Colorado Businesses Are Closing as Socialism Gains Ground in America

Podcasts > Peter Boyles Show Podcast

Saturday, August 22, 2026

The Peter Boyles Show -Aug 22, 2026 - Hr. 1: Peter Boyles examines the growing appeal of socialism in America and asks a bigger question: What is driving people toward it? The conversation begins close to home with Karen and Robert Parker of Parker Arms in Wheat Ridge.

After more than two decades in the firearms and gunsmithing business, Robert says rising costs, additional paperwork and new Colorado regulations have made continuing the business financially unsustainable. Parker Arms is liquidating its assets, and the Colorado-native couple says they are preparing for a new chapter outside the state.

Their story becomes the jumping-off point for a much larger discussion about government power, capitalism, socialism and America's changing political landscape. Peter examines the recent success of candidates associated with the Democratic Socialists of America and questions whether the movement represents a passing political moment or the beginning of something much larger.

The phone lines light up as callers challenge Peter from different directions. One caller argues that Americans are increasingly attracted to socialism because many no longer believe capitalism is delivering the American Dream. Peter counters with his defense of free markets and his concerns about government-planned economies.

Also in the hour: Colorado politics, private property, Marxism, the DSA's electoral momentum, the future of the Republican Party and what growing economic frustration could mean at the ballot box.