-------------------------
Dr. Reich fancies himself as a truth-teller, a debunker of myths and false notions.
---------------------
1. “He’d never beat Trump or Cruz in a general election.”
Wrong. ("Wrong?" It remains to be seen, doesn't it? The fact that Bernie MIGHT do well against Trump or Cruz IF he were the democratic nominee is merely speculation. A contrary speculation can hardly be branded "wrong.")
According to the latest polls, Bernie is the strongest Democratic candidate in the general election, defeating both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in hypothetical matchups. (The latest Real Clear Politics averages of all polls shows Bernie beating Trump by a larger margin than Hillary beats Trump, and Bernie beating Cruz while Hillary loses to Cruz.) (Checking out the supplied link, we discover that the situation isn't so clear. Depending on the poll and the matchup, either could win. In fact, most every polling result is within the statistical margin of error. This is hardly cause to brand as "wrong" the opinion that Sanders would lose.)
2. “He couldn’t get any of his ideas implemented because Congress would reject them.”
If both house of Congress remain in Republican hands, no Democrat will be able to get much legislation through Congress, and will have to rely instead on executive orders and regulations. (He writes as if he approves of the president wielding unilateral power.
But more to the point is Dr. Reich's tacit assumption that Bernie differs little from other Democrats, and therefore would be an impotent president. That is, there would be little if any change in government or the country should Bernie win.)
But there’s a higher likelihood of kicking Republicans out if Bernie’s “political revolution” continues to surge around America, bringing with it millions of young people and other voters, and keeping them politically engaged. (Higher perhaps, but statistically improbable.)
3. “America would never elect a socialist.”
P-l-e-a-s-e. America’s most successful and beloved government programs are social insurance – Social Security and Medicare. (Programs forced down America's throat, and now so entrenched that they are a part of the fabric of American life. And we know these programs are teetering on the brink of insolvency.)
A highway is a shared social expenditure, as is the military and public parks and schools. ("Shared social expenditure" is not the same as "socialism." Everything government does is as a product of taxing people then spending it. This is not socialism in any way.
And we note for the record that the military and public parks are authorized in some form by the Constitution. Schools are not federal programs, they are funded by states and localities.)
The problem is we now have excessive socialism for the rich (bailouts of Wall Street, subsidies for Big Ag and Big Pharma, monopolization by cable companies and giant health insurers, giant tax-deductible CEO pay packages) – all of which Bernie wants to end or prevent. (That is, we have government favoring some over others, creating economic and social havoc. I'm glad Bernie wants to end crony capitalism, but we need to note that this a failure of an overreaching and unaccountable government, and Bernie has no intention of scaling back the power and influence of government.)
4. “His single-payer healthcare proposal would cost so much it would require raising taxes on the middle class.”
This is a duplicitous argument. Studies show that a single-payer system would be far cheaper than our current system, (And there were studies which showed obamacare would be more efficient and cost less. There has never been a study of a government program where the forecasts were ever accurate. Costs always exploded well above projections. It's amazing that these prognosticators never, ever get it right, yet people like Dr. Reich still thinks of them as authorities.)
which relies on private for-profit health insurers, because a single-payer system wouldn’t spend huge sums on advertising, marketing, executive pay, and billing. (Like the Post Office?)
So even if the Sanders single-payer plan did require some higher taxes, Americans would come out way ahead because they’d save far more than that on health insurance. (He states this as if it were an undisputed fact. Like Obama stated as an undisputed fact that the average family would save $2500 a year on their health insurance with the ACA.)
5. “His plan for paying for college with a tax on Wall Street trades would mean colleges would run by government rules.”
Baloney. Three-quarters of college students today already attend public universities financed largely by state governments, and they’re not run by government rules. (Whaaa? State colleges aren't subject to regulation? What planet does Dr. Reich live on?)
The real problem is too many young people still can’t afford a college education. The move toward free public higher education that began in the 1950s with the G.I. Bill and extended into the 1960s came to an abrupt stop in the 1980s. We must restart it. (Why? Why should people receive free college? And why is college so expensive? What did the G.I. bill stop? Are any of these questions relevant to Dr. Reich?)
6. “He’s too old.”
Untrue. He’s in great health. (We didn't ask about his health, we asked about his age. And remember how the Left made an issue out of McCain's age? And Reagan? Dole? Even Hillary has been subject to this. So why not ask about Bernie's age?)
Have you seen how agile and forceful he is as he campaigns around the country? These days, 70s are the new 60s. (He’s younger than four of the nine Supreme Court justices.) In any event, the issue isn’t age; it’s having the right values. FDR was paralyzed, and JFK had both Addison’s and Crohn’s diseases, but they were great presidents because they fought adamantly for social and economic justice. (Ahh, I see. Age is an issue only when you disagree with the candidates' policies. I understand.)
No comments:
Post a Comment