Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

00420 wrote

I'm excited for this. He may be pretty far to the right of me politically, but he's the best damned chance my family has of ever being able to afford our needed healthcare again, so I'm clinging to that, even if that is admittedly a bit selfish.

11

MusicMeadow wrote

what part of your beliefs are further left than Bernie Sanders? Genuinely wondering.

4

Green_Razor wrote

Lol all of them. He's center-left at best. Still much better than any of the other politicians sadly.

9

Awesome wrote

Sanders is the longest-serving independent in congressional history, but competes for the Democratic nomination as he says standing as a third-party candidate would diminish his chances of winning the presidency.

3

edmund_the_destroyer wrote

I just found Andrew Yang, which looks to be a better Bernie Sanders. The Democrats will probably hamstring him quickly.

0

[deleted] wrote (edited )

5

edmund_the_destroyer wrote

His central proposal is Universal Basic Income, which to me puts him comfortably left of Bernie. Though it's not clear how authoritarian and pro-war he might be and the Democrats, of course, are usually no better than the Republicans on those issues.

1

ziq OP wrote

Universal Basic Income is a neoliberal project though, it's not really left.

1

edmund_the_destroyer wrote

Yes, but I'd say it's still much closer to left than Bernie Sanders or, as far as I know, any of the other people throwing their hats in for the Democratic Primary stand. A UBI at least acknowledges the anti-capitalist idea that people deserve resources simply for existing.

2

[deleted] wrote (edited )

0

edmund_the_destroyer wrote

Austerity, maybe. Privatization? How so?

And I think it's an easy case to make to voters. "US inflation-adjusted GDP per capita has gone up more than $25,000 in the last 40 years. US inflation-adjusted median household income has gone up less than $4,000 in the last 40 years. US average household size is more than 2.5. That means the US generates $62,500 more wealth per household today than it did 40 years ago, and the average household gets $4,000 of that increase and the other $58,500 goes to the rich. Let's fix that - the wealthy people in this country were fine in 1979, how about each household gets $58,500?"

2

[deleted] wrote

2

edmund_the_destroyer wrote (edited )

Well, I'm now talking in terms of unicorns and flying pigs but I'm fine with abolishing minimum wage provided UBI is very high.

US current GDP per capita is around $56k. Pass a constitutional amendment mandating that UBI per person = minimum 90% of GDP per capita. Then if someone wants to offer two dollars an hour to people to cut their grass or mow their lawn that's fine, because we all have the freedom to ignore the offer without starving.

Edit: but your point is valid. I hadn't thought of it until I read your post, but yes UBI could be sold to the public as a social safety net but then turned into a weapon to hurt the non-wealthy even more.

2