SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Vice President Mike Pence applauds the crowd at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). (Photo: Vice President's Twitter, @VP)
In 'Historically Dubious' CPAC Speech, Pence Claims 'Freedom' Ended Slavery
"Think he's arguing that capitalism ended slavery which is... an interesting perspective!" — Christopher Mathias, HuffPost
Feb 28, 2019
Vice President Mike Pence on Friday said that "freedom" ended slavery and defeated Hitler--a claim that was derided as historically inaccurate by critics.
Speaking in front of a packed house at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Pence said that "freedom"--an apparent stand-in for capitalism--was the reason for the major global and American victories of the past two centuries.
"It was a freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won two world wars, and stands today as the beacon of hope for all the world," Pence declared.
\u201cPENCE makes this historically dubious claim: "It was a freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won 2 world wars and stands today as the beacon of hope for all the world.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1551450733
As people quickly pointed out on social media, that interpretation of the past was unique--and not quite accurate.
"An interesting perspective!" said HuffPost national reporter Christopher Mathias.
\u201cConfusing quote from Pence earlier at #CPAC2019: \n\n"It was freedom not socialism that ended slavery..." \n\nThink he's arguing that capitalism ended slavery which is... an interesting perspective!\u201d— Christopher Mathias (@Christopher Mathias) 1551461704
\u201cMike Pence says "freedom, not socialism, ended slavery," doesn't mention what started slavery https://t.co/6GPXkaQm07\u201d— Newsweek (@Newsweek) 1551469207
In an essay, Newsweek politics editor Jason Le Miere pointed out that Pence's quote cut both ways, even though the vice president didn't acknowledge the other side of the coin:
If it was freedom that ended slavery then presumably it was also freedom that allowed it, with a provision written into the Constitution that specifically referred to slaves and the "three-fifths compromise," whereby they were counted as less than free people. Moreover, Southern states continued to argue for the freedom to keep slavery in place as the country descended into the Civil War.
It's also worth noting that before and during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln exchanged letters with a strong supporter overseas--a German living in London named Karl Marx.
Pence wasn't exactly telling the truth about the 20th century either, La Miere continued.
Pence's claim about the ending of the World Wars is also historically questionable. The Soviet Union, under communist control, played a crucial--to some historians the most crucial--role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. The country also paid the heaviest price during the war as it battled Germany on the Eastern Front, losing an estimated 26 million people, including about 11 million soldiers.
Irrespective of the truthfulness of Pence's speech, it got a rousing response from the crowd at CPAC. The vice president also talked about President Donald Trump's Space Force, anti-Semitism, and abortion.
"Pence played the hits," wrote Rolling Stone's John Hendrickson. "Low unemployment, strong economy, tax cuts, and an extended riff about infanticide."
Watch Pence's speech:
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Vice President Mike Pence on Friday said that "freedom" ended slavery and defeated Hitler--a claim that was derided as historically inaccurate by critics.
Speaking in front of a packed house at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Pence said that "freedom"--an apparent stand-in for capitalism--was the reason for the major global and American victories of the past two centuries.
"It was a freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won two world wars, and stands today as the beacon of hope for all the world," Pence declared.
\u201cPENCE makes this historically dubious claim: "It was a freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won 2 world wars and stands today as the beacon of hope for all the world.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1551450733
As people quickly pointed out on social media, that interpretation of the past was unique--and not quite accurate.
"An interesting perspective!" said HuffPost national reporter Christopher Mathias.
\u201cConfusing quote from Pence earlier at #CPAC2019: \n\n"It was freedom not socialism that ended slavery..." \n\nThink he's arguing that capitalism ended slavery which is... an interesting perspective!\u201d— Christopher Mathias (@Christopher Mathias) 1551461704
\u201cMike Pence says "freedom, not socialism, ended slavery," doesn't mention what started slavery https://t.co/6GPXkaQm07\u201d— Newsweek (@Newsweek) 1551469207
In an essay, Newsweek politics editor Jason Le Miere pointed out that Pence's quote cut both ways, even though the vice president didn't acknowledge the other side of the coin:
If it was freedom that ended slavery then presumably it was also freedom that allowed it, with a provision written into the Constitution that specifically referred to slaves and the "three-fifths compromise," whereby they were counted as less than free people. Moreover, Southern states continued to argue for the freedom to keep slavery in place as the country descended into the Civil War.
It's also worth noting that before and during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln exchanged letters with a strong supporter overseas--a German living in London named Karl Marx.
Pence wasn't exactly telling the truth about the 20th century either, La Miere continued.
Pence's claim about the ending of the World Wars is also historically questionable. The Soviet Union, under communist control, played a crucial--to some historians the most crucial--role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. The country also paid the heaviest price during the war as it battled Germany on the Eastern Front, losing an estimated 26 million people, including about 11 million soldiers.
Irrespective of the truthfulness of Pence's speech, it got a rousing response from the crowd at CPAC. The vice president also talked about President Donald Trump's Space Force, anti-Semitism, and abortion.
"Pence played the hits," wrote Rolling Stone's John Hendrickson. "Low unemployment, strong economy, tax cuts, and an extended riff about infanticide."
Watch Pence's speech:
Vice President Mike Pence on Friday said that "freedom" ended slavery and defeated Hitler--a claim that was derided as historically inaccurate by critics.
Speaking in front of a packed house at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Pence said that "freedom"--an apparent stand-in for capitalism--was the reason for the major global and American victories of the past two centuries.
"It was a freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won two world wars, and stands today as the beacon of hope for all the world," Pence declared.
\u201cPENCE makes this historically dubious claim: "It was a freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won 2 world wars and stands today as the beacon of hope for all the world.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1551450733
As people quickly pointed out on social media, that interpretation of the past was unique--and not quite accurate.
"An interesting perspective!" said HuffPost national reporter Christopher Mathias.
\u201cConfusing quote from Pence earlier at #CPAC2019: \n\n"It was freedom not socialism that ended slavery..." \n\nThink he's arguing that capitalism ended slavery which is... an interesting perspective!\u201d— Christopher Mathias (@Christopher Mathias) 1551461704
\u201cMike Pence says "freedom, not socialism, ended slavery," doesn't mention what started slavery https://t.co/6GPXkaQm07\u201d— Newsweek (@Newsweek) 1551469207
In an essay, Newsweek politics editor Jason Le Miere pointed out that Pence's quote cut both ways, even though the vice president didn't acknowledge the other side of the coin:
If it was freedom that ended slavery then presumably it was also freedom that allowed it, with a provision written into the Constitution that specifically referred to slaves and the "three-fifths compromise," whereby they were counted as less than free people. Moreover, Southern states continued to argue for the freedom to keep slavery in place as the country descended into the Civil War.
It's also worth noting that before and during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln exchanged letters with a strong supporter overseas--a German living in London named Karl Marx.
Pence wasn't exactly telling the truth about the 20th century either, La Miere continued.
Pence's claim about the ending of the World Wars is also historically questionable. The Soviet Union, under communist control, played a crucial--to some historians the most crucial--role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. The country also paid the heaviest price during the war as it battled Germany on the Eastern Front, losing an estimated 26 million people, including about 11 million soldiers.
Irrespective of the truthfulness of Pence's speech, it got a rousing response from the crowd at CPAC. The vice president also talked about President Donald Trump's Space Force, anti-Semitism, and abortion.
"Pence played the hits," wrote Rolling Stone's John Hendrickson. "Low unemployment, strong economy, tax cuts, and an extended riff about infanticide."
Watch Pence's speech:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.