by Chance Palm

Bernie Sanders: Elementary school basketball champion turned political activist who marched with MLK and then went on to become a carpenter, filmmaker and writer. Afterwards he ran to become mayor of Burlington, VT, and next went to Congress in 1988 and then went on to win every race by large margins until early 2015 when he decided to run for President of the United States, all the while never changing his political opinions and remaining consistent in his agenda to end unfair wages and wealth inequality, promote women’s rights, end racial bias and destroy corruption.
He describes himself a socialist and is misunderstood by just about everyone. The US is partly socialist, along with nearly every other nation on earth, all to varying degrees. The most “socialist” countries on earth because of their government-run programs, also happens to be the happiest countries on Earth (counting out dictatorial regimes) according to neuroscientists, statisticians and economists. Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden and Norway are all defying the current ideas of economists (many of whom are on Wall Street) whose high taxes and welfare state have led to strong economies and happy populations.
The United Sates used to be even more socialist than all of these countries. During the Eisenhower presidency, the top income tax rate was 90 percent compared to Sweden, who is currently sitting at 61.25% tax rate. The idea of a 90% tax rate has not been abandoned by all economists. In fact, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman said that a 90% tax rate would bring down inequality to levels that help the economy. Sanders wants the United States’ top tax rate to be 52% with a $15 minimum wage.
Sanders would put wealth into the hands of working Americans who go out and buy things that stimulate the economy rather than in the hands of the already rich top executives. Income inequality is very bad for the economy. Consider the 1940’s through 1960’s when wealth inequality was at an all-time low. Top executives of companies lived the lives of normal folks. Fortune magazine said, “If he is a top executive, he lives on an economic scale not too different from that of the man on the next-lower income rung.”
The question is why did these top executives not leave America in the dust and take their money and companies  where there is a nice tax haven? One belief is that they could not go to Europe, which had been devastated by World War II, which is a terrible explanation considering Europe was doing fine thanks to the Marshall Plan. Those executives did not leave and there is no reason to believe that they would leave now.
The US is the biggest economic power in the world and leaving the United States would spell certain doom for them. Also, the US right now is a tax haven, third lowest in the world, according to the Tax Justice Network, and raising taxes would even us out to the regular country. Sanders’ single payer plan is estimated to save the average family of four around 12% of their income and his free public college tuition is easily paid for by a 5% tax on Wall Street.
If your issue isn’t his policies and whether or not he is even able to be elected to President if he were to win the Democratic nomination, then what is your problem with Sanders? In nearly every poll with him head to head with the Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, Bernie wins by 15 points where Hilary can only win by two points. Bernie Sanders is on the forefront of a progressive agenda, gaining a plethora of support especially from people not usually involved in politics. No Super Pac is needed for Bernie Sanders whose average donation is only a measly 33 dollars paid for by the average American where Hillary Clinton’s top donor is the bank Citigroup. The best way to ensure a democratic win and bright future is to caucus for Bernie.