HEY FUCKER, YOU PLANNING ON VOTING?

Hello. I'd like to discuss the candidacies of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders
from an objective point of view, free from kneejerk opposition or support for
either. I believe there has been a lot of false rhetoric thrown around by both
sides of the divide between them and it would be nice to clear some of it up,
especially as primary results continue to paint a clearer picture of November.
The first thing to consider is that the American people have made their
voices heard in the recent primaries, and it is clear that the outstanding
majority do not want to see an establishment candidate from the DNC or GOP
in the White House this year. Both Sanders and Trump are political outsiders,
with a paramount interest in keeping Hillary Clinton out of office.

SECTION 1: STATESIDE POLICY

Both candidates also agree that our educational system is failing
young Americans and that healthcare is not falling into the hands of enough
citizens. Their differences in these aspects lie in how they seek to solve these
problems.
EDUCATION
In the Trump camp, education will be reformed through the abolition of
Common Core Initiative standards -- standards of education iomposed on
states by withholding federal assistance and waivers if they are not complied
with. Members of both parties agree that these have not done much to
improve the average American's K-12 education and have created additional
workload and stress for teachers. Trump also advocates charter schools,
which receive public funding but do not have to adhere to guidelines
published by the state or fed. Sanders' focus in regard to education is pointed
at higher education and less on K-12 reform. He plans to nationalize college
education, using increased taxes on stock trade and middle-to-upper class
Americans to foot the bill.
Trump Pros/Cons
+ Common Core reform
+ State-focused education allows states to choose what is best for them
- No clear plan to mitigate college tuition/student debt
- Charter schools must be closely monitored
Bernie Pros/Cons

+ Student debt forgiveness opens up opportunities for young people

- Taxing stock trade does not encourage businesses to operate in the US
- Increasing taxes on the lowest tax brackets is questionable even with free
healthcare
HEALTHCARE
Trump's healthcare plan is multifaceted; It will begin with repealing the
Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), then allowing insurance companies to
compete across state lines freely, a move which is designed to encourage
competetive pricing. Medicare and Medicaid benefits programs will be
bolstered to protect our poor and seniors. Health insurance premiums will be
deducted from tax payments, making care effectively free within certain
margins. The use of HSA (Health savings account)s will be allowed and
encouraged to supplement hospital costs for those who decide not to
purchase insurance or for those who would like to have extra cash on hand
for care. Sanders' plan is more direct, but a bit more vague. In a nutshell, he
plans to completely socialize healthcare in the US in similar fashion to
European nations. Sanders touts the savings businesses will accumulate by
no longer having to pay for their employees' benefits, but it is important to
remember that all businesses will be charged a new 6.2% tax on all annual
revenue to help fund this program along with tax hikes for all American tax
brackets from $0 to $250,000.
Trump Pros/Cons
+ Affordable care with less federal oversight
+ HSAs encourage smart saving and reward those who use them with
interest
+ Medicare and Medicaid will be a safety net for those in need, even better
than it currently is
+Tax deductions make insurance payments very low-impact
+Lower premiums in states that saw increases after Obamacare (rates
doubled in 11 states)
-The wealthy have wider care options
-Requires House/Senate/Exec coordination for several bills
-Unknown how necessary HSAs will be
Bernie Pros/Cons

+ Socialized medicine provides an equal standard of care for all

+Good PR in the eyes of the western world
+Employers no longer have to pay for benefits
-Tax hikes
-Possible waiting lists/complications as seen in Canada and UK
-Difficult if not impossible to pass with a Republican dominated gov't
TRADE
Sanders opposes all current free trade agreements and his Senate
voting record has been consistent with this platform. He also voted for the US
to exit the World Trade Organization in 2000.
Trump also opposes NAFTA and the TPP wholeheartedly and plans to
block TPP and repeal NAFTA. Trump is not on bad terms with Russian leader
Vladimir Putin, which is a good thing for international stability and trade.
Trump Pros/Cons
+ Solid relations with Russia can lead to improvement in Syria, Ukraine, and
South China Sea
+ Improved deals with Russia can stimulate growth in their economy making
them a more valuable trade partner in the future
+Opposition to NAFTA and TPP limits corporate corruption
- Negative PR if Trump allies with Russia
Bernie Pros/Cons
+ Opposition to NAFTA and TPP limits corporate corruption
- Isolationist trade policies may hurt the economy in the name of freedom

IMMIGRATION
As you surely know, this is the issue that Trump has caught the greatest
amount of criticism over. His extremely strong stance on immigration
includes hiring 3 times the current amount of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) agents assigned to the border, the erection of 1000 miles
of border wall with Mexico, establishing a database of foreign refugees in the
United States, a no-tolerance policy for amnesty, and deporting all illegal

immigrants currently in US prisons. The border wall will be funded at least in

part by revenue generated from tariffs imposed on imports from Mexico. This
is a two-headed spear, designed to cut costs and to strongarm American
companies into withdrawing from Mexico. Trump has also called for the
temporary halting of further refugee influx into the US to sort out immigration
policy and redesign. Trump plans to place American job opportunities ahead
of those of immigrants and refugees, meaning that citizens will be given
priority over guest workers and those with refugee visas.
Bernie's immigration stances are much more reserved, to the point of no real
plan being outlined. I don't mean that as an insult, it's just not a large part of
the Sanders campaign for better or for worse. What he has mentioned is
"comprehensive reform", but exactly what that means is uncertain. Sanders
supports a route to citizenship for all illegal immigrants, but believes that
immigrants and guest workers drive down American wages. While confusing,
this may be cleared up later in his campaign.
Trump Pros/Cons
+ Wall project will generate jobs for the short (construction) and long
(security and maintenance) term, similar to Interstate Highway System
+ ICE expansion will create jobs, limit drug traffic and thereby overdose
deaths, secure larger portions of the border
+Limiting refugee intake saves money on documentation and reduces stress
on available housing
+ Influenced by Israeli policies that have been successful in their country
+ Giving serious attention to the border will bring media attention to cartel
violence and corruption in the Mexican government, may lead to reform
+ Tariffs on Mexican imports will encourage the return of American
companies
+ Deporting foreign prisoners saves enormous amounts of money per year
- Refugee database has little use when considering existing methods of
tracking foreign nationals
- Return of American business will cut Mexican jobs and may further
destabilize the country
- Tariffs raise consumer costs
- Negative PR for limited refugee intake

Sanders Pros/Cons
+ Solid PR for the United States
+ All options remain on the table for negotiation with Mexico
- No clear plan to deal with drug trade
- Keeping factories in Mexico empowers the corporate corruption Bernie
stands against

SECTION 2: FOREIGN POLICY

COMING SOON