As an extremely left-leaning Democrat, no. I'm totally happy with socialized Democracy and providing more socialized benefits, but I refuse to associate with actual socialists. For one, they commonly have a "my way or the highway" approach to everything - your way is wrong, there's is right, and if you don't like that, you must be a cracker Imperialist that likes all of the evils that Democracy has provided...oh, and yeah, they have no problem with using racial slurs against white people, as they believe you LITERALLY can't be racist to white people.
As someone that was interested in exploring more of socialism and the benefits it could provide I was met with the most hostile, rabid, insufferable people I've ever met. Fuck no, I'm not going to become a socialist.
Out of all the socialists and anarchists I know (in real life), I don’t know a single one that is like this. Some of my close friends are communists, and they are members of organizations that have more similar views to theirs. As an Anarchist, I’ve got different beliefs, especially in certain topics, but similar or identical ideas in other places. In the physical world, we usually brush those differences aside and work together in solidarity, and I’m welcome in all the protests I’ve been in. Even non socialists have been welcome in many protests organized by socialist orgs, such as those for solidarity with Palestine, or other anti-zionist protests, union solidarity, and anti-police protests.
Sure, some groups will be hostile and shitty, but that’s the case for all political views, it isn’t exclusive to socialists. I’ve been called all kinds of names by liberal democrats for not falling in line with them on multiple occasions. Politics online is often one of the most toxic cesspools, full of rabid people of all views. I wouldn’t judge a diverse group as a whole for the toxicity of a few.
