On the eve of America’s 250th, this piece argues that contemporary left-wing movements mistake the country for an irredeemable autocracy and that some socialist leaders openly call our institutions corrupt and in need of replacement.

As Americans get ready to mark the 250th anniversary of the Republic, there’s a sharp contrast in how political factions talk about this country. Some on the Left frame our history as rotten at the core, treating the nation itself as a problem to be dismantled rather than a project worth preserving. That tone matters because rhetoric shapes policy, and radical language from elected figures signals what they value.

One clear example comes from Chris Rabb, a self-described socialist who is running unopposed in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional district and who supplied a vivid illustration of this outlook. His remarks call for a complete reimagining of the nation and dismiss deep, foundational aspects of American life.

Rabb said, “I’m here because I believe in collective liberation and we cannot … we cannot embrace liberation until we embrace the truth, no matter how ugly and complex it is. And fascism is not new. These systems of autocracy, systems of harm are baked into the very fabric of this nation,” he said.

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Hearing a member of Congress describe American institutions as intrinsically autocratic is jarring to many voters, especially those who see the country as built on liberty and self-government. Republicans should and do argue that contests matter; the fact Rabb faces no general-election opponent in a major urban district is, to conservatives, an avoidable failure. Having no alternative candidate leaves millions of voters with no voice against that kind of rhetoric at the ballot box.

Critics on the Left often accuse conservatives of living in closed-off, provincial bubbles, and that charge gets thrown around a lot. I travel—most recently to Egypt, and the summer before that to Greece—and those trips only reinforced a simple point: seeing other systems gives you clarity about what works and what doesn’t. Exposure to how nations function abroad tends to deepen appreciation for American institutions rather than erode it.

Call it American exceptionalism or plain common sense, but the judgment many travelers reach is that the United States offers a level of opportunity and freedom unmatched by most places. That reality is at odds with an ideology that emphasizes systemic rot and collective guilt over individual achievement and institutional success. When leaders spotlight grievance above gratitude, it reshapes public conversation in a harmful way.

The leftward narrative often reduces complex social and economic questions to envy and reinterpretation, treating personal responsibility as an outdated relic. The Protestant work ethic that helped build the country demanded discipline and delayed gratification, virtues unfamiliar or unwelcome to some modern progressive movements. When effort and thrift are dismissed, the social contract that rewards contribution starts to fray.

There’s a bluntness to the socialist claim that they want to replace rather than reform, and that shows up in policy prescriptions as well as slogans. Socialists who cannot create structures that generate prosperity instead seek to redistribute what others produce, often labeling it “equity” or “collective liberation.” That rhetoric reframes liberty as an obstacle to be removed rather than a foundation to protect.

America is not a fascist nation, yet the vocabulary some activists and officials use suggests they view our founding and institutions as obstacles to be torn down. If policy debates become driven by the assumption that America is irreparably autocratic, the result will be a push toward centralization and coercion rather than the pluralism that has defined the Republic. For conservatives, the urgent task is to defend the principles that made this country prosperous and free, keeping radical solutions on the margins and preserving the civic order that allows liberty to flourish.