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Common Sense

Weekend with Bernie: Sanders’ Eleven

Bernie Sanders has a horde of helpers. Consider the attached visual meme; “Occupy Democrats” seem to have captured Bernie’s philosophy: spend and meddle.

All of the spending in the first item of Bernie’s 11-​Step Economic Plan are best directed at the state level. Bernie voters should wonder: why havent politicians in the states kept up infrastructure?

There are reasons why some of us want to privatize more infrastructure: more responsible upkeep.

Bernie's PlanOh, and why hasnt the doubled amount spent on public K‑12 schooling in my lifetime led to better schools or better-​educated grads?

Just let that one hang there, and then contrast it with the disaster the feds have made of college costs while trying to “make college more affordable.”

Expanding Medicaid in one plank, and making “healthcare available to all,” in another, I take as repetition for emphasis. But the fact that Bernie’s backers want to expand spending in programs that recently have seen dramatic expansion — Social Security (in the form of radically increased rates of disability retirements), Medicaid (Obamacare), and food stamp participation (SNAP) — even while the programs lurch into insolvency, along with the whole federal budget, sends up a red flag … for irresponsibility.

Then there’s all the fiddling with free employment contracts that they pretend helps the poor, but can’t: unionization, raised wage minimums, and “equal pay” … for, presumably, unequal work, since we already have laws enforcing equal pay for equal work.

Several points are vague enough that, as stated, I could jump on board: I, too, want to reform the tax code and … “close corporate loopholes.” So does, famously this week, Donald Trump.

But what I mean by this and what progressives like Sanders mean? Big differences, I suspect.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.


Printable PDF

Weekend with Bernie Sanders, http://cognitivebiasparade.prosite.com/, Paul Jacob, James Gill

 

Categories
too much government

The Stamps of Disapproval

President Obama is catching flak from pro-​capitalist quarters for explaining to businessmen proud of building a business that “you didn’t build that.”Free Food!

Another sign of federal contempt for the work-​for-​a-​living ethic has received less attention, but is just as revealing. It takes the form of Spanish-​language radio “novelas,” produced in 2008, touting food stamps. The USDA recently yanked the novelas from its website after word spread about the brazenness of their something-​for-​nothing philosophy. (DailyCaller​.com, which called attention to the campaign, has links to English translations.)

The episodes suggest that it’s almost impossible to eat healthy meals without relying on food stamps — or, these days, an electronic food-​subsidy card — and that even if one’s husband is employed, a dutiful wife and mother would be remiss to refrain from getting government subsidies also.

One episode features two friends pontificating about a third, delinquent Diana. It’s a snap that Diana should take advantage of SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). But she keeps saying stupid things about how she doesn’t “need help from anyone.” Diana is “always making up excuses not to apply for SNAP,” laments Claudia.

Oh Diana! Stop making excuses!

It’s quite a suspenseful series, because we are supposed to be on the edge of our seats wondering whether the torpidly recalcitrant Diana will ever learn to be just as dependent on government handouts as all the healthily-​eating people. Of course, in the end, Diana has learned her lesson.

Or un-​learned one.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.