What's called "socialism" in America was bog standard "liberalism" a few decades ago. In some cases, it was considered moderate, common sense bipartisan policy. Even Nixon thought universal healthcare and the Clean Air Act were good ideas!
@gwynnion About the only things we didn't have were UBI (& that was on the Dem platform) and Med care for all. Many of the politicians on the Right were farther to the Left than many Dem's of today. AOC & Mamdani were middle left. & the communist party had folks running for president. We were on the edge of having what the Nordic countries have today. Then Nixon married the Christian right. Then Reagan took away the controls of Capitalism & instituted the $ vacuum to the rich.
Peace