Daniel Di Martino on Socialism, Immigration, and How Hugo Chávez Destroyed Venezuela

I sat down with Daniel Di Martino, economist and founder of the Dissident Project, to talk about how socialism destroyed Venezuela—his home country—and what Americans need to understand before making the same mistake. He explains what life was really like under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, from brutal inflation and collapsing public utilities to the psychological toll of losing hope in your country. After arriving in the U.S. in 2016, Daniel studied economics with a focus on immigration and now speaks to high school students about the dangers of socialist policies and the value of economic freedom. Subscribe and ring the notification bell so you don’t miss a single video! Follow Dad Saves America on Substack: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/podcast Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-or... Follow Daniel on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/DanielDiMartino Learn more about the Dissident Project: https://www.dissidentproject.org/ _____________________________________ Our Website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ _____________________________________ Outline: [0:00] Why do our kids love communism? [7:27] How did Venezuela become poor and socialist? [16:25] Debunking left-wing lies about Venezuela [27:19] Marxism is imperialist, not anti-colonial [32:22] Even a benevolent communist dictator would fail [35:23] How bad is the economic crisis in Venezuela? [40:20] Is Javier Milei succeeding in Argentina? [47:34] No, communism isn’t good “in theory” [56:00] Is America to blame for the migrant crisis? [1:03:38] Which immigrants should we let in? [1:12:54] How to stop illegal immigration [1:15:42] Why young men are shifting to the right [1:19:33] Is Trump-style rhetoric bad for our society? [1:26:32] Don’t silence yourself for grades or fake friends Dad Saves America explores the philosophies and practical steps we need to raise capable, curious, independent adults ready to thrive in a virtuous free society... and want to keep it that way. We’ve had all sorts of experts in the studio, including Jonathan Haidt, Dr. Drew, Michael Shellenberger, Bret Weinstein, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Adam Carolla. #socialism #immigration #venezuela