Mar 5, 2019 - Health

David Brooks: Without faith in government, "Medicare for All" is a pipe dream

Axios

In this image, a demonstrator holds a sign that reads "Medicare for All." — Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

David Brooks writes in his New York Times column Tuesday that Democrats' "Medicare for All" is a pipe dream, because it requires massive faith in an unworthy and mistrusted government.

"There's no plausible route from here to there. ... If America were a blank slate, Medicare for All would be a plausible policy, but we are not a blank slate. At this point, the easiest way to get to a single-payer system would probably be to go back to 1776 and undo that whole American Revolution thing."

Sneak peek: The findings of the Axios Harris Poll 100, a partnership between Axios and Harris Poll dropping tomorrow, will bolster Brooks' point:

For 20 years, Harris Poll has been measuring the reputations of the most high-profile American companies. This year, for the first time, people mentioned the U.S. government as a "company" that they think about — and they hate it.

Go deeper: New Medicare for All proposal goes beyond Bernie Sanders

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David Brooks: Without faith in government, "Medicare for All" is a pipe dream

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