Self-identified “national socialist” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) couldn’t let Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) speak for him in the Democratic response to Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address. But, in a perfect metaphor for his economic system, Sanders’ own response experienced “technical difficulties.”

For almost a full three minutes, Sanders’ response was down, and the screen read, “We will be back momentarily!”

“Well, as they say, technology is great when it works, so if you’re still with us, we appreciate it very much,” the socialist senator said when the video started again.

So long as Sanders’ team doesn’t fix the video, you might be able to catch the lag here. The glitch starts at 6:09 in the video, and goes on until 8:50.

Sanders’ preferred economic system, socialism, aims to achieve the public ownership of the means of production. This big government approach sounds good in theory, but it has proved disastrous in application, often imposed by government heavy-handedness and resulting in all kinds of shortages.

Venezuela has become the poster child of this failed economic policy. Last year, amid a bread shortage, the government’s response was genius — seize control of the bakeries! The country has run out of things like toilet paper, and animals are tragically dying in zoos because workers cannot take care of them.

Never fear, Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolás Maduro endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election! It may not work over there, but why not give it a shot over here?

Maybe this is why not:

And now Bernie Sanders' #SOTU response feed isn't working.

Thanks for demonstrating how this would work in a socialist country, Bernie! pic.twitter.com/8iTbYGTs1G — America Rising (@AmericaRising) January 31, 2018

On a more serious note, atheistic big-government tyrannies have killed more people than any other kind of regime in history. Even today, North Koreans effectively worship Kim Jong-Un as a god, as people who attempt to leave are beaten to death.

This evening, Democrats were a parody of themselves in many ways, but Sanders’ video crapping out in the middle of his socialist speech might just take the cake.