This resolution declares that socialism (1) along with Marxism, is a failed ideology; (2) poses a significant threat to the freedom, liberty, and economic prosperity to all countries and citizens around the world; and (3) is a failed experiment of governance that inevitably ends in suffering.
The resolution affirms that America will never be a socialist nation.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 253 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 253
Recognizing that it is the sense of the United States House of
Representatives that Socialism poses a significant threat to the
freedom, liberty, and economic prosperity.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2019
Mr. Brooks of Alabama (for himself, Mr. Norman, Mr. Green of Tennessee,
Mr. Gosar, Mr. Mooney of West Virginia, Mr. Perry, Mr. Calvert, Mr.
McClintock, and Mr. King of Iowa) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in
addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing that it is the sense of the United States House of
Representatives that Socialism poses a significant threat to the
freedom, liberty, and economic prosperity.
Whereas, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Socialism as ``any of various
economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental
ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution
of goods'';
Whereas, Merriam-Webster Dictionary also defines Socialism as ``a system of
society of group living in which there is no private property'';
Whereas, Merriam-Webster Dictionary also defines Socialism as ``a system or
condition of society in which the means or production are owned and
controlled by the state'';
Whereas, Socialism and the policies advocated for by self-described ``democratic
socialists'' have an underlying historical connection to the Marxist
theory, also known as Marxism;
Whereas, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels originally established Marxist theory
when they published The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital;
Whereas, the theory developed by these books and that of Marxism are a direct
attack against the capitalist model of economic production and opposed
the notion of secured private property rights;
Whereas, Karl Marx wrote in The Communist Manifesto that ``[w]hen in the course
of development, class distinctions have disappeared, and all production
has been concentrated in the hands of a vast association of the whole
nation, the public power will lode its political character. Political
power, properly so called, is merely the organized power of one class
for oppressing another'';
Whereas, history has witnessed countless failed Marxist inspired regimes. Time
and time again, without fail, Marxist and Socialists inspired
governments fail. Socialism is guaranteed to fail, no matter whether it
takes the form of democratic Socialism, central planning socialism, or
authoritarian Socialism, Socialist policies and programs do not work;
Whereas, history has witnessed the rise and fall of enough Marxist inspired
socialist regimes to recognize that Marxism and Socialism are failed
ideologies;
Whereas, in the 20th century the ideologies of Marxism and Socialism spread
throughout the world;
Whereas, throughout the reign of the former Soviet Union, socialist policies and
programs were responsible for the death of millions of his own citizens
based on the devastation caused by the implementation of socialist
policies and programs, resulting in famine, death, and destruction;
Whereas, socialist policies and programs failed in the Soviet Union, leading to
the fall of the Berlin Wall and complete collapse of the Soviet Union.
On December 25, 1991, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag lowered for the
last time over the Kremlin, thereafter replaced by the Russian tricolor
in the early 1990s;
Whereas, Mao Zedong was the principal Chinese Marxist theorist, and the leader
of the revolution that created the Chinese Communist Party. Mao Zedong
served as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party 1943 through 1976;
Whereas, socialist policies and programs continue to destroy countries in the
21st century;
Whereas, today, in 2019, the country of Venezuela is in massive turmoil, with
riots in the streets, massive protests, disputed elections, and
challenges to establish a working government that is supported by its
citizens;
Whereas, Venezuela is run by two rival political organizations, the United
Socialist Party of Venezuela and Popular Will, a progressive social-
democratic party;
Whereas, due to the perverse incentives and inherent flaws of Marxist theory,
Socialism inevitably leads to societal rot, resulting in devastation and
destruction;
Whereas, existing socialist policies are destabilizing Venezuela's economy and
national stability;
Whereas, Venezuela is rich in natural resources. Venezuela has the largest
proven barrels of oil reserves in the entire world, reported to be 300
million barrels, by World Atlas in January of 2019;
Whereas, because of the socialist policies and leaders in Venezuela, their
inflation rate had soared to 80,000 percent by the end of 2018, with
nearly 90 percent of the citizens of Venezuela living below the poverty
line;
Whereas, because of the socialist policies and leaders in Venezuela, the average
Venezuelan has lost 24 pounds in the last year due to malnutrition and
lack of access to food, water, and other basic nutrients;
Whereas, there is an alarming amount of support for socialism and democratic
socialism spreading across the United States of America;
Whereas, a 2018 Gallup Poll showed 57 percent of Democrats have a favorable
opinion of socialism, while only 47 percent of Democrats polled have a
positive view of capitalism;
Whereas, an increasing number of Democrat politicians have labeled themselves as
``democratic socialists'' over recent years. The line between democrat
and socialist has been increasingly blurred.;
Whereas, Senator Bernie Sanders, a top 2016 Democrat presidential candidate, has
declared, ``I am a democratic Socialist'' and went on to advocate that
``it's time we had Democratic Socialism for working families'';
Whereas, freshman Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib are
registered members of the Democratic Socialists of America and are self-
described socialists;
Whereas, in October of 2018 The White House's Council of Economic Advisers
published a report entitled The Opportunity Costs of Socialism;
Whereas, this report highlighted the inherent failure of socialism. The report
stated that ``[i]n assessing the effects of socialist policies, it is
important to recognize that they provide little material incentive for
production and innovation and, by distributing goods and services for
`free', prevent prices from revealing economically important information
about costs and consumer needs and wants'';
Whereas, this report from the Council of Economic Advisers is quoted as ``[w]e
find that historical proponents of socialist policies and those in the
contemporary United States share some of their visions and intents. They
both characterize the distribution of income in market economies as the
unjust result of `exploitation', which should be rectified by extensive
state control'';
Whereas, the report by the Council of Economic Advisers also found that there is
``a strong association between greater economic freedom and better
economic performance'';
Whereas, Margaret Thatcher (1976), once argued, ``Socialist governments . . .
always run out of other people's money'', and thus the way to prosperity
is for the state to give ``the people more choice to spend their own
money in their own way.'';
Whereas, free-market capitalism is the greatest engine for human advancement in
the history of the world, bringing more people out of poverty and into
prosperity than any economic model in the history of mankind;
Whereas, the United States of America is the single greatest Nation in the
history of the world, due in large part because of its system of
government that secures private property rights of all citizens through
the genius of The United States Constitution; and
Whereas, on February 5, 2019, in the State of the Union address, President
Donald J. Trump declared that ``we are alarmed by new calls to adopt
socialism in our country'' and that ``America will never be a socialist
country'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) acknowledges that Marxism and Socialism are failed
ideologies;
(2) Socialism poses a significant threat to the freedom,
liberty, and economic prosperity to all countries and citizens
around the world;
(3) Socialism is a failed experiment of governance that
inevitably ends in misery and suffering;
(4) throughout the history, tradition, and national civic
spirit of the United States of America, our country has been a
beacon of light shining like a lighthouse to the rest of the
world demonstrating that freedom and liberty are the surest
forms of government; and
(5) stand with President Trump and affirm that America will
never be a socialist nation.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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