10 ways Bernie Sanders would make the economy work for everyone

[DonViejo]

America is facing income inequality unseen since the Great Depression. Working Americans are rightfully fed up

JONATHAN TASINI, CHELSEA GREEN PUBLISHING

This article is excerpted from The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America by Jonathan Tasini (Chelsea Green Publishing, September 2015) and is published here with permission of the publisher. The book will be available nationwide on September 8th, which is Sanders’ birthday. For more information.)

“What a lot of people are feeling (about Sanders) is that there is somebody speaking to their issues. I think that’s why you’re seeing so many people come out. People are sick and tired of corporate America, both Republican and Democrat.”

—Troy Jackson, a logger from Allagash and former majority leader of the Maine Senate

Everyone cares about how the government spends its money, especially people who embrace the idea that smart, progressive government is a force for good. From the time he was watching taxpayer money as mayor of Burlington right up through his service in the House and Senate, Bernie has always looked for the proper balance between, on the one hand, strong, effective programs that look out for the people and, on the other, financing those programs by asking people who earn more to pay their fair share.

Even before his current campaign for the White House, Bernie thought through, in ten easy steps, a plan to meet human needs by raising hundreds of billions of dollars from the wealthy and corporations, and by reducing wasteful spending. Not a single dime from the list below would come from working people.?—J.T.

Ten Fair Ways to Reduce the Deficit and Create Jobs

At a time when we are experiencing more wealth and income inequality than at any time since the 1920s, and when Wall Street and large corporations are enjoying record breaking profits, I believe that we should be asking the very wealthiest people in this country to start paying their fair share of taxes. That way, we will not only lower the deficit but we will bring in enough revenue to invest in our economy and create the millions of new jobs we desperately need.

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http://www.salon.com/2015/08/07/10_ways_to_make_the_economy_work_for_everyone_partner/

[frazzled]

1. He must be a member of the Green Lantern Corps!

Each of these ten points is an admirable goal, and each has been a talking point among Democrats for years. I suppose you may think that they didn't accomplish any of the points for lack of will: they've got the power, if only they would try harder! Bernie, by dint of trying harder and using his magical powers, will actually be able to make it happen!

Today, Ezra Klein at Vox, in analyzing the amazing chutzpah of the Trump performance last night and inexplicable response he is getting, said this:

Is it lunacy? Sure. But it's an appealing kind of lunacy. It's the ultimate Green Lantern Theory of the American Presidency. Candidates always promise that by virtue of their force of character, they will be able to do what their predecessors couldn't, while making fewer compromises than their predecessors made. It's what the people want to hear.

http://www.vox.com/2015/8/6/9114505/donald-trump-honey-badger-gop-debate

The Green Lantern theory of the American Presidency is a reference to this:

What is the Green Lantern Theory of the Presidency?

According to Brendan Nyhan, the Dartmouth political scientist who coined the term, the Green Lantern Theory of the Presidency is "the belief that the president can achieve any political or policy objective if only he tries hard enough or uses the right tactics." In other words, the American president is functionally all-powerful, and whenever he can't get something done, it's because he's not trying hard enough, or not trying smart enough.

Nyhan further separates it into two variants: "the Reagan version of the Green Lantern Theory and the LBJ version of the Green Lantern Theory." The Reagan version, he says, holds that "if you only communicate well enough the public will rally to your side." The LBJ version says that "if the president only tried harder to win over congress they would vote through his legislative agenda." In both cases, Nyhan argues, "we've been sold a false bill of goods."

Wait, how did the Green Lantern get involved in all this?

The Green Lantern Corps is a fictional, intergalactic peacekeeping entity that exists in DC comics. Members of the Corps get a power ring that capable of creating green energy projections of almost unlimited power. The only constraint is the willpower and imagination of the ring's wearer. There was a long period of time when the ring was ineffective against the color yellow but in more recent comics that's just "the Parallax fear anomaly" at work and with enough courage and willpower, the ring works just fine against the color yellow.

http://www.vox.com/2014/5/20/5732208/the-green-lantern-theory-of-the-presidency-explained

Okay, this is all I'm saying: I support each of the points Sanders is espousing. But I'm well enough ensconced in the reality-based community that I don't think that Bernie Sanders, through his exceptional communicative powers, or through his as-yet-unproven ability to win over supermajorities in Congress, can accomplish much of this at all. In fact, I don't think his willpower, admirable as it is, is even enough to convince enough primary voters of his agenda. It's sad, but true: we don't live in the land of Super Heroes.

Conclusion: I think this article and thread are mistitled. I think it should read simply "Ten Ways the Economy Could Theoretically Be Made to Work for Everyone."

[Scuba]

2. Right, 'cause sensible liberals realize ...

[Doctor_J]

3. there was most certainly a lack of will

Mr Obama did nothing that the billionaires didn't approve of. In fact, as soon as the campaign was over, he never again mentioned anything that might upset the owning class. He was relieved when the dems got trounced in 2010, so he could stop pretending.

You are admitting to supporting Clinton because she admits to being a corporate water carrier. You don't even want to entertain the idea of taking the country back from the corporations. How revolting.

[shenmue]

4. Huh?

"Mr Obama did nothing that the billionaires didn't approve of."

Huh? Have you been living under a rock for seven years?

[artislife]

5. This sounds hauntingly familiar

Magical Negro, anyone?

I cannot believe you would use this line of debate...it proved so distasteful in 2008.