HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Stossel: Socialism Fails Every Time

Views:866
@ReasonVids

People who fled Cuba and Venezuela warn Americans not to embrace socialism.

---------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/reasontv
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magaz...
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Subscribe to our podcast at iTunes: https://goo.gl/az3a7a

Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
---------

Socialism has become cool in America, under the nice name "democratic socialism."

Gloria Álvarez ‏knows better, because she's from Latin America and studied socialism there. She says: Watch out! Socialism has a clear track record of wrecking every country that implements it.

Cuba tried socialism. Things got so bad that tens of thousands fled the island on dangerous, makeshift rafts. Others paid lots of money to be allowed to leave.

Álvarez interviews people who fled. One man told her that in Cuba: "You don't see any future. Everything is stagnated...health care, education, nowadays they're in ruins."

Another said: "My father a doctor had to sell illegal meats out of his ambulance...because Cuban doctors earn less than 1% of American doctors."

Because of his experience with socialism, that man is now running as a libertarian for a Florida State House seat.

He adds: "I tell my Venezuelan friends, we warned you guys!"

After Cuba, Venezuela became immersed in socialism. For a while, things seemed to work OK thanks to the country's oil wealth; Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and used to be the richest country in Latin America.

Celebrities like Michael Moore and Sean Penn visited Hugo Chavez and praised his socialism.

Venezuelans were happy, too. A former mayor in Venezuela's capital city told Álvarez: "People were clapping so hard. They were like, 'Oh, finally there is somebody here making social justice.'"

But eventually socialism led to a mismanagement of the economy that was so bad that money started to run out. The government just printed more. So much more that it led to million-percent inflation.

Life savings were wiped out.

When businesses raised prices to try to keep up with inflation, Chavez and his successor, President Maduro, banned that.

When businesses did it anyway, they were seized by the government. This tragic video shows a shopkeeper pleading as his business is taken away. It wasn't a one-time thing; more than 30,000 businesses were confiscated.

Now, millions starve. The average Venezuelan has lost 24 pounds. More than 2 million people have fled the country.

"It's like the apocalypse. It's no food. No medicine," one Venezuelan told Álvarez.

But some still defend socialism, saying that what happened there "isn't real socialism." Bernie Sanders says: "when I talk about Socialism I am not looking at Venezuela, I'm not looking at Cuba. I'm looking at countries like Denmark, like Sweden."

But Denmark's prime minister says that's a mistake: "Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy," he clarifies.

In Scandinavian countries, government regulates business less than America's government does. Scandinavian countries don't even have a minimum wage.

Real socialism looks more like Cuba and Venezuela.

Álvarez hopes people look at socialism's track record before implementing it anywhere else.

The views expressed in this video are solely those of John Stossel; his independent production company, Stossel Productions; and the people he interviews. The claims and opinions set forth in the video and accompanying text are not necessarily those of Reason.

libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
john stossel
,
democratic socialism
,
gloria álvarez
,
cuba
,
venezuela
,
hugo chavez
    Thumbnail for Tom Woods: The Making of an Anti-War Libertarian55:28
    Tom Woods: The Making of an Anti-War Libertarian
    ReasonVids
    843 views
    Thumbnail for The Swing Vote: Why Independents Will Decide the 2012 Election6:41
    The Swing Vote: Why Independents Will Decide the 2012 Election
    ReasonVids
    925 views
    Thumbnail for The Future of School Choice58:26
    The Future of School Choice
    ReasonVids
    897 views
    Thumbnail for Mayor Ed Koch on rent control, his sexuality, Andrew Cuomo, and how he helped save New York18:06
    Mayor Ed Koch on rent control, his sexuality, Andrew Cuomo, and how he helped save New York
    ReasonVids
    893 views
    Thumbnail for Adam Bellow on The New Threats to Freedom4:44
    Adam Bellow on The New Threats to Freedom
    ReasonVids
    820 views
    Thumbnail for What Afghans Think About Bergdahl, the Taliban, and U.S. Intervention: Q&A with Author Anand Gopal6:10
    What Afghans Think About Bergdahl, the Taliban, and U.S. Intervention: Q&A with Author Anand Gopal
    ReasonVids
    818 views
    Thumbnail for How Portland's Protests Drifted into ‘Dangerous Territory’4:24
    How Portland's Protests Drifted into ‘Dangerous Territory’
    ReasonVids
    957 views
    Thumbnail for Is Money Speech? Free Speech Rules (Episode 5)4:02
    Is Money Speech? Free Speech Rules (Episode 5)
    ReasonVids
    995 views
    Thumbnail for Infinifat | Grunt Speak Shorts7:15
    Infinifat | Grunt Speak Shorts
    Terrence Popp
    1040 views
    Thumbnail for Victim rap1:32
    Victim rap
    AOUisgay
    506 views
    Thumbnail for confined space enjoyer1:13
    confined space enjoyer
    bestofvoatxyz
    614 views
    Thumbnail for Angelina Jolie talking about illuminati satanic ritual2:20
    Angelina Jolie talking about illuminati satanic ritual
    bestofvoatxyz
    744 views
    Thumbnail for Dr Goebbels speech at Sportpalatz (10 February 1933)4:07
    Dr Goebbels speech at Sportpalatz (10 February 1933)
    NachtWaffen
    994 views
    Thumbnail for DEI Electrician (three times a laugh on this one)0:10
    DEI Electrician (three times a laugh on this one)
    bestofupgoat
    140 views
    Thumbnail for Timothy P. Carney on "Obamanomics": Crony Capitalism as Progressive Reform8:52
    Timothy P. Carney on "Obamanomics": Crony Capitalism as Progressive Reform
    ReasonVids
    918 views
    Thumbnail for Poal.co [interactive, webpage]1:00
    Poal.co [interactive, webpage]
    moonchance
    2170 views
    Thumbnail for Battling Nancy Pelosi: Candidate John Dennis on Why Libertarianism is the GOP's Only Hope5:33
    Battling Nancy Pelosi: Candidate John Dennis on Why Libertarianism is the GOP's Only Hope
    ReasonVids
    971 views
    Thumbnail for "Derana Aruna | දෙරණ අරුණ | Sri Lanka's Breakfast Show - 2024.10.03 - TV Derana" | Ada Derana57:27
    "Derana Aruna | දෙරණ අරුණ | Sri Lanka's Breakfast Show - 2024.10.03 - TV Derana" | Ada Derana
    invidious
    152 views
    Thumbnail for Tools of the Raid | Live From The Lair17:45
    Tools of the Raid | Live From The Lair
    Terrence Popp
    1317 views
    Thumbnail for Rand Paul on Blocking Indefinite Detention and Saudi Arms Sales14:55
    Rand Paul on Blocking Indefinite Detention and Saudi Arms Sales
    ReasonVids
    901 views
    Thumbnail for Sneaky Boi Almost Takes Out Cop Shooting Breakdown | Donut Operator7:01
    Sneaky Boi Almost Takes Out Cop Shooting Breakdown | Donut Operator
    invidious
    300 views
    Thumbnail for Owl floating around the sink0:50
    Owl floating around the sink
    bestofvoatxyz
    698 views
    Thumbnail for Metro Atlanta nurse caught on camera not saving man's life sentenced4:39
    Metro Atlanta nurse caught on camera not saving man's life sentenced
    bestofvoatxyz
    765 views
    Thumbnail for I love this White Woman0:22
    I love this White Woman
    bestofupgoat
    204 views

points

Permalink
Reply
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
john stossel
,
democratic socialism
,
gloria álvarez
,
cuba
,
venezuela
,
hugo chavez
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle