West Calls Democrats' Appetite for 'Redistributionary Handouts' an 'Insidious Form of Slavery

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) isn't one for splitting hairs. The often-controversial freshman congressman has no problem sharing his open and honest assessment of the racial, social and political schema.

Wednesday evening was no exception, when he took to the House floor to deride Democrats for "handouts" that he dubbed a modern form of slavery. Additionally, West praised Republicans for standing up to big government and protecting individual liberty.

"Our party firmly believes in the safety net," West said in a floor speech on Wed. evening. "We reject the idea of the safety net becoming a hammock."

He went on, praising the GOP for best benefiting America's poor.

"What Republicans have long understood is that poor communities are best served when they're empowered to care for themselves," he continued. "The more they come to rely on government checks, the less they learn to rely on their own ability and ingenuity.

But it was his comments about small government and "slavery" that caught peoples' attention.

"For this reason, the Republican value of minimizing government dependence is particularly beneficial to the poorest among us," he said. "Conversely, the Democratic appetite for ever-increasing redistributionary handouts is in fact the most insidious form of slavery remaining in the world today, and it does not promote economic freedom."

In addition to discussing poverty and personal freedom, he recapped the GOP's role as "the party of freedom," as he noted President Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the subsequent amendments that ended slavery, helped protect African Americans and granted them the right to vote, as the Hill reports.

West concluded by calling the GOP the "party of equality" and "opportunity," while wishing everyone a "Happy Black History month."

This isn't the first time West has used similar language. Back in August, he told Laura Ingraham, who was filling in for "O'Reilly Factor" host Bill O'Reilly, that he is the "modern-day Harriet Tubman" and that he wants to lead fellow African Americans away from the the "21st century plantation."

At CPAC this year, West discussed conservatism and the black community and he again mentioned the modern-day "plantation." Here's some video of his comments at the convention:

(H/T: The Hill)