Joe Biden is telling Sanders supporters he agrees with Bernie on the ends, but not the means. Is he right?
Mostly, yes, but not completely. Here is my analysis:
- Some disputes are not about ends or means, but whether the goal is realistic. M4A is a perfect example. Biden, like Obama before him, undoubtedly would agree that single-payer would be the best available system if you could start from scratch. The best way of funding such a system is not the issue–it is whether you could actually get the system through Congress. In Biden’s eyes, the answer is no, and there is no point in trying, regardless of its merits.
- The Sanders/Warren wealth tax is a good example of a dispute over means. Biden accepts the proposition that we need to reduce inequality and provide a better safety net through tax increases on the wealthy; he just doesn’t think a wealth tax is the best way to get there.
- Some foreign policy questions could be described as being more about ends than means. Biden clearly envisions an America that is more engaged with the world, and has a stronger military presence, than Sanders.
- It is probably fair to say that Sanders wants America to look like a much larger version of Denmark, while Biden wants America to be a more just and equal version of its current self. The difference is one of degree, but it relates to ends, not means.