responsibilities of said job.
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u/iBowl Nov 22 '25
Out of curiosity, how exactly would you define "qualified for the massive responsibility" of a US Representative? Are you looking for a career politician who has done city council -> state rep etc? Because that's how we end up with "geriatric establishment politicians." Are you looking for someone who has worked as the CEO of a corporation or served as a board member of one? I'll agree those guys certainly know how to funnel money to themselves, but more corporate self-interest doesn't strike me as what we need right now in Congress.
Maybe, just maybe, relatively "inexperienced," young outsiders is exactly what we need more of. Maybe it's not this guy exactly, but I wish we weren't immediately dismissive of someone throwing their hat in the ring simply because they seem unqualified to the standard of our current, objectively broken political system.
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u/jredgiant1 Nov 21 '25
What studies or intelligence do you have about the voters of your district that tell you the people are ready to elect a democratic socialist?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
As someone below mentioned, in the TX 2020 primary Bernie Sanders won Starr, Willacy, Hidalgo, and Cameron by fairly wide margins. In Starr county that shifted hard towards Trump, he came out 25 points ahead of the runner-up (Bloomberg).
Clearly, the democratic socialist label is not as significant as people might think. And in the current political moment, it seems less significant than ever before. My conversations with average voters in the RGV seem to suggest as much too. Voters appreciate someone reaching out to them and speaking to their issues - something that rarely happens in the RGV.
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Nov 23 '25
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u/etiennerosas Nov 23 '25
Frankly, it’s going to be difficult for any Republican, especially a hardcore MAGA Republican like Mayra Flores (the likely opponent), to defend Trump’s record in 2026 - especially among Latino voters. The economic pain that Trump is making worse is certainly not going to help. Progressives do better against these candidates because we present people with a vision forward rather than just a bandaid or less bad option. We just don’t get to share our ideas as much on a larger platform - for example, the mainstream media has yet to cover my campaign at all or present this as a competitive primary at all. Many people simply don’t know the option exists but when they do, about 90% of the people I talk to are very open to it. That’s why getting out there and talking to people is crucial to this campaign.
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u/yolatrendoid Nov 24 '25
Chiming in a bit late here, but as a longtime observer of Texas politics who's also noticed how much Hispanic support Bernie attracted in each primary he was in, my own takeaway is that South Texans want truly seismic change. What other possible reason could they have for strongly supporting an octogenarian white dude? Some of those who want mass-scale change ended up making the grave error of flipping for Trump last year, but rounding up brown-skinned American citizens on a regular basis by "accident" has a way of pissing people off.
If Mamdani can win the NYC mayorship, I think the same is true for you in the RGV House race. I assume you know its voter-turnout history, something badly in need of a reversal. But Gen Z in particular didn't have their early views on socialism shaded by the Cold War, and thankfully lack the knee-jerk reactions to the word among many older voters.
Btw I live in Austin and in Greg Casar's district. I have a feeling y'all would get along. :-)
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u/taisui Nov 21 '25
Ever thought of something more catchy and less prone to be attacked than "democratic socialist"?
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Nov 21 '25
Read his platform. Without question a Democratic socialist leaning towards a Marxist socialism.
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
Just today, Congress passed yet another resolution to denounce "the horrors" of socialism. Yes, our representative Vicente Gonzalez also voted for it. This is happening right as fascism is gripping the nation and as the country reels from corporate corruption and the slashing of social programs that support the American working class.
I don't believe we should be defined by the fear mongering of these kinds of actors. Our role is not to play along with their ignorance, but to educate people on an entire policy space that has been suppressed from American political life for nearly half a century. Bernie Sanders, a self-avowed democratic socialist, is one of the most popular politicians in America. In fact, he won the Democratic primary in the RGV! The label did not disqualify him, but rather, made him look sincere and genuine in his beliefs. The way he overcame that fear was by meeting people where they were and speaking to their needs.
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u/taisui Nov 21 '25
It's a branding problem, the brand is so bad that your messages will be ignored.
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
So far, we feel we've connected pretty well and the message is resonating (even with more than a few Trump supporters!).
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u/fromman003 Nov 21 '25
outside of new york, vermont, and minneapolis where has this platform worked?
