I’m talking about people like Vaush, Adam Something, even Elon Musk. Hell, even people like George Orwell claimed to be socialist so it’s not a new thing. They’re not “Marxist but not Leninist”, or anarcho socialists/communists or whatever, but people who don’t even come close to being any sort of leftist at all!
It’s not like socialism is a very glamorous thing to be in the West, or ever was. The average Westerner either thinks socialism is even worse than fascism, or thinks fascism is a type of socialism. Those two are generally for people like and don’t like fascism respectively. It’s definitely not like being an athlete or being in a band or something where you stand to actually impress the general populus if you lie about it.
So I genuinely don’t understand this: if you’re a Westerner, why would you pick socialism as part of an already fake character you’re casting yourself as? What favours is it doing for you?
Like, I’m a Westerner (at least, I live and grew up in the West, not born there and not white tho), and I’m genuinely a socialist (Marxist-Leninist). And I do the opposite to these fake socialists: I keep that identity on the down low in public places IRL, because I’m worried I might actually get persecuted for it (physically attacked, probably not unless I’m in a really far right crowd, I’m mainly worried about things like job prospects). I definitely don’t do things like broadcast that identity to people who know me IRL (most probably think I’m Sanders-esque socdem at best), and especially not to random people I come across on the street. I genuinely can’t imagine anyone in the West getting brownie points for being a socialist, so why wear that hat unless you actually believe in socialism?
I will say it really boils down IMO to instinctual fear which is exacerbated by capitalism.
The instinct is from caveman times: I admit I’m wrong, I’m seen as fallible, I lose my spot in the tribe, wander across ice an exile and get eaten by a saber tooth.
Even one removed in my defenses (to my id) can lead to my demise.
Of course, this is an animalistic way of thinking. We must rise above it. But in a capitalist society where one too many mistakes will land you unjustly imprisoned, homeless, or otherwise dead or impoverished, this instinct is still legitimized. We cannot grow past it until people feel comfortable failing and being fallible, which is nigh impossible for many in such a cold, uncaring, ruthless society.
And don’t worry, I might say I’m wrong often but as an ML I’m still more right than most people ;)