Category: Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders has taken US politics by storm.  While conventional wisdom holds that a ascribed Democratic Socialist with no Super PAC would be able to compete with the powerhouse support of someone like Hillary Clinton, Sanders has apparently not received the notice. He polls well within both the Democratic base as well as the general electorate.


Sanders has a long history of activism and political office.  His activism includes the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and some peace and antiwar movements.  During his attendance at the University of Chicago, he was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.  His political offices have included being mayor, and a member of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump



While Sanders supporters will take exception to this, he has been regarded as the mirror image of Donald Trump.  While their policies could not be more different, both men appear to have tapped into a general discontent with ‘politics as usual.’

 

 

Bernie Sanders and the 90% Tax Rate Myth

Bernie Sanders

Myth: Bernie Sanders has called for a 90% tax rate

Fact: Bernie Sanders’ tax plan has been released, and it is a top marginal tax rate of 52% (meaning income above $10,000,000 would be taxed at that rate). The 90% figure comes from his alluding to the fact that the top marginal tax rate has been as high as 92% (including under Republican President, Dwight Eisenhower) with no apparent loss in economic growth.

A History of the Top Marginal Tax Rate

The chart below shows the history of the top marginal tax rate in the US. From the great depression until John F Kennedy, it remained near 90%. Under JFK, the rate would be lowered to around 70% where it would remain until t would be reduced further under President Reagan. Today’s 39% is actually quite low in relation to the post world war 2 years.Continue reading

Is Bernie Sanders Jewish

Bernie Sanders,

Bernie Sanders Facts and Myths

If Senator Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic nomination and is elected as the President of the United States, he will be the first Jewish President in the nation’s history. Although Sanders does not describe himself as particularly religious, his roots are in Judaism with a deep family history in Poland. As with many Jewish families who immigrated to the United States in the age of the Holocaust, their Jewish faith is deeply intertwined with this difficult history.Continue reading