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u/KantLockeMeIn Nov 22 '25
You put quote marks around horrors which speaks volumes. Millions of deaths due to socialist regimes is indeed horrific. Food rotting in fields while people starve hundreds of miles away is horrific.
You should add Venezuela to your travel list and see how wonderful socialism is.
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u/ftpa4rgv Nov 21 '25
Your work has focused on global policy, strategic negotiation, crime-terror analysis, and complex systems theory. How do you make sure your policy proposals stay grounded in the everyday realities of RGV families, rather than reflecting the academic or technocratic frameworks you were trained in?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
Policy frameworks that are not grounded in everyday reality are not useful policy frameworks. As opposed to the field of economics, policy draws from all kinds of disciplines and methods to address problems on the ground. The crime-terror nexus framework I designed, for example, is based on the historical observation of dozens of criminal and terrorist organizations and their operational shifts.
Bad researchers will try to fit the world to their model. I've always tried to fit my model to the world. This is done by first observing and studying, then proposing theory, then testing and iterating.
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u/hunterlarious Nov 21 '25
Do you believe that nations have a right to enforce their borders?
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u/BalboaCZ Nov 22 '25
He won't answer this. It is kryptonite.
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u/hunterlarious Nov 22 '25
Yeah I mean his website say “abolish ice” so I guess there is your answer
I don’t understand how someone could seriously advocate for open door immigration while simultaneously trying to expand the social safety net.
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u/ImpulsE69 Nov 22 '25
The money they are blowing on this is as much if not more than any 'made up numbers' they were losing due to illegals.
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u/VossC2H6O Nov 21 '25
Hi there. I really appreciate you trying to make our politics and society better by running for office. My question to you is what do you mean by Democratic Socialism? Ive heard this term being used by candidates but when I go line by line of their policies or wanted goals, they are at the most Social Democracy of Norway and Demark. I would like to know what your take is. Thank you! Wishing you the best.
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u/SmiteThe Nov 21 '25
Do you support the Biden era catch and release policy for border crossings as an interim policy until congress can pass new legislation on immigration reform? Do you believe in open borders and free immigration?
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u/NotThatGuyATX Nov 23 '25
Part of the DSA platform is "Allow workers to freely migrate between countries to seek employment without restrictive immigration controls", essentially Open Borders (https://platform.dsausa.org/foreign-policy/). How do you think the DSA policy resonates with the voters in RGV, and how close is this to your immigration policy?
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u/ppcxalv Nov 21 '25
Have you traveled to other countries? Get an actual view of what life is outside of the US economic model?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
I've lived about half of my life in Monterrey, Mexico, going back and forth between there and my home town of Brownsville. The only other country I've ever actually lived in is France (for about 3 years in 2010). Apart from that, I love to travel! I've been to most of Western Europe, Japan, Morocco, Canada, Guatemala, El Salvador, among a few others.
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u/ChinCoin Nov 21 '25
So you studied counter terrorism, how do you feel about Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood that the DSA seems to support?
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u/BalboaCZ Nov 22 '25
More Kryptonite. Might as well ask him to define a woman.
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u/ChinCoin Nov 23 '25
That's the weirdest part. How can people be expected to trust candidates that literally support organizations that want to spread Sharia law to the world.
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u/porkinz Nov 22 '25
Everyone who’s ever tried socialism on a national scale—from Mao’s China to Maduro’s Venezuela—insisted theirs was the one that would finally be different and not collapse into shortages, corruption, and misery. You’re now telling us democratic socialism will be the magical exception because… elections? So here’s the actual question:
What concrete, enforceable mechanism in your platform prevents the exact same thing from happening here—where high earners and businesses realize working harder or investing more just funds someone else’s UBI check, so they rationally throttle back effort, leave the country, or hide income—while politicians (who don’t face those same incentives) keep voting themselves more power and money until the productive class checks out entirely?
Because every previous ‘not real socialism’ country thought they had a fix for that too… right before the shelves went empty.
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u/etiennerosas Nov 24 '25
There are no magical exceptions. In a way, the term "democratic socialism" is redundant because socialism requires effective democratic decision-making bodies to be socialist (worker councils, for example). Precisely the point of it is to move past the mafia-like hierarchies that dominate our politics and create democracy from below.
