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Joe BidenCongratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
 

bloom

(11,635 posts)
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 07:52 PM Feb 2020

"Bernie Sanders Isn't a Socialist" - Krugman

I agree with Krugman.

Republicans have a long, disreputable history of conflating any attempt to improve American lives with the evils of “socialism.” When Medicare was first proposed, Ronald Reagan called it “socialized medicine,” and he declared that it would destroy our freedom. These days, if you call for something like universal child care, conservatives accuse you of wanting to turn America into the Soviet Union.

It’s a smarmy, dishonest political strategy, but it’s hard to deny that it has sometimes been effective. And now the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination — not an overwhelming front-runner, but clearly the person most likely at the moment to come out on top — is someone who plays right into that strategy, by declaring that he is indeed a socialist.

The thing is, Bernie Sanders isn’t actually a socialist in any normal sense of the term. He doesn’t want to nationalize our major industries and replace markets with central planning; he has expressed admiration, not for Venezuela, but for Denmark. He’s basically what Europeans would call a social democrat — and social democracies like Denmark are, in fact, quite nice places to live, with societies that are, if anything, freer than our own.

So why does Sanders call himself a socialist? I’d say that it’s mainly about personal branding, with a dash of glee at shocking the bourgeoisie. And this self-indulgence did no harm as long as he was just a senator from a very liberal state.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/opinion/bernie-sanders-socialism.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
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"Bernie Sanders Isn't a Socialist" - Krugman (Original Post) bloom Feb 2020 OP
this self-indulgence did no harm... handmade34 Feb 2020 #1
Denmark has an almost 60% tax rate squirecam Feb 2020 #2
Their highest marginal rate is just under 60%. essme Feb 2020 #3
 

handmade34

(22,755 posts)
1. this self-indulgence did no harm...
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 07:58 PM
Feb 2020

as long as he was just a senator from a very liberal state... and just remember folks, even in our little liberal state, the people still will not back what Bernie advocates... he sure as hell is not going to do it on the National level

I say, quit playing games with our tenuous furture

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

squirecam

(2,706 posts)
2. Denmark has an almost 60% tax rate
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 08:15 PM
Feb 2020

That won’t work here.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

essme

(1,207 posts)
3. Their highest marginal rate is just under 60%.
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 08:33 PM
Feb 2020

But that's the highest marginal rate.

The average for a single person per OECD is 35.8%; 31% for a couple with two children one earner.

The OECD Total Tax Wedge in Denmark for a single earner is about 35%; the US is about 30% and we get shit compared to them...call it a scoop of chocolate ice-cream if you want but it is still poop.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
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