Clinton and Blair Thought They Killed Socialism
Instead they laid the groundwork for a supercharged version of socialism
I've often spoken about this because it was accepted as a fact - nevermind Obama and then the Occupy Wall Street movement, and then Biden - that Tony Blair and Bill Clinton squashed the radical left. It was believed they had completely buried socialism. Their Third Way approach—mixing free markets with progressive social policies—was supposed to be the final nail in the coffin of old-school leftist economics. But instead of stamping it out, it seems they gave socialism a facelift and handed it the tools to thrive in a new, more insidious form.
Rather than dying, leftist ideology mutated. This is what we're dealing with today. Instead of government-controlled industries, today’s left pushes institutional capture—using bureaucracy, global governance, and corporate activism to advance socialist goals without needing an explicitly socialist government. It's the epitome of anti-democratic behavior.
How the Left Survived Clinton and Blair’s Reforms (Minus Discussions about Obama)
1. The Bureaucratic State Was Never Dismantled
Clinton and Blair may have embraced free markets, but they left the vast bureaucratic machine of government untouched. The civil service, regulatory agencies, and left leaning NGOs kept expanding, quietly entrenching leftist ideology in law, education, and policy. Even as the economy liberalized, the administrative state continued enforcing soft socialism through regulations, mandates, and “equity” policies.
2. Identity Politics Replaced Class Warfare
The old left was about class struggle. That failed. So, the left rebranded their movement around identity politics—gender, race, immigration—replacing economic redistribution with power redistribution. Instead of workers vs. capitalists, it became “oppressors” vs. “oppressed.” The modern left no longer needs to take over industries; they take over HR departments, universities, and media institutions to achieve the same control.
3. How Globalization Became the Left’s New Weapon
Blair and Clinton promoted globalization under the banner of free trade and economic growth. But in doing so, they handed power to unelected institutions—the UN, EU, IMF, World Bank—all of which became leftist strongholds. I'm not stating that these institutions are completely worthless, I'm merely stating that they have been captured over the years. These groups pushed socialist policies through regulations, migration compacts, and global tax schemes, making it nearly impossible for national governments to resist.
4. The Rise of the Post-National Left
The old left was obsessed with the working class. Today’s left is obsessed with erasing national identity altogether. Clinton and Blair’s open-border policies accelerated mass migration, which leftist activists then used to demand new redistribution policies—free healthcare, universal welfare, housing mandates. This shift from class politics to demographic politics allowed them to push socialism under the guise of diversity and inclusion.
5. Woke Capitalism Became the New Socialist Model
Yes, wokery is in retreat, but let's not overlook the damage done. Instead of fighting corporations, the left infiltrated them. Woke capitalism, ESG mandates (which completely imploded in America even though such mandates in Europe have been successfully instituted without becoming worthless leftist fodder), and DEI bureaucracy socialized political ideology while keeping profits private. Corporations push climate policies, speech codes, and left-wing activism not because they believe in it, but because it shields them from government scrutiny and lawsuits. Blair and Clinton’s free-market policies unintentionally created a system where corporations now enforce leftist ideology in ways the state never could.
Turns Out Clinton and Blair Didn’t Kill Socialism—They Supercharged It
The biggest mistake Clinton and Blair made was thinking leftist ideology needed a socialist government to function. It doesn’t. The modern left operates through cultural hegemony, institutional capture, and transnational bureaucracies that bypass democratic accountability entirely.
They thought they won. Instead, they handed the left the perfect conditions to dominate politics, culture, and business without ever needing to win elections outright.