Posted on 02/04/2023 5:46:40 AM PST by MtnClimber
Nearly half of the Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against a resolution condemning the “horrors of socialism” Thursday, revealing a “soft spot” many in the party have for the destructive political ideology. Democrats split their vote for the resolution by a 109-86 tally, Fox News reported, “even though every Democrat who debated the bill spoke against the resolution.” The total vote was The was 328-86 with 14 Democrats voting “present.”
After two years of far-left Democrat governance, Republicans felt a need to bring the issue up to remind the public that socialist policies go against America’s founding principles.
Repeating talking points they’ve been using for weeks, Democrats accused Republicans of using the measure to justify their purported plan to cut Social Security, Medicare and other social welfare programs.
“Despite my Democratic colleagues’ claims, there’s nothing in this resolution about entitlement programs or banning social services or anything of the like,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif) blasted the resolution, calling it “misleading and sophomoric” for conflating hardcore Communists like Kim Jong Il with socialist leaders like former French president François Mitterrand.
Sherman argued that not all forms of Marxism deserve condemnation.
In response, McHenry thanked him for admitting that Democrats have a soft spot for socialist policies.
“If this resolution would just simply draw out my Democrat colleagues to just say, yes, they are in favor of socialism, maybe this is a worthwhile endeavor,” McHenry said.
In his floor speech, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) expressed concerns that the U.S. government is “inching closer toward socialism.”
“I support today’s House resolution denouncing socialism ‘in all its forms,’ Massie tweeted. “Many on the other side of the aisle embrace big government socialism and would do so even if government spending exceeded 80% of our gross domestic product (GDP). Our government already spends too much.”
“Historically, Republicans have tried to label as socialist any Democratic actions that improve the lives of Americans,” added Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) “This is what Republicans call socialism. From climate action and public education to affordable care and Social Security, Republicans classify popular government programs to help working families as socialism.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) reminded Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) the ranking Democrat on the Committee, of the time she threatened to nationalize the oil industry unless it lowered gasoline prices for consumers.
“Guess what this liberal would be all about?” she told John Hofmeister, the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell during a hearing fifteen years ago. “This liberal would be all about socializing—um—would be about—um—basically taking over and the government running all of your companies,” Waters said.
Roy asked Waters if she still felt that way, and the Democrat, who voted against the resolution to condemn socialism, dissembled and claimed she was not a socialist. “I’m a a capitalist,” she insisted. “And I commit to you that I am here to save Social Security, to save Medicare, to save seniors and veterans …”
Asked again if she disavows what she said all those years ago, Waters repeated, “I am not a socialist.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) called socialism “one of the most destructive ideologies in world history.
Socialism is broadly understood to be an economic and political theory that calls for putting the means of production into the hands of a public collective, and “democratic socialism” is seen as a philosophy that calls for a heavier government hand that might approach the governing styles of some European nations.
The resolution approved by the House says history shows that any move toward socialism “necessitates a concentration of power that has time and time again collapsed into Communist regimes, totalitarian rule, and brutal dictatorships.”
It says socialist policies have led to “famine and mass murders, and the killing of over 100,000,000 people worldwide,” along with some of the “greatest crimes in history” committed by Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot and others.
“[B]etween 15,000,000 and 55,000,000 people starved to death in the wake of famine and devastation caused by the Great Leap Forward in China,” the resolution notes. “[T]he socialist experiment in Cambodia led to the killing fields in which over a million people were gruesomely murdered.”
Florida Republican Maria Salazar, the daughter of Cuban exiles, noted that 60 years after the communist takeover of Cuba, the majority of people there only eat one meal a day, and makes only 40 cents a day.
“Socialists are in the business of power, and it only takes one generation to believe their false promises and lose our freedom. It is a lie that socialism will solve your problems,” Salazar said.
[numerous tweets are included in the article at the source link]
Lotta Hispanic last names in the nays and present.
Just an observation.
Yet another reason to keep buying weapons and ammo.
We already knew this, but it’s nice to have a neat list.
When I talk with “regular folk” who vote for these communists, they mostly say they are capitalists but feel there is a need for limited socialism and vote for continued escalation of socialist programs.
Those 86 are communists, those 14 are cowards. We need to show the American people who they are.
BTTT
Look at the trend in Latin American countries.
This was an important vote, it should be on record who does / does not acknowledge the dangers (and slippery slope) that it is socialism. If this vote inspired Americans to talk about it, understand it, argue, etc that is good.
The GOP actually starting to prevent socialism from growing worse... it’s about damn time. Now, fight more. Fight harder.
Unfortunately, the public wants a form of “socialism lite”! However, it doesn’t stay “lite”! Suggest replacing “social security” on this site see how long it takes before you’re “attacked”.
““Guess what this liberal would be all about?” she told John Hofmeister, the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell during a hearing fifteen years ago. “This liberal would be all about socializing—um—would be about—um—basically taking over and the government running all of your companies,” Waters said.”
This is beyond Socialism and outright Communism here.
PARTY OF TREASON!
Dem party line vote with a few RINOs thrown in?
“Those 86 are communists,”
Period. Using the sugarcoating terms Marxist or Socialist are absolutely not even close to accurate anymore. The end goal is full blown communism period.
Libtards *are* the horror of socialism
Why are House Republicans masturbating over resolutions to condemn socialism? They should be actually doing stuff.
That said, it is surprising only half the Dems refused to vote to condemn.
They have been paid off by Soros to support him and his ilk.
Latinos prefer to live under Socialism. Most of Central and South America are Socialist. Why?, because they can’t think for themselves.
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