Opinion

Today’s leftists are dangerously wrong about communism. Just listen to the survivors

Victims describe torture, demolished churches and childhoods shaped by fear

By Lisa McClain Fox News

Published August 23, 2026 7:00am EDT

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Mark Levin: Communism is a destructive ideology

Fox News host Mark Levin breaks down 'The Communist Manifesto' and the 'absurdity' of trying to impose it on populations on 'Life, Liberty & Levin.'

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When Americans defend free markets, they analyze real-world outcomes and quote economists. When radicals defend communism, they ignore history and those who experienced it firsthand.

The omissions are deliberate. Survivors of communist regimes are dangerous to the argument because they are proof of its outcome. They know what happens after the government acquires the power it promised to use only for the public good.

I recently gathered survivors of communist regimes in the Capitol to hear their stories. They came from Cuba, Venezuela, the Soviet Union and China. One endured torture in prison. Another watched grocery shelves empty as his community decayed. Others saw schools converted into instruments of indoctrination and churches treated as enemies of the state.

THE MEN WHO FLED THESE SOCIALIST REGIMES HAVE A TERRIFYING WARNING

José Daniel Ferrer spent more than 12 years in Cuban prisons. He endured physical and psychological torture, and watched fellow citizens die from the same abuse and malnutrition he experienced. He understands the deception communists employ that made those prisons possible.

Chairwoman Lisa McClain Hosts "A Warning to America: Stories from Survivors of Communism" Roundtable. (Courtesy of House Republican Conference)

"It’s the best evidence that the communists who try to get to power in democratic nations are scam artists," Ferrer said. "Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez denied........

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