Bill Maher has never been afraid to be outspoken in anything that he does. While usually labeled a liberal, he’s always willing to brush against those who occupy the left with criticism, which has earned him a bit of an outsider status in the political world. That has allowed him to speak his mind even more freely, and he has, jumping on topics like gun control, comparing Donald Trump to bawdy stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay and even talking about problematic liberals who deny science.
In his latest editorial on Real Time With Bill Maher, he broaches an interesting topic that Republicans have been harping on for a while now; that states are the “laboratories of democracy.” One of the main targets is the concept of the “trickle down” theory that has been spoken about and attempted for years, with Maher providing examples of clear failure in the economic theory in Kansas and Louisiana. He then turns his focus to California, which was seen as an economic disaster under Republican leadership and how it turned itself around.
“Because after Arnold left office, we eliminated what scientists would call ‘variables,’ in this case the Republicans. Democrats from Governor on down control every office and voting body in this state, so we can really see what happens when liberal policies are tried unimpeded. And the only thing that I have to say to Republicans about that is; scoreboard, bitches.”
From there he detailed how California was able to reform its energy and immigration policies, for example, and how conservatives saw them as wrong moves, only for the state to flourish under the changes.
“But the sky didn’t fall, the unemployment did, and growth shot up to over 4%, and a $26 billion deficit became an $11 billion surplus.”
Maher explains that it was all the culmination of raising taxes on the rich as opposed to lowering taxes on them and hoping that they’ll stimulate the economy. He closes his argument that if states are “laboratories for democracy” then why is everyone wasting time with failed experiments?