Americans frequently defend free markets by examining real-world outcomes and citing economists. In contrast, radicals defending communism neglect history and the accounts of those who lived through it. These omissions are intentional. Survivors of communist regimes threaten the pro-communism narrative, providing evidence against its outcomes. They understand what transpires once governments acquire power under the guise of public good.
Survivors’ Testimonies
Recently, survivors from communist regimes gathered at the Capitol to share their experiences. They hailed from Cuba, Venezuela, the Soviet Union, and China. One endured torture in prison, another witnessed the decay of his community as grocery store shelves emptied, and others experienced schools converting into indoctrination centers while churches became state enemies.
José Daniel Ferrer, who spent over 12 years in Cuban prisons, suffered physical and psychological torture and saw fellow citizens die from similar abuse and starvation. Ferrer remarked, “It’s the best evidence that the communists who try to get to power in democratic nations are scam artists.” Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez exemplified this by disguising their true intentions until they secured power.
Democratic Socialism: A Deceptive Facade
Castro denied his communist intentions before consolidating power. Chávez presented himself as a democratic reformer, transforming Venezuela into an authoritarian state. Radicals often conceal the label until weak institutions permit its embrace.
American politicians identifying as “Democratic Socialists” claim separation from communism while advocating concentrated economic and political power, historically defining every communist movement.
Daniel Di Martino‘s family suffered under Venezuela’s communist deception. Before the Bolivarian Revolution, they enjoyed a middle-class life with steady work and housing. The reality of government rationing led to milk disappearing from stores, meat becoming scarce, and citizens subjected to fingerprint scanning for purchases. This control permeates daily life, often starting with benign regulations at the grocery store.
“The common denominator is that they destroy free enterprise,” Di Martino stated. When the state controls essential resources, citizens become dependent on their captors, losing autonomy over livelihood.
Communism’s War on Faith and Independence
Communism extends its control beyond physical necessities. Mike Gonzalez described how the regime in Cuba in the 1970s targeted faith and independent thought. As a child, he faced harassment for attending church and was pressured to join communist organizations.
Gonzalez emphasized, “Why did communists try to control the schools and didn’t like church? Because they tried to control the message.” Independent institutions like religious entities act as obstacles to totalitarianism, challenging the state as the sole source of authority.
Movements seeking power erode national traditions, family, and faith, portraying the country’s history and culture as oppressive. Once institutions are deemed corrupt, their destruction is framed as liberation.
Threatening Faith as a Crime
Pastor Ezra Jin experienced repercussions for faith under Chinese rule. He and other church leaders were arrested despite the Chinese Constitution’s formal promise of religious freedom. The Communist Party asserts authority over it, rendering rights ineffective. Jin was released, but eight fellow pastors remain imprisoned for choosing faith over party allegiance.
Marxist labels may differ, but the strategy remains consistent—discredit limiting institutions, suppress economic freedom, education, religion, and public speech, and penalize those maintaining independence.
Communism’s defenders favor abstractions, unable to refute the tangible experiences of survivors. These individuals expose empty promises of change, revealing persistent power dynamics.
Politicians advocating “Democratic Socialism” should be scrutinized. Before accepting their assurances, heed those who endured leaders making identical promises.
Representative Lisa McClain serves Michigan’s 9th Congressional District and chairs the House Republican Conference for the 119th Congress.