Bernie Sanders is a self-proclaimed socialist. Do not let those liberals fool you with their disclaimer, “No, he is a democratic socialist.” News flash: There is almost no difference. The main difference is democratic socialists believe in the electoral process as a way of instituting the same government interference.
One argument I always am faced with is, “Denmark and Sweden have free college and the highest approval rates of any country.”
OK, let’s assume that is true. Did you know Denmark and Sweden also have the highest tax rates in the world?
Did you know the only reason that system even has remote success is because of the small population and relatively strict immigration policies?
I bet you also didn’t know Denmark and Sweden are continually moving away from the socialist model, and studies show they are better off for it.
While speaking at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Rasmussen said, “Some people in the U.S. associate the Nordic Model with some sort of socialism. Therefore, I would like to make one thing clear: Denmark is far from a planned socialist economy. Denmark is a market economy.”
He later acknowledged, “The Nordic Model is an expanded welfare state, which provides a high level of security to its citizens.”
The New York Times ran an article that highlighted how the welfare system in Denmark has become too much of a crutch. In fact, the Times reported that the average citizen on welfare was making more than someone who worked a minimum wage job.
By 2013, the workforce was outnumbered by those using government assistance.
The recent projects look troubling for the Danes. The government has been slowly implementing a system that will take government assistance away from the citizens.
As they move closer and closer to a decreased welfare state and expanded free market, their future has become much brighter.
If you have taken any economics courses, one of the first things you are taught is the free market and laissez-faire economics. The market will correct itself. That’s the beauty of capitalism. When the government gets involved, things go poorly.
Let’s take minimum wage for example. If we were to do as Sanders suggested and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, the unemployment rate would shoot through the ceiling.
For those of you who don’t know, a minimum wage is called a “price floor” in a market.
This is a restriction imposed by the government, limiting how far the wage can drop.
At first glance, that sounds great. Everyone will be paid well, and we will be rich
Wrong. Instead of employers saying, “Oh, well, looks like we just have to pay everyone more money,” they will lay off half of the staff.
Think about it. You are an employer of a small company. You can hire six people at a wage of $7 an hour, then Bernie takes office and, boom, you now have to pay every employee at least $15. What will you do?
Take the hit and keep everyone employed?
No, you will fire three of them and move on with your life. We are in a money-dominated world. This is not a fairy tale. These are the cold hard facts.
Bernie Sanders has claimed he will pay for his single-payer healthcare, free college and expanded social security through heavy taxation of the extremely rich, or the “1 percent.”
Let’s be clear. We are supposed to believe that these billionaires that Bernie plans to tax into the next dimension are going to just sit by and take it?
Why would they? They have money. They can easily pack up their belongings and move into another country, taking all of that money with them.
Then, when they have all moved away, who gets taxed next?
It is also worth pointing out that, as reported by Vox, if Sanders were able to enact all of his government programs, each income bracket’s taxes would rise an average of 16 percent.
This system of taking money from those who earn it and redistributing it to those who do not work deters Americans from pursuing the American dream.
Why would I spend my time and money on a college degree and take the risk of being an innovator when I can just as easily stay at home and cash in on anyone else’s hard work?
Bernie Sanders is the kid running for elementary school class president that promises all-day recess. It sounds fun, but you know it will never happen.
Bailey can be reached at sports@ThePlainsman.com
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