Socialism Versus the American Dream
I advocate for the American way of life and the American Dream based on individualism, hard work and the ability to move up the social ladder.
Accordingly, I have voiced my staunch opposition to socialism and its impacts on society.
This Congress, I supported H. Con. Res. 58 to denounce the horrors of socialism and H. Res. 1490 to condemn socialism in all its forms.
While the declarations made by the House passed, nearly all Democrats opposed these resolutions.
This difference in Congressional opinions reflects the unfortunate reality that the popularity of socialism is growing in America.
A new Gallup poll published in September found that 43% of Americans now have a positive view of socialism.
This is the first time socialism has received a favorable rating above the 40th percentile since Gallup started tracking this metric in 2010.
But the tales of socialism date back well before 2010.
Following the Nazi Germany surrender in 1945, the United Kingdom (UK) held parliamentary elections. Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his Conservative Party faced an electoral challenge from the socialist-leaning Labour Party.
Labour, whose Let Us Face the Future manifesto made socialist policy promises of nationalizing sectors of its economy and raising taxes on the wealthy, won in a landslide.
But the resulting Labour government policies would create a sluggish economy, mishandle housing shortages and extend wartime food rationing.
The intense uproar over the rationing of bread and flour turned public sentiment against Labour. In 1951, the UK elected Churchill once more, this time to help put an end to the rationing.
In addition to Churchill’s reforms, more structural reforms to the socialist policies were later made by Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher’s actions helped propel the country into an era marked by economic growth.
France’s socialist policies are in today’s spotlight. France is struggling to afford spending on public programs.
As Jonah Goldberg with the online news publication The Dispatch highlighted, government spending accounts for 57% of France’s gross domestic product (compared to 23% for the U.S.).
France also spends more than any other European country on “social protection.”
This formula has French policymakers in a pickle.
How would the government address its budget?
When the moment came, France opted for budget cuts impacting teachers, students and communities.
And how did the French public respond?
For weeks, mass protests and riots engulfed the country. The protests have been seemingly hijacked by far-left groups advocating for the collapse of French institutions.
French President Emmanuel Macron blamed the “political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups” for the riots and looting.
This unrest resulted in an historic town hall being burned, tens of thousands of police officer deployments and the nation of France being on edge.
The French dilemma is just the latest evidence of what Thatcher described as the problem with socialism. “Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people’s money,” she said in 1976.
In addition to the challenges of socialism, the French protests gave us an inside look at the ultra-left groups and their more concerning threat: to tear down Western Civilization.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently delivered a speech in front of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It was right here where the fathers of Western Civilization planted the seeds of law, citizenship and democratic principles.
Rubio tied the founding of our country to Greece: “The men who founded my country were fascinated by the heritage we inherited from yours…The civilization of Athens and Rome transformed an infant seaboard republic into a continental empire.”
I stand with Secretary Rubio’s commitment to preserve the ideals, freedoms and strengths that ultimately made the Western World. Like he said, the essential traits to define the West include “fierce individuality and relentless ambition; daring exploration and invention; a yearning for discovery, for adventure, risk and glory.”
In Congress, I will continue to fight back against the radical wing of the Democratic Party, particularly the policies of the Democratic Socialists of America. They want to redefine what America stands for, transforming America into a socialist country and in my opinion making the United States weak.
While we still need a social safety net, I want everyone to have the opportunity to succeed in America. And where possible, to be able to lift themselves up by hard work, determination and ingenuity. This possibility of being able to make oneself a success is the gateway to reaching the American Dream. Socialism throughout history has extinguished opportunities of reaching great success.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/.