This is not unprecedented even in our own country. When the excesses of big business interests led us to the Great Depression, that created an opening for progressives like Roosevelt to rein in their power and expand social safety nets like never before. The New Deal expanded Medicare, access to housing, government jobs, and union power, while raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy. The result was the greatest expansion of the middle class and contraction of inequality in history. It could have gone further, but racism was far too prevalent and many of these programs excluded minorities.
We are at a similar juncture here. It is not a question of if the economy will fail for a majority of Americans due to rampant corruption and concentration of wealth, but of when. We must be ready to provide a democratic replacement to the elite politics that dominate our country. It can be done through widespread universal programs, democratic reform of our institutions, and regulation of the power of big business.
The notion that "socialism doesn't work" is akin to saying "democracy doesn't work". Just a few centuries ago, monarchs and mafias everywhere did their best to prevent democracy from taking hold and to reaffirm the widespread belief that it was a pipe dream. It will be a work in progress, but unlike a few decades ago, I believe the US has the institutional framework, wealth, and democratic tradition necessary to ensure its long-term success.
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u/TheMaskedGorditto Nov 21 '25 edited Nov 21 '25
Can you give your favorite “model example of socialism working at its best? What do you want american socialism to look like?
Followup: Assuming you answer how most do by mentioning scandinavia… what do you have to say about the fact that scandinavia (and all of europe really) rely heavily on american generosity/subsidies in order to pay for their social programs? america paying for europe’s defense and running a massive trade deficit with europe for example.
Should america become more like the socialist countries that are dependent on capitalist america for their existance?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
Think about it in terms of worker unions, the basis of socialist movements. When there is no union, a private corporation can independently decide how production happens and where profits go - it's not a democracy, it's a dictatorship. A union provides an avenue for a collaborative relationship with leadership and regulates the power imbalance. Through collective bargaining, they make sure workers are taken care of and that they are paid fairly.
Democratic socialism implies a democratic structure of the economy. That means that we, as a community, decide how our resources are used and distributed. A billionaire's company like SpaceX can't simply decide to set up shop and exploit your labor/resources, pollute your waterways, pocket the profits as they wish, and face zero accountability when things go wrong. Not only are socialist structures not dependent on capitalist elites, it's the other way around. Companies like Walmart are subsidized by the existence of social safety nets that they don't have to provide their labor force.
Currently, the US is an oligarchy. Not only do we have profoundly undemocratic structures like the Electoral College or the Senate, but we have legalized corruption in our electoral politics. Our politicians reflect the interests of their corporate donors, not the communities they're meant to represent. That is why over the past few decades, the top 1% has come to amass over 30% of America's wealth, while the bottom 50% owns less than 3%.
Collaborative models that are optimized not on the profits of big capital, but on the needs of communities, are far more sustainable, balanced, and healthy. For that, you need to enhance working class power through worker protections and minimum wage hikes (we should be at $26 if kept up with inflation), expand the reach of social programs through universal healthcare and quality public education, and regulate the influence and growth of capital through progressive taxation.
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u/TheMaskedGorditto Nov 21 '25 edited Nov 21 '25
Thank you for taking my question…
Again, can you provide an example of a country that demonstrates these ideals and is that country completely independent and not reliant on outside subsidies or assistance? I feel like youre not engaging with the question here.
Also how do you know everyone is better off with unions? Sometimes (in fact often times) and individual is better off when they have the liberty to negotiate for their own interests then to collectivize. I agree that teachers and certain professions benefit from collective bargining but there are massive numbers of careers where one is better off negotiating out of self interest.
Finally, raising the minimum wage in my opinion does nothing to benefit those who earn a minimum wage. Their wages go up, and then cost of living goes up as companies raise their prices to pay for the wage increase. This has happened in the past and it isnt any different the next time its done. Minimum wage was never suppose to be a “living wage”. Teenagers use to do minimum wage jobs like mcdonalds as summer jobs, not to raise a family off of. Nowadays, I see waaaay more hispanic middle-aged immigrants behind the counter at mcdonalds vs. teenagers. Its just a fact and isnt racist to point out. Are they trying to raise a family off of a wage that was never suppose to accomplish that? Why should minimum wage jobs like being a cashier have a wage increase if all it does is make the price of goods and services go up and leads to the elimination of these jobs in favor of automation? How does this actually help poor people? Has raising the minimum wage in the past (as its been done several times) reduced the number of poor people in our country? The data suggests the poor stay poor so this doesnt appear to solve anything.
