An oldie, but still relevant?
I wrote this myself in 2003 for Buzzflash, so I am posting all of it. I just read it again and it reminded me of the ignorance of right wingers or uninformed Americans that still applies.
March 14, 2003
Never Mind
Apparently right-wingers never let the facts get in the way of their illogic. This became appallingly clear to me recently as I listened to a group of ladies discussing politics intermittently over several days.
"Bill and Hillary Clinton are responsible for the disappearance or murder of numerous people."
Huh? Where did you get that? From Jerry Falwell?
"No, I read it somewhere."
Bill and Hillary Clinton were under the most intense scrutiny of any Americans perhaps in the history of this country. An overly zealous special prosecutor investigated them for years with unlimited federal funds. At least $60 million dollars of taxpayer funds was spent pursuing every little tidbit, every little nuance, of their word and deed by Kenneth Starr and his merry band of tyrants. They left no stone unturned in their all out pursuit of bringing down Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Logic should bring one to the conclusion that were there actions of such heinous magnitude as murder associated with the Clintons, surely Kenneth Starr would have uncovered them. He would have reveled in them. However, Starr himself concluded that the death of Vince Foster was by suicide. And the Starr report to the United States Congress included only two references to the Whitewater "scandal" and no references to Filegate or Travelgate.
Never mind.
"I am sick and tired of wasting so much money on deadbeat welfare recipients. Why don't they get off their lazy butts and go to work?"
Huh?
What percentage of the federal budget goes to paying for social welfare?
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it is too much. Most of them should get out and get a job."
Are you aware that only approximately 3.9% of the federal budget is expended on social welfare?
"Well, that is millions of dollars and most of it goes to people who don't deserve it."
Huh?
What is your source of information?
"I just know it."
How much of the average American's taxes are expended per year for social welfare?
"I don't know."
Well, the fact is that the average American taxpayer pays $400 per year for social welfare and this figure is from the late '90s. It would be lower than that now since the current administration is cutting as much as possible from social welfare while giving tax cuts to the wealthy.
How much of the average American's taxes are expended per year for corporate welfare?
"What is corporate welfare?"
Corporate welfare includes tax breaks given to large conglomerates on the pretense that they will invest in new equipment or job creation. However, these tax breaks are not tied to any requirement that the corporation uses this money for such purposes. They are free to use the money as they see fit and studies indicate that many corporations do not create jobs or invest in new equipment. Many corporations continue lay-offs while giving massive pay increases and/or bonuses to upper management.
"Well, I don't like that."
Then you should not like the fact that the same study quoted earlier showing that the average American taxpayer pays $400 per year for social welfare also shows that the average American taxpayer pays $1,400 per year for corporate welfare.
Never mind.
Okay, how much of the federal budget goes to interest payments on the national debt?
"That doesn't matter. This country will always be in debt."
Huh?
National debt does not matter. Well, approximately 19% of the federal budget is expended in paying interest on the national debt. It is the second largest expenditure of the government. What could we do with that money if the national debt were paid down? Our children, our grand children, and all future generations will be held responsible at some point for this growing problem. The national debt is growing by leaps and bounds under the Bush administration and this fact does not even include the expense of the proposed war actions in Iraq or the rebuilding of Iraq post-war, which is predicted to be at least $20 billion per year.
"Where do you get all these statistics and figures?"
I study and research.
"Well, your sources are probably biased."
The federal budget is biased?
"Well, maybe not the federal budget, but those other statistics are biased."
They come from the CBO.
"What is the CBO?"
The Congressional Budget Office.
"Well, I am sure that is a biased organization."
No, actually it is a non-partisan organization of Congress.
Never mind.
"I think Bush is right and we should be attacking Iraq."
Why?
"Because Saddam Hussein is a tyrant associated with Al Qaeda and terrorism."
Yes, Saddam Hussein is a tyrant, but what connections does he have to Al Qaeda? Did you know that the majority of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia?
"Well, Saddam Hussein hates America and he will do anything to hurt America."
That is probably true. But, in actuality, what has he done to hurt America in the previous twelve years?
"Well, he has been developing weapons of mass destruction."
He has? Did you know that in 1998 when the weapons inspectors left Iraq they estimated that about 95% of his weapons had been accounted for and destroyed?
"Well, that still leaves 5% and he can use those weapons to attack America."
Really? Wouldn't he have to have missiles or planes capable of getting those weapons to our shores?
"He probably can."
Where is the evidence that he can?
"I don't know."
Never mind.
"Colin Powell said that Saddam Hussein has been associating with Al Qaeda when he spoke to the UN."
Yes, he did, but some of the evidence he presented has been disproved or at least found to be highly questionable.
"Well, I trust the Bush administration to know what we should be doing."
Really? Have you ever heard of the PNAC?
"No, what is the PNAC?"
The Project for the New American Century.
"What is that?"
It is an organization with many of the current Bush administration among its membership, including Dick Cheney, Elliott Abrams, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz.
"So?"
So, they put out a document in September of 2000 detailing their determined goals of military buildup and global strategy. This means that the actions undertaken currently were planned prior to George W. Bush taking office. They were planning these military movements prior to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
"So, what is wrong with that?"
Well, it brings into question their true motivations. Perhaps the terrorist attacks of 9/11 gave them the opportunity to do what they already had in mind and it is not only about fighting terrorism. Have you heard of the Carlyle Group?
"No."
The Carlyle Group is a large investment organization with interests in defense contractors, medical laboratories, and the telecommunications industry. George H. W. Bush, John Major, and James Baker, III all work for the Carlyle Group. Peter Eisner, managing director of the Center for Public Integrity recently said, "It should be a deep cause for concern that a closely held company like Carlyle can simultaneously have directors and advisors that are doing business and making money and also advising the President of the United States."
"Oh well, that is the nature of business."
Would you be saying the same thing if it were the Clinton administration with such connections and aims of global war?
"I don't know."
Never mind.
"I know that we have to maintain a strong national defense."
Yes, we do. But doesn't it bother you a little that some of those profiting from taxpayers money spent on national defense are so closely connected to the current administration? Doesn't it bother you that the largest expense of the federal budget is defense and that the United States spends more on defense than all other countries in the world combined?
Never mind.
Project for the New American Century: http://www.newamericancentury.org/
The Carlyle Group: http://www.hereinreality.com/carlyle.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
