Conservative commentator, author, and legendary economist Thomas Sowell this week said he feared the United States could succumb to Socialism.
“I do have a great fear that, in the long run, we may not make it,” he said Thursday during an appearance with Fox Business Network’s David Asman. “I hate to say that. The one thing that keeps me from being despairing is that we don’t know. There are so many thangs that we can’t possibly know. And so, we may make it, but I wouldn’t bet on it.”
When it comes to Socialism, people tend to ignore the evidence, says Sowell, pointing to the economic collapse in Venezuela as an example.
“When you see people starving in Venezuela and fleeing into neighboring countries and realize that this is a country that once had the world’s largest oil reserves, you realize that they’ve ruined a very good prospect with ideas that sounded good but didn’t turn out well.”
Ignoring the evidence is a big issue for New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who won a seat in Congress after campaigning on Socialist promises like free education and free healthcare. If people pay attention to the rhetoric rather than the reality, AOC is a “rising star,” said Sowell.
Similar concerns were expressed last month by Vice President Mike Pence at the 2019 Conservative Political Action conference, where GOP leaders met to discuss the threats posed by Socialism.
“Democrats openly advocate an economic system that has impoverished millions of people around the world,” said Pence.
Speaking about AOC’s Green New Deal, Pence said: “What Medicare-for-all really means is quality healthcare for none. And the only thing green about the so-called Green New Deal is how much green it’s going to cost taxpayers if these people ever pass it into law.”
The Green New Deal proposal is a watermelon, said one attendee, “green on the outside” but “deep red Communist on the inside.
The Green New Deal, proposed by AOC last month, is a multi-billion plan that promises free healthcare, free education, and job guarantees for all Americans plus a complete overhaul of the transportation industry, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and a decline in racial tensions.