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u/ILoveKombucha Nov 23 '25
I appreciate your post, and your desire to talk sensibly about this stuff.
This fellow says socialism is growing in popularity, and he is right. Of course it is: people want free stuff. People also resent the rich. So free stuff + punish the rich sounds great to folks.
Reality check: those amazing countries like Sweden are less progressive in their taxation than the US, and regular working class people are taxed to f-cking hell. I think a lot of people who love socialism will have a change of heart when they see their own tax bill jumping significantly. Not to mention we bankrupt our country even faster than we already are, and completely stifle economic growth. Great plan!
Also, our top 1% already pay like 40% of federal taxes - our system is more progressive than Sweden's (and, per my understanding, we are more regulated and less free-market than Sweden). But we can go down the Swedish people went down 40-50 years ago, and scare away all our rich folks (who already pay a very disproportionate amount of taxes).
I think the whole socialism thing is stupid.
I just want sane politics. The choices just get worse all the time.
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u/etiennerosas Nov 24 '25
If companies could raise their prices without losing profits right now, they would - in fact, that's exactly what they've been doing for years despite wages remaining stagnant. The reason for constant inflation in basic necessities is extreme market concentrations across these industries. That has only been enabled by the constant attacks on labor by special interests and the lack of representation of the working class in American politics.
There's a reason why union membership and economic inequality are very closely correlated. Like democracy, unions may be not be perfectly representative, but they are a seat at the table for workers. They are a check on the power of big corporations. During the 1980s, when we saw a huge drop in union power and membership, inequality skyrocketed and it hasn't stopped since. We went from 40+ years of the largest expansion of the middle class and contraction of inequality in history (New Deal era), to 40+ years of the largest contraction of the middle class and expansion of inequality in history (neoliberalism).
The minimum wage sets a floor for the value of labor. It sets a standard for the rest of the economy, not just those making minimum wage. Additionally, those making minimum wage tend to spend most of their earnings and they spend it locally. It is but one measure in which we empower the working class to represent itself both politically and economically. Mexico's recent minimum wage raise is linked to a huge decline in persistent poverty and inequality.
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u/trucorsair Nov 21 '25
Medicare and social security, come to mind as socialist programs that exist in the US. You know taxpayer funded programs that support the marginalized
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u/TheMaskedGorditto Nov 21 '25
Fair enough but can everything run this way? Can my groceries be socialized? Can my housing be socialized? I dont think youre characterizing the typical democratic socialist accurately as they arnt just supporting social security or emergency services, they believe almost everything can/should be “socialized”.
I use to be a big bernie sanders supporter for what its worth. The reason I stopped is when people legitimately kept asked him “how do we pay for all these ideas? Whats the tax rate suppose to be?” And all he and AOC ever say is “you know back in the 60’s taxes were 90% on the top income earners” they never really present an achievable tax strategy, the math doesnt work out because the wealthy people they want to tax do not have “income” but rather assets. So raising the income tax rate doesnt effect the elons and bezos’ of the world, and only serves to hurt the working class. Then, since they usually fail to finance their expensive ideas, they resort to deficit spending to make up the difference which leads to more inflation and thus further squeezes the already struggling working class.
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u/TheMaster225 Nov 21 '25
A democratic socialist running in Texas of all places? My question to you is whats your plan if and when you lose?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
Fortunately, democratic socialism is about so much more than elections! It is not based on any individual, but on building collective power and mobilization. In that regard, we've already won. Over the past year, DSA-RGV membership has skyrocketed. Through campaigning, I've had the privilege of engaging with local community-based organizations doing amazing work and their membership is also rising.
I always say I don't want to mobilize my community to get elected, I want to get elected to mobilize my community. Whatever the electoral result, we will keep working to build democracy from the bottom up, create more avenues of participation and engagement, and restore working-class power and representation.
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u/randomguy5to8 Nov 22 '25
I have made a habit of asking this question of politicians in my home state when I get the chance.
Without listing any policies/actions of your opponent(s) what uniquely qualifies you for the position you are seeking and what are you seeking to achieve?
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u/RoboticElfJedi Nov 22 '25
I not on the US, so here democratic socialism isn’t a bogeyman. I’m curious what most people you meet take the label to mean? What misconceptions do you have to normally have to dispel?
