Ken Berwitz
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Sanders offer convenient scapegoatsand simple-sounding solutions. For Mr. Sanders, the “greed” of the “billionaireclass” has rigged the system against working people. Tax the 1 percent, andeveryone else can have free college and free health care. Political obstaclescan be swept away by a “political revolution.” America\’s enemies will be foughtby a mythical Sunni Muslim coalition. The villains for Mr. Trump are “stupid” people running the government who allow foreigners to take advantage of theUnited States. The solution – well, his solution – is to elect Mr. Trump.
We think both men are dangerously if seductively wrong intheir facile diagnoses and prescriptions. But Mr. Sanders\’s platform is atleast well-meaning. We think forcing working people to subsidize, through theirtaxes, the college tuition of wealthier Americans is not a progressive policy;we believe Mr. Sanders has not leveled with Americans about the true costs ofsingle-payer health care. But few would object in theory to more widelyavailable education and health care.
By contrast, Mr. Trump\’s proposals are pernicious as well aspreposterous. There is no way to round up 11 million illegal immigrants anddeport them – but no one should want to live in a nation that would attemptsuch a thing. Nor would most Americans want a government that deliberatelykills the innocent relatives of terrorists.
Mr. Trump is mocking the democratic process, not engaging init. He feels no obligation to explain how he would implement his ideas, and hedoes not care whether his statements are true.
