The Left always has a hard time defending their insane policies. This case was no different.
As a radical Leftist Senator got utterly embarrassed after being called out in an interview.
Bernie Sanders’ Socialist Answer to AI Misses the Mark on Human Purpose
On a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, now 83, stepped away from his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour to wrestle with a question regarding America’s future: what happens when artificial intelligence (AI) upends jobs and redefines life? In nearly two hours with host Joe Rogan, Sanders leaned on his familiar socialist playbook—government handouts and wealth taxes—but stumbled when pressed on how people find meaning in a world where work is no longer central.
Rogan zeroed in on the human cost of automation, citing Andrew Yang’s warnings about its sweeping impact. Yang’s idea of universal basic income might put cash in pockets, but Rogan saw through it.
“Andrew Yang was talking about this giant epidemic of automation in this country and the solution being universal basic income, but that’s not the solution for meaning,” Rogan stated. “And how do we convince all of these people that they have to not just take this money from the government, but also take action to give themselves meaning in their lives?”
Sanders tried to spin the issue as a grand opportunity, calling it “a revolution in human experience.” He mused, “So throughout history, people have worked so hard just to stay alive, right? If you don’t need to do work, right, because we’re wealthy enough, how do you find meaning in your life?”
But his dodge was clear: don’t get too cozy with AI. “All I would say at this moment is the answer is not to fall in love with your AI creature out there,” he said, sidestepping the deeper question.
Rogan wasn’t buying it. “Yeah, don’t do that,” he shot back. “But also, how do you find meaning? How do you—if all you’re doing is just getting a check, and you can just stay at home and stare at the TV, and the money keeps coming, and then you eat processed food all day, and it’s all subsidized, what is life?” Rogan’s point was sharp: a life of government dependence risks hollowing out the human spirit.
Sanders doubled down on his socialist fix—more government programs. “I think you tell those workers, you’re going to have health care as a human right, you’re going to have education as a human right, you’re going to have a decent income as a human right, and we’re going to lower—substantially lower—the work week,” he said.
It’s a predictable pitch: free stuff and less work, courtesy of taxpayers. But when Rogan asked what comes next, when AI wipes out even more jobs, Sanders admitted he’s stumped.
“It’s hard to imagine,” he said. “Then the answer will be that we are going to have to find different meaning in life. We have to find it in ourselves in ways that you don’t know and I don’t know, because we’re not there yet.”
Sanders offered vague optimism—“I think human beings are capable of replacing work with other emotionally satisfying things”—but no real plan.
Rogan pressed the scale of the problem: “What do you do to all those people to give them some sort of a sense of meaning? You’re essentially redefining life for them.”
Sanders’ response? Basically a shrug. “I don’t have the answer to that question,” he said. “That’s the problem. I don’t think anybody does.”
Yet, despite no solution, Sanders pivoted to his go-to target: the wealthy. “The people who own that technology and the corporations who utilize that [AI] technology are becoming phenomenally richer,” he said.
“And that is the issue. Which gets back to things like tax reform, like making sure that in America, we do not have the massive levels of income and wealth inequality that we currently have.” It’s the same tired refrain—tax the rich, redistribute the wealth, and hope it fixes everything.
From a conservative perspective, Sanders’ vision is a recipe for dependency, not dignity. Work gives people purpose, pride, and a stake in their communities. Handing out checks while shortening work weeks risks creating a nation of idlers, not innovators.
AI’s challenges demand solutions that empower individuals—through education reform, job retraining, and policies that unleash entrepreneurship—not cradle-to-grave government care. Sanders’ socialism may promise security, but it ignores the human need for achievement and self-reliance. As Rogan’s questions exposed, no amount of “free” can fill the void of a life without meaning.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
