To clarify some thoughts I was posting about in the other thread -
Before the 20th century, most western nations had a political divide between conservatives and liberals. But from the 1920s onwards ,in Europe, Australia, New Zeraland and the UK, Labour-based, social democratic or socialist based parties became the dominant left party. They believed strongly in the expansion of state economic power to solve social problems.
While the democratic party today is a broad church, many American liberals in the centre are fundamentally capitalists in nature. Many support the protection of individual rights and freedoms (like anti-racism or women's rights), but in other areas do not support an expansion of the role of the state, especially not government takeovers of certain sectors of the economy (like health care). Someone like Cory Booker, for example, wouldn't fit neatly into either major party here in Australia. His views on social issues would put him on the centre-left, but his background as an investment banker would make him a better fit as a centrist member of our right wing party. We would call him a "small-l liberal".
Apart from a few decades, like the 1930s when capitalism was facing collapse, the democratic party has not supported the abolition or state takeover of large sections of the economy. This is because the American democratic party does not have its roots in socialism - but rather in liberalism. It isn't a reactionary conservative party, but nor is it a party that has its roots in seeking to expand the role of the state - it is a social liberal party that had its origins in trade, and the advancement of individual liberty (rather than collective uplift). Some social democrats like AOC have joined it because in a two party there is no other choice.
True believers in socialism are much more likely to want to expand the role of government. That's why, when push comes to shove, American liberals always shirk the task of delivering the expansion of government required - because many don't believe in it. Socialists like Bernie Sanders do.
AOC would be a fairly normal member of the Australian Labor party in Australia because she supports an expansion of the state in the economy. But in America her economic views about collectivism place her on the far-left.
