Thursday, June 13, 2019

"Bernie's Bill of Rights"

Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) just gave a speech at Georgetown University in which he espoused a number of 'rights:'

1.  Medicare for all - health care should be a right, and not a privilege, according to Bernie and all leftists.

2.  Everybody has a right to a living wage of $15.00/hour or more.

3.  Everybody has a right to free higher education.

I think he listed a few more 'rights', but these three are the ones I recall him blathering about.  If you ask me, a 'right' that is granted to you shouldn't cost me anything, because I should have a right to keep the money I earned.  Sounds reasonable, right?

The Bill of Rights (1st ten Amendments to the Constitution) are all granted to U.S. citizens and don't cost other citizens anything at all: the right to bear arms is just that; that doesn't mean that you are granted the right to have a free firearm given to you.  The right to practice freely whatever religion you choose, that's also in the Bill of Rights, but that does not mean I must be forced to build you a church so that you can practice your freedom of religion.

These 'Rights' that Bernie says we all should have are not rights, or at least not the definition of a right that the Founding Fathers had in mind when they set up our system of government.  These rights of Bernie cost a lot of money to somebody other than the holder of the 'right.'

A right of free college sounds good, but college costs big bucks, and if that right is granted to somebody, someone else pays for it, namely the taxpayer.  And when taxpayers are forced to fund free stuff for others, that's called theft and it's nowhere near considered a 'right.'  

The 'right' to make a minimum of $15/hour, sounds pretty good.  But that is not a right, if employers are required to fund a position that is worth $7/hour to them, then they are being squeezed by an additional $8/hour per 'right holding employee.'  Notice that McDonald's and other fast food establishments may be forced to pay a minimum wage, but as of yet they are not forced to hire anybody if they choose not to: kiosks are starting to pop up in these restaurants, which require only an initial capital investment, and subsequent ZERO wages afterwards.  The effect of this 'right' to make $15/hour winds up granting the 'right holder' an effective wage of $0.00/hour, when his job is automated.  

Bernie's Bill of Rights sounds good to free loaders, sponges and ne-er-do-wells.  But to the rest of us, it just sounds like re-packaged socialism in a box called 'rights.'