Ben Shapiro Reacts To Woke TikToks: Dumb Socialists Edition | Volume 2 - The Ben Shapiro Show Recap

Podcast: The Ben Shapiro Show

Published: 2025-12-27

Duration: 14 minutes

Summary

Ben Shapiro critiques various TikTok videos promoting socialist ideologies and addresses misconceptions about capitalism and socialism.

What Happened

Ben Shapiro opens the episode by discussing the implications of Zarn Mamdani's election as the new mayor of New York City, expressing concern over the rise of what he describes as 'radical pro-jihadist socialism'. He critiques TikTok videos that argue for socialism as a means to curb capitalist greed, highlighting the irony in their arguments by pointing out that increased government welfare has historically led to more socialism rather than reducing anti-capitalism sentiments.

Shapiro refers to FDR's Keynesian theory, which suggests that social welfare systems can prevent class revolutions. He argues that these systems have instead contributed to the decline in strong capitalist advocacy. He invokes Margaret Thatcher's famous critique of socialism, stating that it eventually collapses when it exhausts other people's money.

Delving into the historical context, Shapiro discusses instances where the U.S. provided lists of communists to allied governments, leading to mass purges, particularly in countries like Guatemala, Iraq, and Indonesia. He contrasts these actions with the narrative that communism has achieved success in areas like industrialization and healthcare, arguing that these 'successes' are often overshadowed by the regime's oppressive measures.

The discussion shifts to the 2008 financial crisis, which Shapiro attributes to government interventions in the housing market, rather than a failure of capitalism. He critiques the response to the crisis as further interventionist policies that led to a prolonged economic recovery.

Shapiro challenges the notion that capitalism inherently leads to inequality and a 'new feudalism'. He argues that true oligarchies are more prevalent in heavily government-controlled economies, using Russia as an example where government corruption and oligarchic control are rampant.

The episode critiques the terminology used by socialist advocates, questioning why terms like 'democratic socialism' are preferred over 'mixed economies'. Shapiro suggests that the use of such terms is a tactic to subtly introduce socialism under a different guise.

Finally, Shapiro addresses the concept of democratic socialism, arguing that even if socialism is implemented democratically, it remains authoritarian if it violates individual rights. He invites listeners to share more socialist TikToks for future analysis.

Key Insights