Defeatist because I’m not pushing for full communism or are you referring to something else?
The thing about defeatism is that sometimes it’s just correct, the war is lost. Socialism as in the workers owning the means of production is a currently impossible concept for America. Social democracy would need a tidal wave of the YOOTHS building a New Deal-type political coalition as the Boomers die off but it’s something you can work towards.
The capitalist and nationalist propaganda against communism has been at a completely insane level in the US for 70 years now… yeah, it’s hard to go against, but I do have faith it’s dying out. Conservatives can’t even really remember the USSR currently and younger people, mainly liberal (IN A US POLITICS SENSE) can clearly see the problems with the current system and have desire and will to make it change. Still lots of completely deluded younger folks too, though, and the levels of fascist propaganda we’re dealing with now are massive.