Vincent Sanzotti’s defense of “democratic socialism” (Dec. 7, Page A4) ignores a basic fact: the United States is a constitutional republic, not a direct democracy. Our founders deliberately protected minority rights and property from unlimited majority rule.

When Mr. Sanzotti calls for government to guarantee housing, health care and economic equality through taxation and redistribution, I feel he is really saying 50.1% of voters should be able to confiscate whatever they want from the other 49.9%. That is not democracy — it is legalized theft enforced at gunpoint (because that’s how unpaid taxes are ultimately collected).

If “free” government services work so well, why is New York’s newly elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani still frantically fundraising? Days after winning on promises of free housing and health care, his team is begging for $4 million in private donations.

Nothing is free. Someone always pays — usually the productive taxpayer footing the bill for those who won’t work.

Even the Nordic countries Mr. Sanzotti admires reject the “socialist” label — their own leaders call their systems free-market with high taxes, not socialism.

America already has the formula for prosperity: constitutionally limited government and free enterprise. Let’s not trade it for a proven path to stagnation and coercion.

Eric Reffert, Summit Township