Millions of lives have been ended because of the oppression of communist regimes in the 20th century. Estimates vary from 65 to 93 million deaths, according to co-author of the Black Book of Communism, Nicolas Werth.
Earlier this week, President Trump spoke to the United Nations, calling for an honest examination of communism and socialism, especially as these failed ideologies have developed in countries like Venezuela.
“Wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish, devastation and failure,” Trump said.
While the president may not have a stellar record as an advocate for free trade and free enterprise, his assessment of socialism and communism is a breath of fresh air.
Time and time again, socialism’s perverted allure has stirred rebellions and coups across the globe aimed at establishing a more just society, a near-perfect utopia. Each time ends the same; with a vision of equality suffocated under the weight of poverty and subjugation.
Venezuela’s predicament is no different. Since Hugo Chavez became president in 1998, the Venezuelan economy has plummeted into disrepair.
Following the usual pattern of socialist regimes, Chavez and his successor responded to economic decline by printing more money, instituting price controls and nationalizing industries. The result is a nation with the highest inflation in the world, an out-of-control murder rate and a people ravaged by hunger and disease.
According to CNN, the majority of Venezuelans lost nearly 20 pounds last year due to food shortages. Meanwhile, Chavez’s daughter, María Gabriela, has amassed a fortune exceeding $4 billion.
The socialist mentality leads to this kind of blatant tyranny because it subordinates the rights of the individual for the whims of the majority, disregards the importance of private property in economic exchange and values coercion instead of voluntary cooperation.
Winston Churchill may have put it best: “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
gruditj15@bonaventure.edu
