No-Tax Socialism Is So Stupid It’s Perfect
When you're going nuts, go all the way
Last week, Bernie Sanders-backed Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed gave an answer to a question about preserving Social Security that was so remarkable that an “On this spot in 2026…” plaque might be needed to commemorate the event. Here it is:
Absolutely phenomenal. That answer was the Willy Wonka seven course dinner gum of dumb political answers, in that the many flavors of stupid just keep hitting you until your sense are overwhelmed.
The first problem is that El-Sayed answered a question about how to protect Social Security with a scheme to raise less revenue. The scheme would benefit elderly land-owners, a wealthy demographic, so a progressive making this proposal is a bit like a Klansman making a generous donation to Howard University. After proposing a tax cut on wealth, El-Sayed suggested paying for it with a wealth tax, and then capped his answer — which, I’ll remind you, was supposed to be about raising revenue and/or cutting spending — by proposing more spending on something totally unrelated. Also: Property taxes are levied at the state and local level, but El-Sayed is running for US Senate, so his whole answer is like promising to cut sales taxes in Jakarta. Just boffo stuff — if political numbskullery was art, then we just watched the Mona Lisa get painted. My only note is that El-Sayed should have found a way for his pants to fall down while accompanied by old-timey car horn going “AAAROOOOOOOOO-GAH!” — that would have elevated his response from transcendent comedy to perfect comedy.
