Want to retire in comfort? Back Bernie Sanders on free college tuition | Joydeep Bhattacharya

Sanders' plan means higher taxes if you're middle-aged - but it will make your children wealthier, more productive, and better able to look after you

Bernie Sanders, in his election manifesto, has argued for making tuition free at public colleges and universities. This is a proposal that has struck many, including prominent economists, as ludicrous. For sure, there are scant details about how all this would work in practice and I don't mean to shove those under the rug. And yes, there are legitimate concerns from economists about making education too cheap, thereby promoting its overuse, as well as reducing the skin in the game for students.

But I am here to argue that the plan makes economic sense, and the current generation of middle-aged workers, even if it means higher taxes on them, should consider rallying behind it. My argument is a variant of the old adage: "Be nice to your children. They'll choose your nursing home."

Related: Bernie Sanders: free public college tuition is the 'right thing to do'