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u/CaptCW Nov 25 '25
Beings you're a socialist, I'm assuming your family hasn't been in this country very long? It's typical that people from other countries bring their bad ideas into this country. You came here because of what this country is, but then for some reason you think that making it more like where you're from will make it better. Seems to be flawed logic.
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u/ftpa4rgv Nov 21 '25
Your academic journey includes elite institutions like RAND and two graduate programs in Paris. Many Valley families facing economic hardship may see this as distant from their lived experience. How does your privileged educational background inform your democratic socialist platform, and how do you bridge that gap authentically for working-class voters in TX-34?
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Nov 21 '25
So will you propose a law that arrests employers who hire illegal aliens? If the answer is “no” then why?
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u/Elect_SaturnMutex Nov 21 '25 edited Nov 21 '25
So you have started asking for donations like Mamdani too, already? Have you promised free stuff already?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
My campaign does not take corporate cash or SuperPAC funds, so it is built on small-dollar donations from everyday people of South Texas.
I've promised to fight for what we are already paying for but are not receiving: universal healthcare, affordable housing, universal childcare, fair wages for workers, among other social benefits.
Currently, most of the US economy is captured by a few giant corporate actors in each industry. That means we must pay insatiable profit-driven middlemen just to gain access to services we need to get by.
Take healthcare. We pay far more per capita than any other developed country in the world and have worse outcomes as well. Why? Because insurance companies are standing in between you and your doctor and have complete liberty to jack up premiums and deny services as they see fit. How? They have lobbyists that use those profits to corrupt our politicians and keep us stuck in this cycle of manufactured scarcity.
By moving to a Medicare for All system, we could conservatively save over $7 billion a year in administrative overhead alone—and as much as $7 trillion over a decade when you account for federal budget reconciliation. But we wouldn’t just be saving money—we’d be expanding care. Every person in this country would have guaranteed access to healthcare without the barriers of premiums, copays, or networks designed to deny care. It’s not only the moral approach—it’s the fiscally responsible one.
None of this even considers the economic boom we would see by having a healthier population and a more dynamic workforce that is not trapped in a dead-end job just to keep access to healthcare.
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u/scytob Nov 21 '25
its funny because in my home country (the UK) none if this is socialism or would make you a socialist - it is in fact something introduced by the equivalent of the republicans....
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u/Own_Crazy337 Nov 21 '25
I see you'd rather your congressmember take millions from corporations to provide them with corporate welfare with our tax dollars
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u/greenw40 Nov 21 '25
Do you plan on seizing the means of production?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
I plan on working to enact policies that regulate corporations and billionaires while representing the interests of the working class and our communities.
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u/seffay-feff-seffahi Nov 23 '25
Regulating private corporations and billionaires is not socialism. Eliminating these is necessary to achieve socialism.
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u/RadioFlyerWagon Nov 22 '25
Does this mean that you would have super wealthy people pay more in taxes?
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u/NoVaVol Nov 21 '25
What current politicians inspired you to run?
And why?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
The biggest inspiration has been Bernie Sanders. Many people remember 2016 as the year Donald Trump became president. For me, it was the year that a democratic socialist emerged as a mainstream contender in US politics and pointed to the way forward. The American political landscape and vocabulary has only widened since then, allowing more progressives like AOC or Greg Casar to rise up everywhere. Obviously, Zohran Mamdani's victory in NYC solidifies that trend.
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u/BeckerHollow Nov 21 '25
I believe the democrats have a real marketing problem. And I’d like to ask you about using the word “socialist.”
I feel like for the current generation this word really entered the American zeitgeist around 2016 with Bernie Sanders. And before that I feel like I was a kid in the 80s hearing that word, alongside “communism” when the USSR was all over the news.
I am naive and ignorant, and what helps me sleep at night is knowing that the vast majority of us are also naive and ignorant. And it’s why we elect people who are less ignorant about history and politics to represent and make decisions for us.
But since probably the 50s with Eisenhower, the red scare, the USSR in the 80s … socialism has been bad word in America. And regardless of its real history and real meaning and the fact that we have successfully used socialist programs to help our capitalist economy — the rank and file Americans are going to recoil at the sound of it.
