Fighting oligarchy from the P.J.: <\/strong>Sen. Bernie Sanders (I\u2013Vt.) and I actually have a lot in common: We both think private jets are super cool. The only problem is that he’s trying to brand himself as “fighting oligarchy,” whereas I have no interest in being a foot soldier in that fight.<\/p>\n

Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D\u2013N.Y.) have been traveling the country doing speaking events and rallies on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which aims to “take on the oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country.”<\/p>\n

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Sanders\u2014who <\/span>enjoys<\/a> a house in Burlington, Vermont, another one in D.C., and a third at Lake Champlain, all of which he says are modest properties\u2014might be part of the very oligarchy he claims to want to smash. He mentions on <\/span>Lex Fridman’s show<\/a> that he didn’t receive some massive inheritance; he grew up poor, but it’s his book deals, his royalties, and his $175,000 annual salary that allow him and his wife to afford their homes. He notes that he drives an old car and just has a watch and a wedding ring, but that now they’re financially secure such that they don’t have to worry about surprise medical bills, which is “enormous” for their family. Good!<\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
What Sanders appears to dislike is vulgar wealth. But what he doesn’t understand is that his spending, justify it as he might, probably looks showy to those who are poorer than him. How many Americans have ever been on a private jet or owned a vacation home?<\/p>\n
More importantly, what Sanders is describing\u2014his slow crawl up the socioeconomic ladder, due to\u00a0writing books that people value and want to read and representing ideas that people value and want to circulate and his ability to enjoy the attendant conveniences\u2014is exactly\u00a0<\/em>what capitalists like me want more of (though ideally the ideas themselves would be better). If you subtract all the socialism-peddling, Bernie Sanders is an American success story who went from rags to (modest) riches. More of this, please!<\/p>\n
Plenty of fellow politicians are beclowning themselves by suggesting that, of course, Sanders has to fly private:<\/p>\n
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Bernie Sanders is 83 and had to be in multiple states in the same day. In that situation you fly private.<\/p>\n
— Andrew Yang???? $\"\u2b06\"$ ???????? (@AndrewYang) May 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n