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by yequalsx 3917 days ago
There are lots of examples of countries that provide their citizens with universal healthcare, near free higher education and a strong social welfare system. It's not a joke if there are many examples of this.

It could be considered a joke in that it's unlikely his opponents in Congress would vote for such programs and that they'll ridicule it as you have. However, that does not negate that it is feasible to have such things or even reasonable to expect them.
1 comments
rhino369 3917 days ago
It's certainly feasible, but not by the sorts of taxes he proposes.

European countries make up the difference in revenue by having much higher taxation on the middle class. The middle class in Europe doesn't get free healthcare and free education. They pay for it in higher taxation.

So unless the Bern wants a significant VAT tax and increased income taxes on middle income earners, his plans are crazy.

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refurb 3917 days ago
You raise a good point. People talk about taxing the rich more, but guess what? There aren't that many rich! In order to substantially raise gov't spending, the middle class will need to pay more.

This reminds me of a Canadian election back in the 1990s. The NDP (left wing) wanted to fund more programs by increasing the taxes on the "rich". So someone asked who the "rich" were.

A family of 4 making over $60,000.

At least they were honest!

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pandaman 3917 days ago
Just today I walked past a new BMW in the garage with a "Bernie" sticker on it. I am not sure it was in support of Sanders but even if it were not it's the perfect symbol of the engineers from the OP: people driving new BMWs supporting taxing "the rich" as if "the rich" are not them.
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politician 3917 days ago
You're engaging in a logical fallacy; have you considered that the people driving the new BMWs might consider themselves to be rich --or-- might nevertheless consider Bernie Sander's policy positions to be laudable?
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pandaman 3917 days ago
> You're engaging in a logical fallacy;

I don't see how.

>have you considered ...

Yes I have. If such people exist I doubt they make a statistically significant fraction among supporters of such policies. All Sanders supporters I know are both "rich" (i.e. can afford a new BMW or two) and do not believe that "the rich" to be taxed are them. These people are not really dumb so if they thought their own wealth needed redistribution they could figure easier ways to achieve that.

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