There Is Nothing Free About Socialism
As the lure of socialism grows across America, “free” grocery stores, transportation, housing, and even diapers sound enticing. Politicians have been promising these and other giveaways to garner support for their elections. It all sounds good on the surface, but they come with a cost that is not always disclosed to the public until it is too late.
An August 31, 2026, Cato Institute analysis revealed that the cost of the Democratic Socialists of America’s agenda for a “federal spending spree on everything from reparations to the Green New Deal could top $200 trillion over the next decade.” The Congressional Budget Office estimates total spending from fiscal year (FY) 2026-2035 will be $89.8 trillion. The socialist agenda would cost $111 trillion, or 120 percent greater that CBO’s estimate and equal $730,000 per taxpayer. Government spending would rise from 35 percent to 57 percent of GDP. At the opposite end of the political spectrum and agenda, Vice President JD Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud has uncovered $274.7 billion since January 2025, which if eliminated would be equal to $8,900 in savings per taxpayer over the next 10 years.
The only way to fund the socialist agenda is to impose steep taxes on every single American family regardless of income, take over businesses large and small, and dictate to the American people how they will live their lives, including the food they eat, the cars they drive, the homes where they live, and the healthcare they receive.
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has been calling out these “free” proposals through its Porker of the Month video series, like August 2026 Porker of the Month Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s (D) free bus program and July 2026 Porker of the Month California Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D) diaper program. CAGW March 2026 Porker of the Month New York City Mayor Zohran Mandami (D) produced the largest city budget in history and raised taxes without cutting a single penny of spending, while promoting city-subsidized grocery stores and other giveaways.
The socialist agenda was embedded in the former Soviet Union and exists in communist China. Socialism is always excessively costly and inevitably causes misery, poverty, hyperinflation, and economic disaster. Americans should despise, not embrace, socialism.
