I will be voting for Senator Bernie Sanders for President as the Commander and Chief of the United States.
Much of Sander’s agenda is fighting the economic inequality and cycle of poverty that we see in this country. He sits at the head of the Climate and Energy committee in the Senate and he has fought for stopping climate change his whole life. He understands that the only way to further this nation and join the rest of the world, is by supplying the less fortunate with the tools for success such as guaranteed higher education and access to healthcare. Yet, his plans are expensive and they will cost quite a bit of money. Many ask, how will he pay for this? The simple answer is that we finally crack down on large corporations and wealthy billionaires, and say “No, it’s time to pay.”
Just to give an example, General Electric, one of the largest manufacturing companies in the world, paid 0.0% in taxes. This is not a fake number, they used dozens and dozens of expert lawyers to find loopholes in the tax system. And trust him, the wealthy can pay for it. The top 1% owns more than the bottom 90% of America.
“But the billionaires and the millionaires work hard for their money; it shouldn’t go to some freeloader.” This is the most commonly given counter argument to any plan raising the taxes on the rich. Well, think about how someone earned so much of their money. Yes, they worked hard, studied in school, and may have stayed home to finish homework rather than going to a party. But consider this, was that person born into an environment that set them up to succeed? In many cases the rich and those who pay more in taxes, actually grew up with a much better education system, more attentive parents, and an overall better quality of life
When someone grows up in poverty, has a lack of parental care, and is a part of a very poor primary education, they are set up for failure. So it is completely just for someone who earns more to pay more, as their success was actually mostly due to a lucky childhood and environment. Also, when someone pays more in taxes, their quality of life is virtually the same. And the money that goes to someone less off, can drastically help that person's life
It is also important to set a precedent for working families in this nation. When someone works 40 hours a week, they should, at the very least, be able to put food on the table for their family. And I firmly believe that a minimum wage must become a living wage for every worker. No one should be living in poverty if they spend most of the hours in the day working. Bernie Sanders believes this too and that is why he represents the 99% of Americans.
Many criticize Sanders as having completely unrealistic goals that simply will not work in Congress. This is a very valid argument and many wonder, will he actually make public universities free? Most likely not. Will he raise the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hours? Odds are no. But this is a man who will push for those goals every waking moment. While he may not achieve exactly what he wants, he can still create steps towards those goals, creating some form of progress in this nation.
Most importantly, if you were to watch his speeches on the floor of the Senate or House of Representatives, you would see that Bernie has not altered any of his views, and he has fought for the same goals his entire life. He is the only politician I truly trust, the only one who says what he means and not what will get him elected. Sanders is not controlled by any super PAC’s or rich millionaires, his campaign is financed by the average working American. So I urge everyone to take the time to understand who he is and what he wants.
He does not want to redistribute the wealth in this country, but rather make it easier for Americans to thrive in a system that favors the rich. He wants to reward a young adult for bettering their education, rather than having them punished with crippling student debt. And may I add, these are not radical ideas.
Many other countries have implemented some of the programs and policies Sanders proposes. And guess what? These are countries ranked the happiest and most thriving countries in the world. So when someone says, “Well we aren’t Denmark” I kind of laugh because what is meant to be an insult is just an ignorant argument. So because we are “America” we shouldn't strive to ensure that every American is happy? Is that simply not what we are all about because we are not “Denmark.”
So when virtually every industrialized country says “Hey, we’ve done it! It works, we know it works,” we must listen to them. It’s time we join the rest of the world, stand up and say no more to poverty, climate change, and billionaires controlling the wealth in this nation. Vote for Bernie Sanders and witness a political change that we have not seen since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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