Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont democratic socialist, has spent decades floating one bad idea after another. Thankfully, most of his plans haven’t advanced much beyond his congressional website. 

But Sanders’ newest terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea may well be his worst yet. And as the socialist branch of the Democratic Party grows stronger, Americans can’t afford to simply laugh at Sanders’ way-out-in-left-field proposals any longer.

On June 18, Sanders introduced legislation in the Senate that would confiscate 50% of the ownership of America’s most successful artificial intelligence companies.

By Sanders’ own estimate, his bill would strip $7 trillion out of the private sector through a 50% tax on AI companies’ stocks. The confiscated stocks would be deposited in a government-owned and managed fund, with plans to eventually redistribute a portion of the wealth through $1,000 payments to “everyone in America.”

Sanders’ plan also would force companies like Microsoft and SpaceX to split off their AI operations into separate businesses, a move that would shatter the value of their legacy stocks.

Does Sanders care his plan would hurt 401(k)s?

The damage that Sanders’ proposal would do to the stock markets, Americans’ retirement........

© USA TODAY