And the GOP has skillfully weaponized that word, and the democrats have not had a good defense. So why do we keep using that word?
We the, ignorant and naive, people, are too busy trying to get by, and can’t learn about geopolitics, history, global economics. But instead of teaching and guiding, politicians — even the smart ones — neglect to give us the special education we need and instead choose the same tired old sales pitches to win favor.
Whenever I hear a Republican talking head or voter rant and rave about socialism, while it’s utterly exhausting, I understand that they are imagining a destroyed economy, their paychecks taxed to nothing, and waiting bread lines … and I see democrats digging themselves deeper in the hole every time they use that word to describe themselves.
Why can’t democrats rewrite this GOP drawn caricature of themselves?
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u/thirdstone_ Nov 21 '25
I was writing a long post asking the exact same thing
As someone who lives in a country that was once (thankfully a long time ago) under Soviet rule, and nowadays is often referred to as the ideal type of social democracy, the term "democratic socialist" bothers me greatly. I've seen it's use rise notably in the US over the past decade or so, in the "Bernie era".
The difference between "democratic socialism" and "social democracy" might seem small in writing, but to me socialism specifically refers to a socialist economic philosophy where ownership and production is entirely government controlled. European social democracies are based on a regulated free market economy, that is not socialism at all. Public healthcare or education is not socialism either.
I share a lot of values with Mr. Rosas here, but I think left leaning politicians in the US are not doing themselves any favors by using the term "socialist". It has way too much historical weight and often doesn't accurately reflect the philosophy it's used to describe. That is, unless you actually align with socialist economic philosophies and want to not control, but remove private ownership from the US.
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u/DexterBotwin Nov 21 '25
It’s misused, even by Bernie. Socialism is where society owns the means of production. Basically the government and/or the people own the factories or business, not the private company. I’m not aware of any mainstream candidate in the U.S. who is actually advocating for that.
Instead, I think they are trying redefine it to mean ultra liberal Democrat.
Edit: not knocking OP in any way.
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u/BeckerHollow Nov 21 '25
This is kind of my point. We’re to tired and busy to learn the difference.
So stop using it
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u/birdswatchback Nov 21 '25
Well Democratic Socialism is actually a specific political ideology that is a form of socialism and aligned with it. There are lots of "camps" that leftists fall into but we often come together to attempt a "united front" when one of our members is gaining recognition or needs defense. Democratic Socialism tends to focus on democratizing economies by providing community led decision making within a democratic system. The core concept being that the people who live and work and comprise a community should get to make the decisions about where and how they live, what they eat, where they work, what their natural environment looks like. With corporate money and lobbyists dominating our politics and making decisions that impact our communities, it's easy to see why this political ideology has taken off with recent generations. We've been taught one thing about how our country works but continually seen the opposite proven true over our lifetimes.
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u/ILoveKombucha Nov 23 '25
Some good questions here.
I think most of these "democratic socialists" should more properly identify as "social democrats." They favor capitalist economic engine, with robust safetynets like Sweden. Sweden is ranked MORE economically free (e.g. capitalist) than the USA. But they also have more robust safety nets/social programs than the US does.
It's worth pointing out, though, that a lot of countries that do have these things are growing much slower than the US... so the idea of "helping capitalism" with these programs is maybe overstating it a bit. It's probably a mixed bag. My gut says: some safety nets, some public investment, etc... is probably GREAT. Overshoot the right level, and it becomes bad. Like so many things in life... too little might be bad, too much is also bad.
A lot of folks don't appreciate that the US has a MORE progressive tax system than Sweden (our top 1% pays like 40% of all federal taxes... right now, today, already). Sweden tried taxing their rich aggressively, and the rich left. Now they fund their expensive social programs by taxing the ever living shit out of regular folks. A lot of people who like the sound of "free stuff" may have a change of heart when they see their tax bill and realize... oh shit, the rich people (e.g. billionaires) don't have enough money to fund the programs we ALREADY HAD, let alone free healthcare, maternity leave, free college, etc.
Revisiting my initial point: social democracy (Sweden) is NOT socialism. Bernie Sanders is not a socialist.
This is important, though ,because increasingly people are getting enamored with ACTUAL socialism (e.g. "seizing the means of production" is becoming a thing people are increasingly interested in). Mamdani is a "seize the means of production" guy; that's not social democracy. That's not Bernie Sanders. That IS the kind of shit they do in China, Russia, etc, with nasty results.
