Time magazine, an already irrelevant publication in a 24/7 world, continues to try and compensate for its lost relevancy by becoming more stridently liberal. The “Visions of Equity” issue from the May 24/May 31, 2021 edition featured “40 Ways forward: actionable steps for a more equitable America.” You won’t be shocked to find out that the publication’s suggestions are mostly left-wing screeds.
Each idea is by a different author, but there are no overtly conservative, free-market ideas on how to build a better America. Here are just some of the solutions presented: “Abolish the electoral college,” “Reform taxation to narrow the wealth gap,” “Enact universal health care,” “Implement universal housing vouchers,” “Ensure all people have access to gender-affirming health care,” “Create universal pre-K,” “Commit to raising equity-conscious children.”
Boy, quite the diversity of opinions there at Time magazine! Maybe this has something to do with the faltering publication — which you probably only see now at the dentist’s office or the doctor’s — slashed circulation in 2017. As the Wall Street Journal noted at the time: “The company gradually will reduce the weekly circulation of its flagship Time magazine by one-third to 2 million copies. That move is partly a recognition that it isn’t worth it to keep printing as many promotional copies.”
(The image above is from their May 18, 2009 issue about the possible death of the GOP.)
At this point, Time magazine is simply not a news magazine. It hasn’t been for a while, but it now regularly publishes “double issues,” meaning the outdated weekly is now an even more outdated bi-weekly.
Not shockingly, the Time magazine idea for “Reforming taxation to narrow the wealth gap” includes calls for higher taxes. Writer Dorothy A. Brown lobbied, “Income from stock must be taxed the same way as income from wages. Surely rich white Americans who say Black lives matter would agree.”
The blurb on “creating universal pre-k” touts “the Biden Administration’s call for a tax on the wealthy to extend the opportunity of childcare and preschool to all.”
Activist Ady Barkan wrote the section on “Enacting universal health care.” He cheered:
President Biden has proposed an enormous investment in care for elders and people with disabilities, while Democratic leaders in Congress are pushing to lower drug prices, and to strengthen and expand Medicare. If they can pass these laws, they will move us meaningfully closer to achieving health care justice in America.
It sounds as though the bold suggestions that will bring “equity” to America amount to just doing what Joe Biden and the Democrats want. This is the kind of hack Democratic propaganda that has put Time magazine in its current state: Deeply irrelevant and barely publishing.
In 2019, I produced a study contrasting the sunny, hopeful covers Democrats receive for the magazine vs. the lunatic, cartoon reception Republicans endure. Here's a video montage of shocking bias:
