Just in case you decide to engage in political discussion with the family over the next few days, MoveOn.org has provided some talking points just in case you need to get in someone’s face and dispel that evil misinformation.
Americans are talking about the economy—a lot. They’re talking about Occupy Wall Street and the Super Committee, about an economy that only works for the 1% and about unemployment. But thanks to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, lots of talk about the economy means lots of misinformation about the economy.
So if you’re spending this Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family, and want to be ready with the facts to gently correct any myths you hear (they are family and friends, after all), we put together a short guide with five common myths you might hear and easy-to-remember facts to respond to them.
Okay, I think we see where this is going….
MYTH #1: The congressional Super Committee failed because both sides refuse to compromise.
REALITY: The Super Committee failed because Republicans’ number one, non-negotiable priority is to protect millionaires and billionaires from paying even one more penny in taxes. Democrats repeatedly offered deep spending cuts (far deeper than most progressives would like) in exchange for raising taxes on the wealthy and closing corporate loopholes, only to be refused again and again. So even though the vast majority of Americans say they want to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits, and raise taxes on the rich and corporations, that won’t happen until Republicans put aside their extremist stance.MYTH #2: Nobody knows what Occupy Wall Street is about.
REALITY: Occupy Wall Street may not have a formal list of demands, but anyone who’s been paying attention understands the core problems that occupiers are protesting–that corporations have far too much power in our political system, that Wall Street banks crashed our economy but were never held accountable, and that the richest 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans–156 million people–combined.MYTH #3: Occupiers should stop protesting and just get a job.
REALITY: As anybody who’s looked for a job in the last few years knows, there just aren’t jobs out there. That’s a big part of why occupiers are protesting. In September, there were four times as many unemployed people as job openings. And for those who are lucky enough to find a job, median wages today are lower than they were a decade ago.MYTH #4: Occupy Wall Street is intent on provoking violence, especially against banks and the police.
REALITY: Occupations across the country have committed themselves to nonviolent protest, in the greatest traditions of protest movements. Some of their protests have been met with acts of police violence–tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets–but in many cases, protesters have reminded police that the police are part of the 99%, too. And in the few cases when people have shown up at occupations and committed acts of vandalism, other protesters have even repaired their acts of vandalism.MYTH #5: The biggest crisis facing our country is out of control government spending.
REALITY: The two biggest drivers of our deficit–by far–are the economic crash and the Bush tax cuts. We have millions of people out of work, corporations hoarding cash, and factories sitting idle. If we put all those people back to work–rebuilding infrastructure, educating our children, and researching new technologies–it’ll shrink the deficit and make our economy stronger for the long haul. And we can easily afford it if we make sure the rich–who are taking home a larger percentage of income than any time since 1917 pay their fair share.
Of course, these points are all well-sourced. Unfortunately, most of their sources are from places like MoveOn.org, CNN, WaPo, NPR, HuffPo, and Wikipedia.
Take it for what it’s worth and have a fun, informative, in-your-face discussion with the folks!
Most of my friends are Conservative, so it’s going to be a bit difficult arguing/debating somebody that uses these talking points or believes this way. Hope is not lost, however, there’s more than enough acquaintances to find somebody, I just don’t like to hang with idiots who don’t have the ability to see things as they REALLY are.
Other than that, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember that there are soliders out there that we especially need to be thankful for and be in our prayers.
My goodness, Bob. The outright stupidity and ignorance of these people is jawdropping. The more you beat them over the head with facts as to why the country is in the condition it’s in today, the more they galvanize and proffer mystical explanations as to why those facts are wrong. I wish someone at Thanksgiving would try to use these talking points at the table. I’d school them about the failures of libtardism from the nations founding to today in about 30 minutes.
Countering myths with myths? April Fools!
They are by far the most closed-minded individuals I have ever observed. They seem incapable of distinguishing between cause and effect and, even worse, they don’t seem interested in learning the distinction. The secular faith is truly perverse.
“gently correct” = shoutdown, with ever-increasing volume level…
Correct conservative response = be outrageous. Take it way past whatever level of meanness that they attribute to us.
I find that agreement with their crazed accusations, plus taking it one or two steps further, tends to work well.
“Absolutely. But only if, afterwards, you line ‘em up and shoot every other one!”
or
“Our platform is that there should be a 9-month mnandatory waiting period for all abortions…”
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, YA’LL!
Enjoy time with family and friends, and the turkey… with a side of cranberries.
re: 9-month mandatory waiting period
Bureaucratic red tape? Sure, why not. People may actually consider their responsibility for a new human life as a consequence of their voluntary behavior. It’s not as if they didn’t know where babies come from.
“Our platform is that there should be a 9-month mnandatory waiting period for all abortions…”
NICE! I’ll have to remember that one! Thanks!
Myth #1 Sherlock Holmes would ask who benefits most if Super Committee fails? Obama. Obama’s reelection strategy is that of Harry Truman in 1948 of running against a do-nothing Congress and degrading his opponent, Dewey, as a brainless figurine belonging on a wedding cake.
Myth #2 Have you read Cuomo’s HUD directive about one half of all loans to those unable to afford them or $1.2 trillion dollars in loans that had to default? http://archives.hud.gov/news/1999/pr99-131.html
Myth #3 Who would hire one of these clowns? See any videos found here.
Myth #4 Have you seen the pictures of the non-violent fires in Oakland?
Myth #5 What would you do if your credit card was maxed out? Work harder and then continue to increase your debt? When would you stop increasing your debt?
Happy Thanksgiving! And further problems, explain to them our future in the latest news of not enough buyers of German debt? http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/78994200-15c2-11e1-8db8-00144feabdc0.html
Then finish with the fact that the Fed is now the largest buyer of our debt.
re: Myth #2
Yes, the authoritarian interests were conspirators, but were they also initial or follow-on instigators?
For some reason, there are people who prefer involuntary exploitation to fraudulent exploitation. They deny that the former is a greater corruptive force of individuals and society. Whereas both should be controlled and every effort taken to mitigate their occurrence.
It’s ironic that so many of the people who contributed to progressive corruption are now protesting its effects. As they dream of physical and material instant gratification, the predictable consequences of “good” intentions without accountability reveal themselves.
Enjoy the turkey… with a side of stuffing.
Luckily my family saw the light a long time ago. Even my brother became conseravtive once he actually got a good job and saw how much was getting taken in taxes (he’s out in Calif). The only one that is still a devout liberal is the in-law that blames the Army for kicking him out for DUI and drugs. Even a decade later it’s still not his fault. So we don’t talk politics at all after I asked him “So the Army made you smoke pot and drive drunk? Sounds like a liberal answer when you can’t accept responsibility for your actions.” Maybe someday…theres always hope!
To every one here I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving and are successful in your endeavors if you brave Black Friday! (Wait…is that racist?)
Enjoy the weekend everybody!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you folks. I am thankful for Bob and all the work he is doing on Black and Right.
We Gather Together
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!
We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Amen
–Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn
(A translation by Theodore Baker: 1851-1934)