A U.S. military training document describes the political philosophy of socialism – a relatively mainstream term in politics around the world – as a “terrorist ideology” akin to neo-Nazism.
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The document, obtained by The Intercept news website, was used by the U.S. navy. It was entitled: Introduction to Terrorism/Terrorist Operations, and aimed at some members of the navy’s internal police, the outlet reported.
On one page of the document, in a section titled Study Questions, the question is asked: “Anarchists, socialists and neo-Nazis represent which terrorist ideological category?”
The news is likely to come as a surprise to some of the increasingly popular mainstream U.S. politicians who identify as democratic socialists, such as the former presidential candidate and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and the star of the Democratic party’s left, New York congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
Though socialism has long been demonized in the U.S., especially during the 1930s and the cold war, it has in recent years become more popular especially among young people.
One poll last year found that slightly more Democrats viewed socialism favorably than they did capitalism.