Republican Misinformation
Trump’s great strength is that he tells a restoration story: a story of resentment and humiliation
caused by a powerful and nefarious elite, which will be confronted by a band of heroes, led by himself,
who will overthrow it and restore harmony to the land.
It might be total bullshit, but that doesn’t matter.
It has a beginning, middle and end, it conforms to the pattern of effective political narratives,
it is easy to comprehend, and easy to find a place for yourself in it.
How to Change Everything
by George Monbiot (7/25/2024)
House Republicans are doing whatever they can to
distract the American people from what's really going on in Washington – a rigged
system that works great for those who have armies of lobbyists and
lawyers but that leaves everyone else behind. A system in which
Republicans protect tax breaks for billionaires while they block
increases in the minimum wage for millions of people who work full time
and live in poverty. A system in which Republicans give away billions
of dollars in subsidies to Big Oil while making billions in profits off
of our kids' student loans. Elizabeth Warren on
Benghazi
"The evil that is in the world always comes of
ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as
malevolence, if they lack understanding. On the whole, men are more good than
bad; that, however, isn't the real point. But they are more
or less ignorant, and it is that we call vice or virtue; the most
incorrigible vice being that of an ignorance which fancies it
knows everything and therefore claims itself the right to kill." -
Albert Camus
The Republican Party is the Party of Ideas.
It's just that their ideas are bad ones. A few are listed here.
Economic Fallacies
The private sector does it better. What we have is lemon
socialism. Profits are theirs in good times, in bad times the
losses belong to the taxpayer.
Republican policy is not regressive. Except a flat tax is.
Economic fairness is not
a concern of government Republicans have a history of leading us to a
gilded age, and then we have a financial collapse and, if we are
smart, go back to applying sensible regulation. It is the media function to eliminate this idea from public
consciousness so they can do it again.
Cutting taxes will result in more
rapid growth of the economy, shrink government, and solve economic
problems. (Never has. There is no evidence for it. They have
faith.)
Unions are too powerful and need to be
downsized. (Lack of unions has caused the US to have anemic social
programs. You'll see it as the economy continues in its
tailspin.)
Immigrants cause many of our most
pressing problems. (Republicans always blame the victim.)
Economic growth is a solution to our
problems. Actually we are using earth's resources
a lot faster than they can regenerate. Growth cannot be unlimited.
Bad ideas for Social Programs
Although we have the highest rate of incarceration in the
world, we need to get tough on crime. See Prisons
The War on Drugs needs more
resources (They learned nothing from Prohibition, but anyway
the WoD is a cover for other activities like voter suppression.)
The church should have more of a
role in social programs. Tear down the wall between church and state,
but build a new one stretching across the entire border.
Cutting social spending will result in smaller government,
lower taxes, and better outcomes. See the vast right-wing
conspiracy.
Global Warming and reports of
environmental damage are a hoax
Public education is a government program that needs to be
privatized.
Bad ideas for Foreign Policy
Foreign policy problems are best solved with the military. This makes sense if you really like war, and it is profitable
for you.
Torture is an effective technique
for gathering information.
10 Conservative Myths About National Security
The UN should be discarded. Republicans
don't think international law
is for them, they would rather make the law themselves. The Geneva
Convention is quaint.
Government cannot do anything useful.
This is true when Republicans
are
in office. Good government, though, can make things better for
everyone.
Media is Liberal
Ha Ha Ha. See Media. Do you listen to
talk radio ?
Into the
Buzzsaw: Leading Journalists expose the Myth of a Free Press. "
appallingly convincing book, a book that suggests that the truth
about our media-military-industrial complex might go beyond even
our paranoid imaginings." Michelle Goldberg (click to see the
entire review.)
What Liberal
Media ?: Eric Alterman
Republican Lies
Here are some of the things that Republicans would have you believe:
Snyderman debunks conservative health lies, then condemns "fringe crazy
people on both sides"
How Time
magazine enables Glenn Beck's lies: September 17, 2009 4:17 pm ET
How the
media made this summer's political insanity inevitable
Senator Franken has written extensively about this.
If you are not aware of media
concentration, it is a mystery why felons can become widely
distributed talk radio hosts:
G Gordon Liddy (syndicated
in 160 markets and on both Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite
Radio stations in the United States. He has also been a guest
panelist for Fox News Channel
in addition to appearing in a cameo role or as a guest celebrity
talent in several television shows.)
Ollie
North, Iran/Contra, (host of "Common Sense With Oliver North",
3-6 PM, weekdays, heard on the Radio America Network. North is also
host of the Fox
News Network show, "War Stories with Oliver North".)
E Howard Hunt
Links
Media Transparency
Bibliography
What's the Matter with Kansas: Thomas Frank
One Market Under God: Thomas Frank
UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to be Crazy to Believe, Richard Belzer
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