Was Republicans’ BBB just socialism for the ultra-rich?

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 8, 2025

It seems to this reader that the recently passed spending and tax bill provides a big Christmas morning for the uber wealthy, and coal for the rest of us.

As I recall, the groundwork for the chainsaw DOGE cuts suggested that it was an effort to bring the national debt under control. Now that this Trojan Horse has breached the gates, Bernie Sanders’ question seems pretty astute: “In a time of prosperity, does it seem like a great idea to add to the tax burden of the middle and lower income people, take away their medical coverage, and increase the debt in order to make the very rich even richer?” You can call him a socialist if you want, but along with that knee-jerk response, perhaps answer his question also.

It might also be worth noting that the two countries in the world most frequently cited as “social democracies” — Denmark and Sweden — also occupy second and fourth place on the Forbes “Happiest Countries in the World” list. The United States comes in at No. 23.

Anthony Smith

Snohomish