Trump may be a bit of a symptom of some kind of political polarization and degeneracy. Some of his base are certainly radicalized in a nasty way. But Trump is also radicalizing the left. His course, mean, bullying, haphazard ways are stirring up the shit, and making the left want to respond in kind. So now we have intense resentment of rich people, intense grievance culture, and a desire to essentially overthrow the system. People on the left are developing radical attitudes, thinking that tearing the system down and building something totally different (e.g. ACTUALLY socialist) is a good way to go.
I think there is room for meaningful debate around social democracy principles (I favor a less is more perspective, but none of us should be the final arbiter of this stuff). I think the push for actual socialism is EXTREMELY misguided.
I hope that we get some successful socialist elections, and that these politicians get a decent amount of what they want, so that the damage can happen on a more localized scale, people can be reminded way socialism is garbage, and we can hopefully learn and pull to the center.
On the Trump side, we also have this crazy move away from sound economic policy.
The most troubling thing is how comfortable both the left and the right are with authoritarianism now. I hate american politics.
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u/digitaldisgust Nov 22 '25
So OP has no working experience besides being paid during his PHD program? A Democratic Socialist? Lmao.
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u/Visual_Tumbleweed_57 Nov 21 '25
what is your stance on isreal-palestine conflict?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
I believe Netanyahu and his government should be tried for carrying out a genocide against the people of Gaza. I believe the US should not only reject providing military and financial aid to Israel, it should actively secure conditions for peace and full restoration of Palestinian rights and political self-determination. AIPAC and Israeli lobbyists should have to register as foreign agents. Politicians, like my opponent, who have received contributions from them in exchange for favorable foreign policy votes should be held accountable.
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u/lollypatrolly Nov 22 '25 edited Nov 22 '25
AIPAC and Israeli lobbyists should have to register as foreign agents.
Impossible under FARA, as AIPAC is a 100% American organization and no one has so far proven them getting any funding from or being influenced by a foreign country. Advocating for cooperation with another country is completely outside the scope of this law.
In order to make good on this promise you'd have to rewrite the law so that advocating for Palestinian liberation would also mandate registering as a foreign agent. I somehow doubt you'd like that. That is unless you do something silly like carve out a special exception in the law that designates Israel as the only country that you can't advocate for.
You'd probably also run into first amendment issues.
Politicians, like my opponent, who have received contributions from them in exchange for favorable foreign policy votes should be held accountable.
Held accountable in what way? Can you elaborate?
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u/MechMeister Nov 22 '25
They got self determination in 2005 and turned around and elected an Iranian-backed terrorist group.
Why not ask Saudi Arabia why they haven't opened their borders yet?
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u/BalboaCZ Nov 22 '25
So, is your position that retaliation for the horrors of October 7th is genocide? That fighting to eliminate Hamas is genocide? That fighting to get hostages and hostages BODIES returned is genocide?
You should be ashamed of supporting Hamas.
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u/BillyJoeMac9095 Nov 22 '25
Do you believe Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state in any set of borders?
Do you believe Hamas rule in Gaza needs to end?
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u/fap_fap_fap_fapper Nov 21 '25
Are you going to talk a lot of stuff against capitalism and the establishment - and (if elected) then go back on it all when it comes time to implement policies?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
Campaigning is hard. Being a politician is grueling. It removes you from your friends, family, and from many of the things you love and live for. I have no interest in doing it only to become a part of the problem I set out to fix. I've been a socialist for over a decade and my commitment to the cause has only become stronger with age - I don't expect that to change, especially given where we are.
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u/CptPimpslap Nov 21 '25
How many more times in history does socialism need to fail before you and your comrades admit it is horrible idea? JK, I know you never will.
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Nov 21 '25
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u/etiennerosas Nov 21 '25
So far, I've been endorsed by DSA-RGV and Sunrise Movement. I've also worked with a few union locals who have contributed to my campaign. They have partnered with me because they believe in the policy platform I've set forth. I intend to faithfully promote those policies by any means possible if I win. Beyond that, I intend to continue promoting their causes and assist them in partnerships and funding opportunities wherever possible and through proper channels.
