Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Major Issues vs False and Misleading Rhetoric
Major Issues vs False and Misleading Rhetoric
I wish we could create a new party in this country that actually worked on the real issues the neither party seems to want to address. What could we call such a party? Public Servants Party?
Following is a list I have complied of major issues that I think we face today. It may not be all the issues but they are significant.
MAJOR ISSUES
1. Distribution of wealth; now concentrated at the very top
2. Struggling middle class and poor as a result of #1,
3. Unequal voting power: rich can dominate campaigns with their wealth
4. Bills written by lobbyists (ex-congressional leaders) rather than by legislator
5. Infrastructure falling apart due to lack of investment
6. Subsidies go to the wealthy rather than the poor, giving big business a marketing advantage
7. Deregulation results in businesses too big to fail and wealth distribution issues
8. Debt handling
9. Health care: Obamacare does not go far enough; single payer system better in all ways. Our current profit driven health care system saps the entire economic system,
10. Has the country become too large to govern? Lack of accountability and anomie leads to depersonalization and name calling.
11. The entire political system has shifted to the right, leaving the progressive voice without a party to express its concerns.
12. Uncontrolled democracy/capitalism has degenerated into oligarchy or plutocracy
13. Climate, if not addressed we will cease. Alternative energy development
14. Can we continue a policy of being the world’s police force, often going it alone just for our personal interests.
15. Water – major issue being totally ignored.
16. Jobs: unions need strengthening; history shows when they are strong the middle class is strong.
17. Need for more government workers to enforce regulations (now smallest since 1966) http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/bloated-government-federal-employment-at-47-year-low/?_r=0
a. Federal employment is at a 47 year low. Lyndon Johnson era, 1966 we have 2,721,000 gov. employees. Now, Before gov. shutdown there were 2,723,000 fed employees. In 1966 that was 4.3% of the population, now it is 2%, the lowest; lower than when Bush was in office.
Next is a list of false and or misleading rhetoric both parties use is so-called political debate; sound an fury signifying nothing.
FALSE/MISLEADING RHETORIC
1. Poor folk are poor because they are lazy and don’t want to work (Reagan false quote)
2. Debt is bad rather than a regulator
3. Democrats are the tax and spend party, when statistics show the opposite
4. All unions are corrupt
5. Social security and medicare will go away
6. Obamacare will not work; raise taxes…. No proof and no track record
7. Deregulated economy will put more money in individual pockets (trickle down) when nothing backs up this claim.
8. Immigrants will take away our jobs (they get jobs nobody wants and earn their citizenship; scapegoating.
9. Climate control no biggy, economics more important
10. Voter ID is necessary; meaning we don’t want certain folk to vote
11.Available link for download
