# Socialism vs. Freedom: Ask the Houstonians Who Lived It Published: 2026-10-26T21:06:44.546+00:00 Original: https://www.halefortexas.com/blog/socialism-v-freedom For the first time in Gallup's polling, more than four in ten Americans say they have a positive view of socialism. Among adults under 35, it's 57%. In Houston, about 190,000 people of Venezuelan and Cuban origin can tell you how that experiment ends, because their families lived it. **Venezuela: from the richest country in South America to 7.9 million gone** Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves on earth. In 2013 its government doubled down on price controls, expropriations and a state-run oil company run for politics instead of production. What followed: **Venezuela under socialism** - **Economic collapse, 2013–2020:** GDP fell more than 80% (CRS, citing the IMF) - **Peak inflation (2018):** over 130,000% (central bank); IMF estimate 1.37 million percent (Gulf News) - **People who have left since 2015:** nearly 7.9 million (UNHCR via UK Commons Library) - **Households in income poverty (2025):** 68.5% (ENCOVI) - **Political prisoners still held (Aug 2026):** 391 (Foro Penal) Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026, and faces trial in New York next year. But Venezuelans are still in the streets this week demanding a date for free elections. Ending a socialist regime is the first step, not the last. **Cuba: 65 years later, the lights are still going out** Cuba lost about 10% of its population to emigration in just two years, 2022 and 2023. Its grid has collapsed nationwide six times in 2026 alone; most Cubans get a few hours of electricity a day. The average state salary is 6,930 pesos a month, about $12.60 at the street exchange rate. Nicaragua tells the same story on a shorter clock: more than 800,000 people, about 12% of the country, have left since 2018, and at least 60 political opponents are in prison. **Why socialism fails, every time** It isn't bad luck, and it isn't the wrong people in charge. When the government sets prices, nobody can tell what's scarce. When it owns the businesses, nobody has a reason to run them well. When it controls the paycheck, the grocery shelf and the power plant, it controls the people, and the people who object end up in prison or on a plane. Free markets don't make everyone equal. They make it possible for a family that arrives with nothing to own a business in ten years. Houston is full of proof. **Socialism in America: the version that arrives by installment** No one in Congress is proposing to nationalize the refineries. The American version comes in smaller steps: a government that spends $2 trillion more than it takes in, and pays more in interest on its debt ($1.14 trillion in fiscal 2026) than it spends on the military; programs that grow every year whether they work or not; and the idea that Washington knows better than your family, your church or your city. **Alexander Hale's position: limited government, market-based solutions** Alexander's campaign rests on “constitutional principles, limited government, market-based solutions for Houston.” His fiscal plan (https://www.halefortexas.com/priorities/fiscal) would stop the borrowing that crowds out the private economy, and his State and Local Empowerment plan (https://www.halefortexas.com/priorities/local) sends decisions back to Texas and Houston instead of Washington. **Frequently asked questions** **What is the difference between socialism and freedom?** Under socialism the state owns or directs the economy, setting prices and running industries. In a free society, individuals own property, start businesses and keep what they earn, under laws that apply to everyone. **Why did socialism fail in Venezuela?** Price controls, seizures of private businesses and a politicized state oil company shrank the economy by more than 80% between 2013 and 2020 and drove nearly 7.9 million people to leave. **Is Cuba still communist?** Yes. Cuba's one-party state still runs most of the economy; in 2026 it has suffered six nationwide blackouts, and the average state salary is about $12.60 a month. **Do Americans support socialism?** Gallup's August 2026 poll found 43% of Americans view socialism positively and 55% view capitalism positively. Among Latinos, Pew found in 2022 that 53% view socialism negatively, and 82% of Cuban Americans do. **Is socialism vs. capitalism the same as socialism vs. freedom?** Economic freedom and political freedom tend to travel together. The regimes in Caracas, Havana and Managua took both. **Freedom is on the ballot every time** Early voting runs through October 30, and Election Day is November 3. Vote at any site in your county; find one at https://www.harrisvotes.com (Harris) or https://www.fortbendvotes.org (Fort Bend). Read Alexander's fiscal plan: https://www.halefortexas.com/priorities/fiscal **Sources** - Gallup, socialism's positive rating tops 40% (Sept 2026): https://news.gallup.com/poll/714653/socialism-positive-rating-tops-first-time.aspx - Pew Research Center, Venezuelans in the U.S. (Jan 2026): https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/01/09/facts-about-venezuelans-in-the-us/ - Pew Research Center, Cubans in the U.S. (May 2026): https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/05/07/10-facts-about-cubans-in-the-u-s/ - Chequeado, Venezuela's 80% GDP fall (Jan 2026): https://chequeado.com/nota/javier-milei-en-davos-venezuela-tuvo-una-caida-del-80-de-su-pib - Gulf News, Venezuela inflation (2019): https://gulfnews.com/business/venezuela-claims-130000-inflation-below-international-estimates-1.64260330 - UK House of Commons Library, Venezuela briefing (updated Oct 2026): https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-12211/ - El Diario, ENCOVI poverty survey (May 2026): https://eldiario.com/2026/05/08/pobreza-multidimensional-venezuela/ - TIME, Venezuela protests for elections (Oct 23, 2026): https://time.com/article/2026/10/23/venezuela-protests-presidential-elections-opposition-maduro-machado-trump/ - Miami Herald via AOL, Cuba's emigration wave: https://www.aol.com/cuba-admits-massive-emigration-wave-214239040.html - Local 10, Cuba's sixth grid collapse of 2026: https://www.local10.com/news/world/2026/08/03/cuba-begins-restoring-power-after-sixth-nationwide-electrical-grid-collapse-of-2026/ - Havana Times, Cuba's wage problem (May 2026): https://havanatimes.org/features/cubas-wage-problem/ - Confidencial, 800,000 Nicaraguans have left (Dec 2025): https://confidencial.digital/en/english/more-than-800000-nicaraguans-left-the-country-since-2018/ - La Tribuna, Nicaragua political prisoners (Aug 2026): https://www.latribuna.hn/2026/08/14/suben-a-60-los-opositores-presos-en-nicaragua-incluidos-23-desaparecidos-segun-ong/ - Pew Research Center, Hispanics' views on socialism (2022): https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2022/09/29/hispanics-and-their-views-on-social-issues/ - Congressional Budget Office, Monthly Budget Review (Sept 2026): https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2026-10/61985-MBR.pdf