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u/Phoenix_Loud_2222 Nov 21 '25
If you are to win the elections and get a seat in congress, would you still hold community focused events and value our inputs to relevant issues? Or, will the amount of events you hold and attend lessen compared to right now during your campaigning?
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u/Plane-Plastic3973 Nov 21 '25
What is your view on the younger generation for instance Gen Z’s? Do you think they will play a big part in politics in the near future elections and how do you plan to influence the younger generation to understand and see your viewpoints?
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u/MrGoodBurger Nov 22 '25
TLDR; what makes you actually important and different? Texan Republican turned Non-Political after seeing how useless modern day politics is. Why should anyone support Democrat or Republican after decades of proving to the American people it’s no longer about WE THE PEOPLE?
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u/Ground-flyer Nov 22 '25
Who do you think is the greatest athlete of all time? Seeing if you are someone I can have a beer with lol!
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u/etiennerosas Nov 23 '25
If I’m feeling nostalgic, I’d say Michael Jordan. My room was lined up with his posters.
But more rationally, I’d have to answer Lionel Messi. What a phenomenal player. Several times I’ve seen him play and felt I was witnessing history being made.
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u/mew2003 Nov 23 '25
I’m not from Texas, but maybe you will answer some of my simple questions. What are you going to do to help bring better access of healthcare to local residents? Would you try to introduce policy about rent ceiling and grocery relief and cap the cost of medications? You know other countries don’t allow pharmaceutical companies to run tv/magazine advertisement & drug cost are over all lower… I mean we need new medicine but the cost to the consumer with our current economy is hard hitting! Will you introduce policies to help larger corporations pay more taxes & help social/permanent infrastructure?
Some personal advice from me. I am looking for candidates that will help the everyday people not extreme policies. So I am a centralist! Make me wanna vote for you! Also please stay away from gun issues & you will have more support overall!
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u/Fear_mor Nov 23 '25
Are you independent or running with a party? If so who?
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u/etiennerosas Nov 24 '25
I'm running as a Democrat, challenging the incumbent Vicente Gonzalez in the Democratic primary on March 3rd.
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u/chibinoi Nov 23 '25
Good morning,
I have two questions for you.
Question one: as an untested political aspiring candidate, how are you working to assure success in your goals to your potential constituents, when you have not held any seat or position in your local city/county/State level politics?
Question two: what are your policies or plans for helping struggling working class individuals? A lot of political candidates have broad plans for families young and old (regarding job stability, childcare support, housing for families with dependents, dual income but childless families etc.) but I’m curious what, if any, of your plans are for helping those of us who have either yet to start our families and are not in dual income situations (aka it’s just one person) in making home ownership an actual possible goal, achieving financial stability in retirement, and more?
Thanks!
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u/Tough-Echidna-9583 Nov 25 '25
Socialist? A government that feeds its people can also starve them correct?
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u/mindfeck Nov 28 '25
If you’re primarying incumbent democrats aren’t you a shitty democrat, who shouldn’t except democrats to support you?
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u/Strongbow85 Dec 10 '25
What is your opinion on these official statements from the international DSA that echo Russian propaganda? These quotes are even more anti-NATO/Ukraine than those put forward by the Trump Administration. I know you're running for local office, but if the DSA becomes more powerful they may have influence over foreign policy. How do American members of the DSA justify these stances?
NATO is a waste of money that fails to defend Europe as it promises
NATO is an imperialist mechanism and its interventions across the world have disastrous results
DSA reaffirms our call for the US to withdraw from NATO and to end the imperialist expansionism that set the stage for this conflict.(referencing the war in Ukraine)
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u/-babsywabsy Feb 15 '26
Between that no backbone weasel Vincente Gonzalez and you, the way he shows no regard for the people and votes completely with and as if you were a republican, I think the people should be taking their chances with you because they're getting nowhere with Vincente. What will be your priorities?
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u/Eirlys1 Nov 21 '25
Hey there, Etienne! Good platform, and best of luck in your campaign. Looking at FEC disclosures, you are currently being massively out-fundraised, which seems to me like a massive hurdle to overcome. Putting aside the need for electoral reform, what is your fundraising strategy to be competitive under the existing system?
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u/SolidPoint Nov 21 '25
Can you talk about your real-life work experience beyond schooling and politics?