Democrats and their 2020 presidential candidates are embracing the "same tired economic theories" of socialism that have impoverished nations worldwide and want to trade away Americans' freedoms, Vice President Mike Pence said Friday during remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
"We know where socialism leads," Pence told the enthusiastic crowd. "You want socialism, just look at Venezuela. Venezuela was once one of the richest and most vibrant democracies in the Western Hemisphere, but under (Nicolas) Maduro’s socialist rule, it has become one of the poorest and most despotic. Today, more than 9 out of 10 people live in poverty.”
Pence singled out Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who announced his presidential campaign, and supporters of the proposed Green New Deal, calling Sanders an "avowed socialist."
"It's not just him," Pence said. "Bernie's been joined by a chorus of candidates and newly elected officials who have papered over the failed policies of socialism with bumper-sticker slogans and slick social-media campaigns."
But the socialism they offer is "more of the same," said Pence. "More taxes, more spending, more government, and less freedom."
Pence said President Donald Trump will fight on the side of freedom, because "if we lay out a choice between freedom and socialism, then the American people will choose freedom every time."
"Freedom encourages investments; socialism stifles growth," said Pence. "Socialism demands conformity. As President Trump said in his State of the Union address, America was founded on liberty and independence, not government coercion."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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