Bernie's Bezos act in a nutshell: Capitalism is for corporations, Social programs are for people

[VivaRevolution]

Bernie Sanders’s first step to democratic socialism? Privatizing it.


In an advanced industrial democracy like the United States, who should bear primary responsibility for ensuring an adequate social-safety net and a reasonable level of economic equality?

Strangely enough, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the once and possibly future presidential candidate, thinks that’s a job for corporate America. Who would have thought the first step on the road to democratic socialism would be to privatize it?

Or so one concludes from reviewing Sanders’s proposal to tax large employers (500 or more employees) $1 for every dollar their workers and their family members get in means-tested federal benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid.

He says the plan would prevent giant corporations run by plutocrats such as Amazon’s Jeffrey P. Bezos (owner of The Post) from passing the tab for their underpaid employees’ well-being to the government. “Corporate welfare,” Sanders calls it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amph...30acca-ba97-11e8-bdc0-90f81cc58c5d_story.html

___________________________________________________________


So I have seen the fake left wing media, attack Bernie's BEZOS act, with some crazy claims.

Let's make this simple. Bernie believes that capitalism is for corporations, and that social programs are for people, unlike the majority of elected Republicans and Democrats who believe socialism is for corporate America, and Capitalism is for the people.

If Amazon or Walmart has to raise prices to pay wages, that is called a capitalist marketplace.

Prices going up is not a bad thing as long as you get something in return. If amazon or Walmart raise prices to pay for wages, that increase of price is paying for the welfare benefits the government was paying for. It comes out our pocket either way.

Discuss.........

 

[RockstarChris]

i say everyone gives me all their money and i will decide who is worthy of my riches.

 

[SBJJ]

Wow. As a very libertarian leaning person. I actually kinda like this idea. If people need benefits might as well be the large corporations paying the bill. And this would be an award for the actual corporations that treat their employees well

Guaranteed Bernie will be attacked non stop for this idea

 

[Trotsky]

I was expecting another WashPo hit piece, but here the writer of the article is right.

However, its smarmy posture is from a perspective purely focused on policy, without regard for politics. While he is right that social welfare is most efficiently handled by the state, and that corporations are most effective when allowed to focus purely on maximizing profit, he is missing what I believe to be the point of the bill: making a politically palatable policy recommendation (see: the cross-party populist appeal) that would serve to both increase living standards of average citizens and ultimately provide greater leverage to transfer the public welfare burden onto the government (de-privatize) through higher taxation of outputs on the back-end, rather than wages on the front end, which would almost certainly be preferable to large corporations once a bill like this was actually put in place. I think this logic is solid since, once those resources are allocated to the working class, simply going backward and taking it away could be political suicide for bootlicking conservatives. It's a bell that won't be un-rung. It's kind of like how Obamacare has leveraged into single payer (and would have more effectively done so if the public option were retained).

 

[Gunny]

First blush reaction, I like it. Will have to read up more on the specific proposal though

 

[Aegon Spengler]

 

[SBJJ]

Did they learn it from the politicians or did the politicians learn it from them

 

[AndroidRage]

Bernie Sanders’s first step to democratic socialism? Privatizing it.


In an advanced industrial democracy like the United States, who should bear primary responsibility for ensuring an adequate social-safety net and a reasonable level of economic equality?

Strangely enough, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the once and possibly future presidential candidate, thinks that’s a job for corporate America. Who would have thought the first step on the road to democratic socialism would be to privatize it?

Or so one concludes from reviewing Sanders’s proposal to tax large employers (500 or more employees) $1 for every dollar their workers and their family members get in means-tested federal benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid.

He says the plan would prevent giant corporations run by plutocrats such as Amazon’s Jeffrey P. Bezos (owner of The Post) from passing the tab for their underpaid employees’ well-being to the government. “Corporate welfare,” Sanders calls it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amph...30acca-ba97-11e8-bdc0-90f81cc58c5d_story.html

___________________________________________________________


So I have seen the fake left wing media, attack Bernie's BEZOS act, with some crazy claims.

