Bernie Sanders is back in the spotlight. And this time, he’s not just mumbling about the one percent – he’s shouting about it. Sanders, the “democratic socialist” senator from Vermont, is raising his voice, and it’s all caught on camera.
So, what got Bernie’s feathers all ruffled? A proposal for a 32-hour workweek. Now, I’m all for a shorter workweek – who isn’t? But when you start talking about enforcing overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for workdays longer than eight hours and double for those exceeding 12 hours, my eyebrows start to raise. And when you insist that this reduction in work hours should not negatively impact workers’ salaries and benefits, well, that’s when I start to wonder if Bernie’s been hanging out with the unicorns again.
The confrontation started when Fox Business correspondent Hillary Vaughn innocently asked Sanders about his proposed workweek reduction. “Can I talk to you about the 32-hour work week? It seems like… Democrats want businesses to be taxed more, pay their workers…” Vaughn began. But oh boy, did Bernie have a bone to pick with that. “Really? Is that what you think?” Sanders retorted. And then, he really let loose.
Sanders launched into a tirade about worker productivity, wealth distribution, and tax rates. Apparently, Sanders believes that because American workers are over 400% more productive than they were in the 1940s, they should be working fewer hours for the same pay. I mean, who needs economic reality when you’ve got socialist ideals, right?
Sanders also had a few choice words for billionaire Jeff Bezos. “When Mr. Bezos pays an effective tax rate lower than the average worker, I think we have a real problem in our tax system… I think that billionaires have got to start paying their fair share of taxes,” Sanders argued. Ah, the old ‘fair share’ argument. Never gets old, does it?
Bernie Sanders loses it after Fox Business Network’s Hillary Vaughn PRESSES him over his proposal for a 32-hour work week with no pay reduction
Sanders: 'Many of our people are exhausted. We work longest hours of any people in the industrialized world… I think it is time for a… pic.twitter.com/b4WICUEyhh
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) March 14, 2024
So once again, we have Bernie Sanders, shouting about the one percent and proposing unicorns for everyone. Or, well, a 32-hour workweek at least.