Answers to Bernie Sanders’ “Enough is Enough” list
I took Bernie’s well publicized “Enough is enough list” and gave some answers backed by data and reason. Bernie’s points are in bold and my answers are below each point.
- When women still do not have pay equity in America,
Women get paid more for equal experience and education. MORE not LESS! A woman fresh graduate from Harvard Law School gets paid same or more than a man with the same education; A woman dermatologist makes same or more than a male dermatologist; A woman waitress gets same or more than a man waiter.
Women by default take time off for pregnancies and women also choose to take time off and have more flexible career so that they can spend time with their kids as they grow up. For example a man lawyer can work late nights and take long trips so that clients are happy and he makes more money. Women lawyer may take a more easier lawyer job that allows her flexibility and work from home options. Thus the woman lawyer may make less than the male lawyer but not less than a man that chooses the same more flexible work schedule.
Furthermore, the man that works nights and travels on weekends often uses his wages for his family. The woman spouse benefits from his hard work.
It is not that women get paid less. It is simply that families decide that one parent needs to spend more time with the kids and the other can focus on a career. Both parents benefit form higher wages from the person focusing on a career.
- When our soldiers and their families continue to suffer in perpetual, senseless wars
Libertarians have always said that the Army should protect the USA and not get involved in conflicts where the US is not threatened.
- When we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country on earth, we say:
First of all according to the WP Mexico, Spain and Greece all have higher rates of poverty. So I guess Bernie doesn’t think of these countries as “major”
BUT why do we have these high rates of poverty? It is because these kids usually have parents who are usually : poorly education, have skills for only low skilled jobs, single parents. And what is causing the above? Lots of data shows that the reasons for the above are
- poor public schools
- minimum wage that cuts job opportunities for the low skilled
- failed drug policy that targets the poor
- labor unions who cut the number of jobs for the low skilled.
The democrats should share the blame for most of the above. Public schools are quite bad in many states and cities where Democrats control most if not all of the government. California schools are getting worse and worse for the poor. California has democratic governor, house and senate.
On the drug war — black kids and white kids smoke marijuana at the same rate YET black kids are much more likely to go to jail for Marijuana. All of us that have gone to college know that nearly 90% of our friends smoked marijuana and not one went to jail.
Democrats rarely talk about the above. A REPUBLICAN senator Rand Paul is teaming up with one democrat to fight the injustice of the drug war.
- When the top 1% own more wealth than the bottom 90%,
And why is that ? It is because politicians do favors for the rich and take taxes from the middle class and the poor to pay the rich. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both made speeches about how they will attack the rich to help the poor. They did the opposite. Why should we believe that Bernie will be different. Let’s see what Bill and Barack did.
Bill bailed out Mexico in the 1990s with money from the taxpayer. Who benefited? Non other than Goldman Sachs, which had lent large sums to Mexico. So Goldman takes huge risks, if they win they get nice interest payments, if Mexico can’t pay the US taxpayer bails out Mexico and Mexico pays Goldman. So Goldman is in a win win. Rubin (the secretary of the treasury under Clinton) had very strong ties to Goldman.
Obama is not as guilty as he inherited very bad situation from Bush and you can argue he had no choice but to bailout the banks.
But lets look at another issue — sugar subsidies. The US taxpayer is paying billionaires Fanjul brothers. The US government give them loans and if the price of sugar falls under certain price the Fanjul brothers can pay back those loans in sugar, which is worth very little. Again the billionaires are in a win win situation. If prices are high they make money from selling sugar if prices are low they just give the sugar to the government and don’t have to pay their loans. The taxpayer on the other hand gets screwed. OBAMA and BERNIE have not brought this issue up at all. They have had many chances the past 8 years to fix that.
Bernie not only voted for the bill that helps the billionaire brothers but he TOOK CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE BILLIONAIRES.
- When billionaires are buying our government and our politicians
As I mentioned before Democrats have done little for many years to stop taxpayers giving money to Billionaires. Why should we believe this democrat is different.
Rand Paul on the other hand wants to lower taxes. He is saying, give us politicians less money. That makes more sense to me. The less money the politicians get the less chance taxpayer money will go to Billionaires.
- When we have more of our people incarcerated than any other country on earth
See my answer on number 6. Democratic policies have contributed to that. The biggest driver of this high rate is the failed drug policy. Democrats have not stopped this failed drug policy and they have had years to do so. Again it is Rand Paul a republican that is fighting to change our failed drug policy very few democrats if any are doing as much as him.
- When we have American’s working for starvation wages
Look at number 6 . It is democratic policies that are contributing to this Mainly it is the poor education. Keep in mind that education is given by state governments not federal governments. Look at Democratic states and look at the level of education the poor get.