Let's make this simple. Bernie believes that capitalism is for corporations, and that social programs are for people, unlike the majority of elected Republicans and Democrats who believe socialism is for corporate America, and Capitalism is for the people.

If Amazon or Walmart has to raise prices to pay wages, that is called a capitalist marketplace.

Prices going up is not a bad thing as long as you get something in return. If amazon or Walmart raise prices to pay for wages, that increase of price is paying for the welfare benefits the government was paying for. It comes out our pocket either way.

Discuss.........

I saw this story earlier and it quickly became apparent that Bezos is using Wapo as a mouth piece to try and smear Bernie.

 

[SBJJ]

I saw this story earlier and it quickly became apparent that Bezos is using Wapo as a mouth piece to try and smear Bernie.

Just wait

 

[AndroidRage]

Did they learn it from the politicians or did the politicians learn it from them

More like the rich paid the politicians to pass that bullshit along as if it were fact.

 

[Trotsky]

I love this graphic, but it's not really appropriate as a response to this opinion piece. This piece isn't advocating taking the financial burden off of corporations, but rather taking the administrative responsibility off of corporations.

 

[SBJJ]

Let’s be real. This would never get through Congress

 

[Trotsky]

Let’s be real. This would never get through Congress

If Democrats get both houses, it could. Sure, it's extremely unlikely that it could make it through a Republican Congress, but if it did get through a Democratic Congress, I think there's a strong chance Trump would feel he has to okay it for the optics.

 

[Jim Gilmore]

Bernie's Bezos act in a nutshell: Capitalism is for corporations, Social programs are for people

Bernie's plan is really a great plan. One of the best. The, and I don't even want use the word "traitorous", I refuse to say that the media is traitorous, I won't say it! The traitorous media say "ooohhh it will cost this much that much"...folks, it's going to cost very little. Perhaps even nothing.

So, it's a really great plan. I've spoken to the best economists, I just got off the phone with one of the great economists of our time, and he says it's truly, really amazing. You're going to love it.

 

[VivaRevolution]

Bernie's plan is really a great plan. One of the best. The, and I don't even want use the word "traitorous", I refuse to say that the media is traitorous, I won't say it! The traitorous media say "ooohhh it will cost this much that much"...folks, it's going to cost very little. Perhaps even nothing.

So, it's a really great plan. I've spoken to the best economists, I just got off the phone with one of the great economists of our time, and he says it's truly, really amazing. You're going to love it.

Robert Reich?

 

[Jack V Savage]

If Democrats get both houses, it could. Sure, it's extremely unlikely that it could make it through a Republican Congress, but if it did get through a Democratic Congress, I think there's a strong chance Trump would feel he has to okay it for the optics.

I don't see any chance of any of that. It's a heroically dumb piece of legislation, and I cannot see any serious legislator supporting it. Also, the idea would be repellent to Trump.

 

[HockeyBjj]

Of Bernies free healthcare, free college crap: This one is actually set up in a way I'm open to hearing more about and seeing experts discuss and debate

Doesn't mindlessly raise the minimum wage for high school students working part time flipping burgers, but its not simply my tax money that supports a family where the father makes less than a poverty wage at Walmart.

My concern would be about protections about corporations not hiring a single mother of multiple kids to a low skill job. That's a lot of support money they'd have to shell out vs giving it to the single guy or college gal

 

[Headkicktoleg]

Wouldn't it still be cheaper for Walmart to pay the fee since it's a $1 to $1 hit as opposed to raising their wage, then they have to pay higher taxes on the employee.

 

[Fawlty]

First thing that comes to mind is that this discourages these corporations from giving jobs to lots of people who really need them.

 

[AndroidRage]

Of Bernies free healthcare, free college crap: This one is actually set up in a way I'm open to hearing more about and seeing experts discuss and debate

Doesn't mindlessly raise the minimum wage for high school students working part time flipping burgers, but its not simply my tax money that supports a family where the father makes less than a poverty wage at Walmart.

My concern would be about protections about corporations not hiring a single mother of multiple kids to a low skill job. That's a lot of support money they'd have to shell out vs giving it to the single guy or college gal

Yes, that free healthcare crap that would save us many millions of dollars while making sure everyone was covered. How dare he!