Please read James Pethokoukis’s piece on the AEI website, “Let’s stop pretending that Bernie Sanders wants to duplicate Scandinavia”.
Bernie’s list of freebies – for instance, free college, daycare, and healthcare – are said to be a reflection of his “socialism”. Oh no, not the meany kind (USSR, etc.) he says, but the style of socialism found in – wait for it – Scandinavia. Bernie is stuck in a “socialism” in Scandinavia that was buried by Scandinavians in the 1990’s. He’s trying to resurrect it long after the Scandinavians ran away from it. He’s like Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein in his feverish attempts to reanimate the monster.
Bernie’s Lazarus syndrome willfully ignores the fact that Scandinavia isn’t about eating the rich, as is the appetite of those on the Democrat debate stage. The tax bite on the rich is lower in many ways than our own. The operating principle is simple: if you want a government service, you pay for it. As a result, most of the benefits go to the middle class because most of the tax burden is on the middle class.
In other words, Bernie, they have no freebies! So, Bernie, stop selling the snake oil … and cease auditioning for the lead role in the movie remake.
RogerG