The Problem With Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders “socialist” ideas are bad because they are “Magic Unicorn” ideas. he promises all of these wonderful things “for free.” There is no such thing as free. When pressed on how he will pay for them, he is as slippery as ice and never gives an answer beyond, “make the other bad people pay for it.”

Bernie talks about “Medicare for all.” The closest country to Medicare for all is France.

Current US Medicare is an 80/20 plan, for which Americans pay about 3% for most of their lives in order to receive coverage at age 65.

Current French insurance is a 50/50 plan for which French workers pay around 21%.

The French receive significantly less health care in many areas than that to which people in the US are accustomed. Yes, the French system offers good basic care. However, it does not offer cutting edge, on demand care that many US consumers demand. When I talk with people from Canada and Europe, they have trouble even understanding the concept of on demand care. They think it is natural that somebody with a minor complaint waits and people with life threatening conditions get priority. They have no concept that someone with a runny nose wants care just as quickly as someone with a heart attack.

To create an on-demand 50/50 plan will require people in the US to pay a 25% payroll tax, maybe more.

To create a “Medicare for all” 80/20 plan will require a payroll tax of around 1/3 from each person.

If he said, “I propose Medicare for all, but realize that it will cost everyone 1/3 of their paycheck. However, everyone in the US will receive top healthcare.” I could support that point of view. Even if he said, “We can have a system like France, but it will cost you 25% of your paycheck,” he could at least be considered honorable.

Instead, Sanders says, “I propose Medicare for all and it will cost almost nothing.” This is what makes Bernie Sanders a lying scum of the worst kind. Or maybe he is just senile.

Here are the actual figures from Medicare for All: Leaving No One Behind - Bernie Sanders— “Under this plan, a family of four earning $50,000 would pay just $466 per year to the single-payer program” Only $466, compared to the French, which pay $10,500 on $50,000 (or Euros), or the Medicare for all figure, which would be $16,500 per year. Currently that $50,000/yr. family pays $1500/year to receive Medicare 40 years later.

How can Bernie cover someone for $466 now, when it is difficult to cover them when they pay $1500 for 40 years before the system has to pay a cent. The answer from mathematics is that he can’t. He is lying through his teeth.

So, as you can see from the “Medicare for all” sample, Sanders is talking about people getting things for nothing. “Magic Unicorns” will provide government services for everyone. If Bernie Sanders proposed a system like France or Germany, we could discuss it. It is hard to have a rational discussion with someone who is promising magical unicorns.