As democratic socialists secure primary victories across the country — from New York City to Colorado and beyond — many capitalists wonder why the electorate is shifting left. After decades of rising income inequality (the U.S. Gini coefficient has hovered around 0.41–0.49 in recent years, up significantly since the 1980s), limited expansion of social safety net programs, and Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund now projected to deplete by 2032 (with only about 78% of scheduled benefits payable thereafter without congressional action), the real surprise is that this leftward turn took so long.