Bill O’Reilly is concerned that Bernie Sanders is for real
Bill O’Reilly spending as much time as he did smearing and misrepresenting Bernie Sanders’ economic proposals proves the Right is scared they will attract voters. His commentary is designed to inoculate the citizenry from what is best for them. His goal is to maintain the status quo. Of course most Americans know that the status quo is responsible for the continual decline of the middle-class.
Bill O’Reilly says that Sanders want to destroy Wall Street and the big banks and provide Americans with free healthcare. That statement is categorically false. Bernie Sanders’ plan follows the tenets of single-payer, Medicare-for-all, where it is funded from a progressive tax. Most pay based on their income. In other words, unlike today, everyone has skin in the game. Today the uninsured and underinsured are ultimately covered by those who are fully insured. That has not changed with Obamacare. Someone not paying an emergency room bill is paid for by taxpayers or those with full insurance ultimately.
Obamacare has made insurance much more available and instituted protections that prevent private insurance companies from cancelling policies, charging women more, or denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions, and much more. Cost is still a big problem because private insurance still skims up to 20% of premiums for shareholder dividends, duplicate insurance executive exorbitant salaries, duplicate databases, duplicate advertising and capital costs, and more.
As far as a patient is concerned, the sole purpose of the insurance company is to pay a bill. Taking 20% out of all premiums to do what Medicare does for 2% is insanity. The fact is, using private insurance to pay a health care bill is much less efficient than having a single-payer, Medicare-for-all payer.
It is true that Bernie Sanders wants free tuition for all public colleges and universities, mandatory family leave, and support for childcare. Just like primary and secondary schools are free, so should colleges and universities. Why? It is an investment in the country’s future. Whereas a high school education would suffice in the past it no longer does. Now a college education is necessary for the type of economy we want. If one believes in families, then family leave and support for child care are no brainers.
We decide the type of society we want and then create laws to have it realized. Business will adapt and flourish in whatever economy created as long as it is an even playing field for all. A moral society sets humane rules first. Business must then adapt.
Bill O’Reilly’s claim that Bernie Sander’s policies would bankrupt the nation is simply a fear tactic. No single-payer country is bankrupt. In fact their medical outcomes are far better than ours and their cost far lower.
Why is Bernie Sanders hard on Wall Street, Drug companies, and Insurance companies? Because they are the root cause of purchasing politicians that prevent middle-class centric policies from being effected. Americans will start voting in their own interest when they drop the irrational fear transmitted to them over the airwaves and through other venues, from calculating political hacks whose intent is to deceive.