Posted on 11/23/2011 10:22:44 AM PST by FrdmLvr
Dear MoveOn member,
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.
Remember that you're the most important source of information for your family and friends, so check it out and then share it on Facebook or Twitter, or just forward this email. Happy Thanksgiving, and of course, thanks for all you do.
–Daniel, Mark, Julia, Elena, and the rest of the team
Top 5 FOX myths to debunk this Thanksgiving
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.1 Democrats repeatedly offered to make 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.2 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,3 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.4
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.5 And for those who are lucky enough to find a job, median wages today are lower than they were a decade ago.6
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 bullets7—but in many cases, protesters have reminded police that the police officers are part of the 99%, too.8 And in the few cases when people have shown up at Occupy demonstrations and committed acts of vandalism, other protesters have even repaired their acts of vandalism.9
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.10 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 191711—pay their fair share.
Sources:
1. "No, 'both sides' aren't equally to blame for supercommittee failure," The Washington Post, November 21, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268071&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=4
2. "Wonkbook: In supercommittee, Dems moved right and Republicans moved righter," The Washington Post, November 22, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268072&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=5
3. "CNN Poll: What The Super Committee Produced Is...Exactly What We Don't Want," Talking Points Memo, November 21, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268073&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=6
"Medicare, Social Security & The Deficit," National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, September 2011 http://www.ncpssm.org/pdf/poll.pdf
4. "Michael Moore says 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined," Politifact Wisconsin, March 10, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268074&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=7
5. "Fact: 4 job seekers per opening in U.S.," CNN, September 12, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268075&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=8
6. "Median household income," Wikipedia, Accessed November 22, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268076&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=9
7. "Occupy movement: police reaction in pictures," The Guardian, November 21, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268077&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=10
8. "Occupy Demonstrators Mark Two Months of Protests," NPR, November 17, 2011 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268078&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=11
9. "Occupy Oakland protesters assist in cleanup efforts," News 10 ABC, November 3, 2011 http://www.news10.net/news/article/161383/2/Occupy-Oakland-protesters-assist-in-cleanup-efforts-
10. "Economic Downturn and Bush Policies Continue to Drive Large Projected Deficits," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, May 10, 2011 http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3490
11. "Income Inequality Is At An All-Time High: STUDY," The Huffington Post, September 14, 2009 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=268079&id=33178-10389527-wd5%3DjIx&t=12 Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION
as opposed to your illegal alien drunken uncle?
“PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION”
They actually paid for that!?
If I had a relative (at a family gathering I’m hosting) say the first five words of any of these talking points, he/she gets kicked out of the house. Instantly. To the cheers of even the most liberal of my guests. It’s a family rule, and it applies to anybody bringing up a conservative argument as well.
Properly done, a gathering like Thanksgiving is a lot of work for the host, and I won’t have it ruined by arguments.
Just look at their source references to determine how their opinions stack up- CNN, wiki, NPR, Huf ‘n Puf, the Guardian...all liars.
Wow. Armed with so much steamy BS I envision a slaughter at the dinner table with Dear Old Uncle...;-)
More drivel and falsehoods by those who swill bongwater for breakfast.
(REALITY: As anybody who’s looked for a job in the last few years knows, there just aren’t jobs out there.)
It’s great news that the moveon.org people at least started acknowledging that bit of reality. The next giant step is to ask them where jobs come from if their favorite pass time of bashing job producers continues.
Another nice question to ask them is why should corporations put to use the giant hoard of cash to hire American employees, when the moveon.org folks just want to increase taxes on them, and on S-Corp small entrepreneur.
Another nice question is to ask them where they think the money is going to come from for all these government jobs that they want to create, building infrastructure, research, and whatever else is on their wish list. Here’s another REALITY check for them: we’re broke.
Boy, sure looks like they are a mouth piece for OWS.
As soon as footnote #4 is trotted out as validation, uncle won’t be able to say a thing.
Those sources are AWESOME!!! Wikipedia, Michael Moore, NPR, Washington Post, TPM, all the usual suspects.
Unfortunately, facts have a nasty way of deflating those liberal fantasies.
I make it a point not to discuss politics with my lefty aunts, uncles and cousins on Thanksgiving.
But I have to say the “facts” in this article are laughable, particularly the last one about the biggest causes of the deficits being the Bush tax cuts (completely wrong), and the economic crash, which is true, but which neglects to mention the Fannie and Freddie debacle as the main cause.
I love how they “prove” their facts by citing the Washington Post and other lefty sites.
# 1:
As Democrats continue to cast Republicans as the obstructionist “Party of No” (a label that conveniently ignores Democratic disunity), remember this: Not a single Senate Democrat has voted ‘yes’ on any proposed buget this year. That’s right, every Democrat in the United States Senate has voted to reject all five budget resolutions brought before them; four from Republicans, and one from President Obama. And no, the little debt deal “deem” gimmick doesn’t absolve you of any responsibility here.
WOOOHOOO! another new rat milestone!
Eight Hundred Days Without A Budget-A new milestone in Democrat Party governance is reached.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2753546/posts
And their "facts" are opinion columns by lefty writers.
Absolutely hilarious! Michael Moore is cited as a “source”
Not the Census Bureau, not JAMA, not Congressional Quarterly... Michael Freakin’ Moore !!!!!
Bwah-hahahahahaha
Oh, these libtards, they’re just too much.
MoveOn - by, for, and all about society’s losers and misfits.
The left has painted itself into a corner with us. They desperatly want to indoctrinate us into believing in nothing so if we consider it, we start with them. It then becomes like a circular argument.
One problem with this theory is that long before Thanksgiving, liberals will go out of their way to be so obnoxious that most everyone will refrain from inviting them to the dinner.
1) “Whyyyyy are you having turkey? Don’t you know how turkeys suffer on ‘factory farms’, and are fed antibiotics and pesticides, before they are beaten and tortured? You should instead eat “tofurky”, with beansprouts and felafel.”
2) “Whyyyy do you insist on ‘praying’ before dinner? Don’t you know that there is no God and that Christians are *just like* Taliban in oppressing everyone?”
3) “I put re-elect Obama bumper stickers on everyone’s cars, along with ‘Police Are Fascist Pigs’, ‘Abortion Is Better Than Babies’, ‘Ban Guns’, ‘Free Mumia’, and ‘Kill The Rich’ stickers.”
4) “I’m going to bring my boyfriends I’m living with. One is a Somali jihadist. Another is a Maoist communist from Nepal, who is bringing his pet howler monkey. But the one who used to be an MS-13 gang member can’t come because his tuberculosis has ruined his appetite. It’s okay, because I don’t think he’s contagious.”
etc., etc. You may be related to them, but their ideas about life and things are closer to the howler monkey than they are to yours.
#1: Raising taxes will reduce revenue. See the Laffer Curve. The Left’s insistence on raising taxes on the wealthy is punitive, not productive.
#2: Occupy Wall Street may not have a formal list of demands, but ... but nothing. Vague complaints do not make for a viable debate unto substantive ends.
#3: There are jobs. Good paying ones. Market segments expand and contract; if your segment is contracting, change career and location as appropriate. There’s a job boom in South Dakota and other “flyover” states; your not wanting to move isn’t anyone else’s problem.
#4: Some, albeit not all, are looking for a fight. Those not so inclined best reconsider who they’re hanging around with.
#5: Quantify those assertions and you’ll be shocked at how absurd they are. I did.
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