I came across a long list of questions for Bernie Sanders supporters the other day. There were a lot of strawmen and red herring, but I felt that some of the questions were fair enough to merit a response. I couldn’t let some of the more egregious questions slide through though – at the end I decided to respond to several.

What is a democratic socialist?

Well, this one’s a little tricky. Truthfully, Bernie should drop the label since he doesn’t believe in the social ownership of the means of production and is therefore, strictly speaking, more of a social democrat than a democratic socialist. I think it would prove more insightful to look at how Bernie describes his beliefs:

“. . . the government has got to play a very important role in making sure that as a right of citizenship all of our people have healthcare; that as a right, all of our kids, regardless of income, have quality childcare, are able to go to college without going deeply into debt; that it means we do not allow large corporations and moneyed interests to destroy our environment; that we create a government which is not dominated by big money interests. I mean, to me, it means democracy, frankly.”

Essentially, Bernie is a New Deal Democrat and believes in combining free enterprise with public programs that maintain a minimum standard of living.

Where has socialism actually worked?

It’s worked where I was born, Germany, and it’s worked in many countries across Europe. In fact, it’s even worked right here when FDR was in office and the New Deal helped pull us out of the Great Depression.

Did you know that free college already exists? Ever heard of scholarships for performing well in school? Loans and grants for the low-income? ROTC? Even city colleges that pay you to attend?

I won’t go into incredible detail as these issues merit articles devoted entirely to themselves, but here is a breakdown of Bernie’s College for All Bill similar to what he would pursue as president and here is a breakdown of Bernie’s tax plan. On why college tuition is a problem, I recommend reading through the information here. Essentially, with the collapse in Pell Grants, inflation, and eleven-fold increase in the cost of college tuition over the past several decades, making public colleges and universities tuition free is actually a pretty conservative proposal—all we’re doing is going back to how things were. On taxes, with the absurd levels of income inequality in America, I think it is fair to ask the wealthy to pay a little more.

What has Bernie accomplished in his nearly three-decade-long career in Congress?

Quite a bit, actually. In a Republican-controlled House from 1994 to 2006, it was not a Republican who passed the most amendments, but rather Bernie Sanders. From a $100 million increase in health care funding to a $22 million increase in funding for heating for the poor, Bernie’s record is quite impressive. However, he didn’t stop when he was elected to the Senate in 2006: He won $10 million for the operation and maintenance of the Army National Guard and worked with Senator John McCain to pass one of the most comprehensive veterans bills in recent history, among many other things.

Do you really think climate change poses a greater threat than Islamic terrorism?

Yes, I think climate change is, in fact, one of the causes of terrorism. We won’t solve terrorism if we don’t address climate change—and we won’t have to worry about terrorism if we’re out of clean water and air.

If you hate corporations and capitalism so much, why do you own an iPhone? Why do you use Facebook? Instagram? Uber?

It isn’t that we hate or even dislike massively successful companies like Apple or Facebook. All we want is for these companies to contribute back to the infrastructure they benefited from so that we can have more successful entrepreneurs.

If you’re asking me to pay for your college now, do you also expect me to pay for your car, house, cellphone bill and Netflix account at some point?

No. My education is necessary for me, millions of others and the United States as a whole to remain competitive in a global economy, my binge watching old episodes of The Office is not.

Are you aware that the left-wing ideology that has produced Socialism, Marxism and the likes has claimed the lives of millions across the globe and impoverished and ruined the lives of millions more?

I wish you’d have been more specific here because I can’t help but think you are referring to Nazi Germany. Which, if you are, recognize first that the Nazis were not democratic socialists or even socialistic in any way. I’ve grown up in Germany and fully recognize the atrocities committed by my ancestors, so I don’t associate an ideology I disagree with with Nazism unless it actually is.

And did you know that your man, Bernie Sanders, has fraternized with these folk? He visited the Sandinista-run Nicaragua, vacationed in the USSR, and praised Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

There is a lot of nuance you are missing.

Did you know Bernie thinks it’s okay to abort a baby up until the day before it’s born?

I’d love a source on this because I couldn’t find anything.

Explain why Bernie wants to prosecute those who have exercised their First Amendment right in disagreeing with his view on climate change.

Let’s be clear: It is isn’t that he thinks climate change is real, but rather 97 percent of climate scientists. That aside, I can’t find anything suggesting he would support that. Personally, I think you can believe whatever you want in the comfort of your home—the problem is when you try to influence public policy on something that is objectively true.

@jtoz97