To the editor:

I’ve noticed a large number of bumper stickers in support of Bernie Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist, around Lawrence.

 If you were to talk to these Sanders supporters, it is likely a large percentage would share two claims. First, there is the claim that a democratic socialist isn’t really a socialist. Second, there is the claim that democratic socialism has absolutely nothing to do with Karl Marx. However, the very first sentence on the Democratic Socialists of America’s “About” page (dsausa.org/about_dsa) debunks both claims: “The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States, and the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International.”

Note that DSA, which strongly supports Sanders’ presidential candidacy, describes itself as the largest “socialist” organization in the United States. DSA does not use the modifier “democratic” in that sentence. It uses “socialist” and “democratic socialist” interchangeably throughout its website. Saying democratic socialism isn’t really socialism is like saying royal blue isn’t really blue.

As far as the second claim, we have it on the authority of Michael Harrington himself in his book “Socialism” (1972) that the Socialist International claims “direct descent from Marx’s International Workingmen’s Association.” Harrington served as the chair of DSA until his death in 1989.