Sanders to Daughter of Soviet Refugees: My Democratic Socialism Is Nothing Like Russian Communism

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Cuomo Next ░░░░░░░░ Samantha is a sophomore ░░░░░░░░ Harvard studying social studies ░░░░░░░░ California I have a ░░░░░░░░ suspicion that I didn ░░░░░░░░ say your name it ░░░░░░░░ not even close to ░░░░░░░░ I said FRENKEL POPELL ░░░░░░░░ lifetime of it It ░░░░░░░░ okay Hi Senator Sanders ░░░░░░░░ my father s family ░░░░░░░░ Soviet Russia in 1979 ░░░░░░░░ from the same socialist ░░░░░░░░ you seem eager to ░░░░░░░░ in this country How ░░░░░░░░ you rectify it with ░░░░░░░░ failures of socialism in ░░░░░░░░ country that has tried ░░░░░░░░ Sanders Thank you for ░░░░░░░░ question Is it your ░░░░░░░░ that I supported or ░░░░░░░░ in authoritarian communism that ░░░░░░░░ in the Soviet Union ░░░░░░░░ haven t and I ░░░░░░░░ it I believe in ░░░░░░░░ vigorous policy You asked ░░░░░░░░ about democratic socialism Fair ░░░░░░░░ and let me answer ░░░░░░░░ happen to believe that ░░░░░░░░ the United States there ░░░░░░░░ something fundamentally wrong when ░░░░░░░░ have three families owning ░░░░░░░░ wealth than the bottom ░░░░░░░░ of American society 160 ░░░░░░░░ people Something wrong when ░░░░░░░░ top 1 owns more ░░░░░░░░ than the bottom 92 ░░░░░░░░ very wrong when 49 ░░░░░░░░ all new income today ░░░░░░░░ going to the top ░░░░░░░░ And something is equally ░░░░░░░░ when we have a ░░░░░░░░ political system made worse ░░░░░░░░ this disastrous citizen s ░░░░░░░░ Supreme Court decision that ░░░░░░░░ billionaires to spend unlimited ░░░░░░░░ of money to elect ░░░░░░░░ that represent the wealthy ░░░░░░░░ answer number one it ░░░░░░░░ a radical idea Maybe ░░░░░░░░ everybody agrees but I ░░░░░░░░ to believe we should ░░░░░░░░ a government that represents ░░░░░░░░ families and not just ░░░░░░░░ 1 and powerful corporations ░░░░░░░░ s point number one ░░░░░░░░ number two what do ░░░░░░░░ mean when I talk ░░░░░░░░ democratic socialism It s ░░░░░░░░ not the authoritarian communism ░░░░░░░░ existed in the Soviet ░░░░░░░░ This is what it ░░░░░░░░ It means that we ░░░░░░░░ among other things our ░░░░░░░░ of rights Franklin Roosevelt ░░░░░░░░ this in 1944 in ░░░░░░░░ State of the Union ░░░░░░░░ that never got a ░░░░░░░░ of attention this is ░░░░░░░░ he said basically A ░░░░░░░░ profound speech He said ░░░░░░░░ got a great constitution ░░░░░░░░ of rights protects your ░░░░░░░░ of religion Freedom of ░░░░░░░░ freedom of speech but ░░░░░░░░ doesn t protect and ░░░░░░░░ you economic rights So ░░░░░░░░ me be honest with ░░░░░░░░ I believe in a ░░░░░░░░ civilized society health care ░░░░░░░░ a human right Government ░░░░░░░░ make that happen I ░░░░░░░░ that every young person ░░░░░░░░ this country regardless of ░░░░░░░░ or her income has ░░░░░░░░ right to get all ░░░░░░░░ education they need That ░░░░░░░░ why I have fought ░░░░░░░░ with some success to ░░░░░░░░ toward making public colleges ░░░░░░░░ universities tuition free and ░░░░░░░░ substantially reduce student debt ░░░░░░░░ I believe there s ░░░░░░░░ wrong when you have ░░░░░░░░ of families paying 40 ░░░░░░░░ 50 of their limited ░░░░░░░░ to put a roof ░░░░░░░░ their heads and that ░░░░░░░░ of working class families ░░░░░░░░ parents cannot find quality ░░░░░░░░ affordable child care So ░░░░░░░░ have to address the ░░░░░░░░ very rich getting richer ░░░░░░░░ middle class struggling and ░░░░░░░░ million living in poverty ░░░░░░░░ means to me that ░░░░░░░░ expand Medicare and provide ░░░░░░░░ opportunity for all Americans ░░░░░░░░ rebuild our crumbling infrastructure ░░░░░░░░ other words government serves ░░░░░░░░ needs of all people ░░░░░░░░ than just wealthy campaign ░░░░░░░░ That s what it ░░░░░░░░ to me.”