For some people, nothing compares to savoring a big, succulent hamburger with all the trimmings. Unfortunately, if U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), wins the 2020 presidential race, some may be left saying “Where’s the Beef?”
During a recent campaign event, the self-proclaimed Socialist indicated he is open to passing a “meat tax” to fight climate change.
During the event, Sanders was responding to questions from the audience when he hinted he might support the ridiculous meat tax. A person from the crowd initiated the conversation by beginning her inquiry proclaiming that “animal agriculture is to blame for the majority of climate change and is the leading cause of deforestation, water and air pollution, and biodiversity loss.”
The “obvious” activist’s question consisted of two parts. The audience member first stated, “with that being known, what do you plan on doing to ensure that Americans limit their consumption of animal products.”
She then quipped, “Germany has imposed a meat tax in hopes of limiting this consumption. What are your plans to stop these large corporations from further usurping natural resources and polluting the planet.”
Sanders responded to the inquiry by saying, “it’s a good question.” But Sanders took the activists question a step further when he declared he was open to not just instituting a meat tax, but to other kinds of crazy, hair brained schemes to tax Americans into oblivion in the name of climate change.
The 2020 presidential candidate remarked, “Thank you for the question and it’s a good question all I can say is if we believe, as I do and you do, that climate change is real we’re gonna have to tackle it in every single area including agriculture, okay?”
While Sanders is open to considering a meat tax, Caleb Howe of The Blaze contended, “A long, long time ago, way back in 2016, there was an op-ed in Philadelphia Magazine ahead of the Pennsylvania primaries regarding the idea of a soda tax. The editorial said that the proposed city tax on soda would be regressive, disproportionately affecting lower and middle class families, and thus the author of the op-ed opposed it, even though Democratic luminaries like Hillary Clinton came out in favor of it.”
Guess who wrote the op-ed that was critical of the soda tax. It was none other than the Vermont Senator himself.
Ever one to insist that he’s sticking up for impoverished Americans, Sanders argued that increasing taxes on sugary beverages, such as sodas and juice, would place a heavier burden on poor people than on more affluent individuals who could easily pay the price difference.
Given Sanders’ past arguments against a soda tax, one would think he’d certainly be wary of a meat tax. After all, meat contains healthful nutrients such as iron and b vitamins that voters need whereas sugary beverages are often nothing more than empty calories.
The Blaze’s Howe maintained, “Yet when answering this obvious extremist on her crazy proposals to avert the impending Armageddon her particular religion so fervently believes in and fears, Sanders said it was a good question and that he would certainly look at agriculture and take action. ‘You’re right,’ he said in answer to her question about imposing a meat tax and other oppressive restrictions to force people to change their habits.” Concluding, Howe stated, “What a difference two and a half years makes.”
Besides potentially making hard-working Americans pay a meat tax, Sanders also wants to take away from them the tax cuts passed by Congress during President Donald J. Trump’s tenure at the White House. On September 1, 2019, the Socialist Senator warned the “corrupt, greedy corporate elite” who benefited from the Trump tax cuts to “spend that money quick” before he rolls back the legislation.
While speaking at a town hall in Dover, New Hampshire, Sanders commented, “The first thing that we are going to tell them is that Trump and his friends may have given them over a trillion dollars in tax breaks, but they had better spend that money quick because we are going to… rescind those tax breaks as soon as we get into office.”
During a Fox News town hall in April, anchor Bret Baier reminded Sanders that he himself actually benefited from the President’s tax bill. The 2020 presidential candidate was quick to point out that he voted against the measure. Sanders told Baier, “in my view … wealthy people and large corporations that are making billions in profits should start paying their fair share of taxes.”
Of course, to pay for Socialist Sanders’ outrageous entitlements, everyone, wealthy Americans and the middle-class alike, will have to pay higher taxes. They may even see a sharp hike in their grocery bills when buying their favorite cuts of beef.
