Question

What is the #YangGang hashtag?

Answer 1

The #YangGang hashtag is used to express support for 2020 Democratic candidate Andrew Yang.The 44-year-old Asian American businessman announced his candidacy back on Nov. 6, 2017, and his relatively unconventional platform appeals to many younger voters. His central issue is the creation of the “Freedom Dividend,” a universal basic income that would provide every American adult with $1,000 per month.Yang, a successful technology entrepreneur, believes that the rise of Artificial Intelligence and automation has made universal basic income a necessity.“New technologies—robots, software, artificial intelligence—have already destroyed more than 4 million US jobs, and in the next 5-10 years, they will eliminate millions more,” Yang's website reads. “A third of all American workers are at risk of permanent unemployment. And this time, the jobs will not come back.”Yang says that he'll pay for his Freedom Dividend by instituting a new tax on companies that rely on automation. He contends that his plan will expand the American labor force by 4.5-5 million people and grow the economy by 13 percent. He also supports the creation of a federal department to regulate social media, Medicare for All, and various other liberal positions.Yang does not have political experience, but he founded Venture for America, an entrepreneur fellowship program, and some voters appreciate his “nerdy" approach."I'm going to be the first president to use PowerPoint at the State of the Union," he said at one rally.The #YangGang hashtag is seen by some as a response to “Bernie Bros,” vocal supporters of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. While Yang is seen as an outsider in the Democratic primary race, his campaign has a sizable social media presence, and appears to be gaining popularity with younger voters thanks to a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.“They see me as someone who understands them certainly better than most mainstream politicians,” Yang said of his young, tech-savvy base. “I just think there's some kind of affinity because I was a gamer once too.”