Why I Fled Socialism—And Love America | Franklin Camargo | PragerU

Good evening everyone. My name is Franklin Kamargo and I'm a proud patriotic legal immigrant to the United States of America. The greatest nation on earth. I was born in Venezuela, one of the worst places for someone who believes in freedom and capitalism. And when you are born in socialism, dreams, real dreams only exist in your mind. But at the age of six, I had my first real experience of what freedom looked like. My parents through honest hard work took us on vacation to the US. We went to Disney World. And that trip, that trip changed my life forever. It overwhelmed me. I didn't know anything about politics. I didn't understand economics. But I knew I was witnessing something remarkable. The cars, the technology, the variety of Oreos. You might take it for granted, but there are so many flavors. I was impressed. I was amazed as a child. The only long lines that I saw were not for food like in Venezuela, but for roller coasters. People looked happy. They were not desperate. They were not begging for food. They looked happy. And I was only a child. But I could feel this place was free. Four years later at 10, I returned to the US for another family vacation. And this time I noticed another miracle. People spoke freely. It was as if the government didn't monitor every word that was said. Strange. That's a strange. Is it possible that in America people don't go to jail for being politically incorrect? And they can also buy so many types of Oreos. And I thought, how? So, I got obsessed with this idea of America's greatness and I went back to Venezuela and I started searching for answers. I read everything I could get my eyes on and years later I found Prageru. Thanks to many of you in this room, I stumbled across Dennis Prager's video about the American Trinity. and it made me realize that America's greatness wasn't a coincidence. It wasn't an accident. It was not about geography or natural resources. It was about ideas, about principles, values. Which ones? Three. Liberty. Every individual has the right to be free. In God we trust. Our rights do not come from the government. They come from God. And Pereibus honors out of many one. If you embrace American values, you can truly become an American. [Applause] But while I was admiring this country, because by the way, back then I didn't speak English at all, but some Prageru videos had Spanish subtitles. So I started binge watching, getting to love America even more. But at the same time, Venezuela, my own country, was being destroyed by socialist policies. So at the age of 16, I became a young political activist preaching capitalism. At 18, I started college as a medical student. And that's when I had to deal with the fact that thinking for yourself in a socialist country comes with real consequences. I debated a professor that said that we should be grateful to the government for free education. He even argued that medical students should replace the hypocratic oath for a socialist oath. I couldn't stay silent. Didn't feel right. So I debated him and I won the debate. Of course, the prize I got expelled from college and I was accused of being a terrorist. In a socialist country, you have no right to speak freely. Take my cousin Jose Vicente Garcia for example. He was a political activist and in 2016 he was imprisoned and tortured. I knew I was next. I I had no choice. I had to flee. But God put his hands on me and I was granted asylum under the first Trump administration. [Applause] You know, there are many cultural shocks when you move to another country, new language, new traditions, but the biggest shock was seeing young Americans hate America and beg for socialism. So, I was born and raised in a socialist country and that's why I can tell you the following. Socialism works. It does. It promises what it delivers. You just have to pay attention. You want economic equality. Some people do. Chavez, the Venezuelan dictator, hated that the rich got richer, so he took their wealth. Now in Venezuela, everyone is equal, equally poor, except for the ruling class, of course, but that's just a detail. You want free healthcare? Venezuela has free health care, not enough doctors, not enough hospitals, not medicines, and sometimes not even electricity. But at least no one gets a bill. You want to lose weight? Forget Ompic. You won't need that. In Venezuela, Chavis, the Venezuelan dictator, imposed price controls. And in 2016, the average Venezuelan lost 20 pounds from starvation, of course. I wonder how many blue hair activists would want that. I cannot express how much I love this country. Really, I would do anything for this nation. This nation saved my life. And that's why I always ask myself, will America always be free? No, not if young Americans are taught lies about their own country, its history, its fundamental values. But that's why Prageru gives me hope. It gives future citizens like myself hope. So if you have ever wondered whether your support makes a difference, just look at me. Eight years ago, I was watching some Prageru videos with Spanish subtitles because I didn't speak English. Today, I work for Prageru. Paying it forward so people like me can make their American dream real. Thank you.