,
21 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
America is the only industrialized country without universal healthcare. It's also the only one without a VAT. That's not a coincidence.
The first of these statements is repeated all the time. The second you hardly hear at all.
People can bleat all they want about raising taxes on the rich and cutting spending or whatever. You want single-payer? VAT, baby, VAT!
There's a reason European countries with their awesome social welfare programs have VATs. You have to tax the middle class to pay for them.
The rich aren't rich enough and there aren't enough of them to pay for universal healthcare. Not in Europe, not in the United States.
You could expropriate every one-percenter in the country and you'd still be a few trilion bucks short.
You need $32 trillion over ten years for Berniecare. That's $3.2T per annum. Which is what Uncle Sam gets in a year. usgovernmentrevenue.com
In other words, to pay for Sanderscare, the federal government would have to double its yearly receipts.
Tell me how you double Uncle Sam's income by just raising taxes on the wealthy. Oh, right, you can't. Because you can't. Hello, VAT.
However you slice it, single-payer would be a massive tax hike on the middle class because it needs a massive tax hike on the middle class.
Honest progressives have admitted this and said if you want more generous social welfare, you must raise taxes on the middle class.
Which is why over the years there have been periodic calls for a value added tax to be implemented in the US.
But that's a political non-starter. "We're going to raise the cost of everything you buy 15-20% for government healthcare." Good luck!
There are alternatives to a VAT, of course. But I reckon doubing or tripling the payroll tax wouldn't be mighty popular, either.
"We're going to slash your paycheck 10% while your employer pockets the savings from not having to pay for insurance." Again: good luck!
Or you could do it at the other end by reducing what insurance covers and make what it doesn't more expensive out of pocket.
"Yes, we're reducing your coverage by 20% and increasing your cost of living 20%, but it's for the common good." Once more: good luck!
This is what the left is selling. Color me skeptical, but I doubt too many Americans will be buying.
Universal healthcare: costlier and crappier for everyone. Yay!
Until Bernie Sanders puts our money where his mouth is, we should call his Medicare for all plan what it is: a complete and utter sham.
OK, that's it. Enjoy this picture of a furry critter. 
