Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio spoke out against Democratic socialism Wednesday, saying the ideology allows the left to ignore socialism’s destructive roots.
“Let’s be clear about so-called democratic socialism,” Rubio captioned the video. “It’s incompatible with our American values,” the Florida senator said of Democratic socialism in a video Wednesday.
Rubio said that Democratic socialism promises universal basic income, free college, government healthcare, and guaranteed employment, but that these policies are incompatible with American values.
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“Democratic socialism is quickly becoming a trendy phrase in American politics,” Rubio says in the video. “But why has it become so popular among some? Because it allows the radical left to ignore the incredibly destructive history of socialism.”
“Democratic socialism hasn’t worked anywhere in the world and in fact there are people living in America today who came here because democratic socialism destroyed the economies of their countries,” Rubio says.
The Florida senator added that while public policy should change to reflect dignified American values, “Democratic socialism will never be the answer.”
Rubio’s comments come as a May Gallup poll reveals that 70 percent of Democrats say “some form of socialism” would be a “good thing” for the United States.(RELATED: 70% Of Democrats Say Socialism Would Be Good For America: Survey)
Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, both high-profile freshman representatives, are members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Democratic voters are growing increasingly comfortable with socialism, but the only open socialist and Democratic 2020 presidential candidate is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
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