Americans are being told that so-called “democratic socialism” is simply the humane politics of Scandinavia brought home: generous healthcare, affordable education, strong worker protections, and a society that leaves no one behind. But that slogan obscures a crucial distinction.

There is a world of difference between the social democracies of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Canada, and the socialist or communist regimes that have crushed freedom in Cuba, Venezuela, Laos, Eritrea, Ethiopia, North Korea, Nicaragua, China, and elsewhere. Confusing the two is not just sloppy language. It is dangerous politics.