Posted on 11/23/2011 10:22:44 AM PST by FrdmLvr
Dear MoveOn member,
Americans are talking about the economya 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 cutsfar deeper than most progressives would likein 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 protestingthat 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 Americans156 million peoplecombined.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 violencetear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets7but 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 deficitby farare 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 workrebuilding infrastructure, educating our children, and researching new technologiesit'll shrink the deficit and make our economy stronger for the long haul. And we can easily afford it if we make sure the richwho are taking home a larger percentage of income than any time since 191711pay 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 membersno corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
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Thanksgiving is a time for Family and to give Thanks to GOD....Leave the heated Political alone and argue about something important...like FootBall! LOL....HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
“I love how they prove their facts by citing the Washington Post and other lefty sites.
And their “facts” are opinion columns by lefty writers.”
But liberals are always objective and factual. I know that’s true because that’s what they always tell us. ;)
all those great sources...I’m convinced...switching party today so I can vote for the one who cannot be named.../s
we now have the five targets for the stinky hippie aunt.
NO QUARTER
We do not suffer fools gladly.
The libs of the family will not be shown mercy. THEY should back down as 100% responsible for this mess.
Ain't that the truth, and they believe it too. They create their own reality.
Myth #6. The stimulus worked and we need more. After the laughing stops, if the LIB who mouthed this is still there, inform him/her that giving the stimulus money (~$850 Billion) to every living America would be $28,000 more in your pocket.
I’d hate to see their “What I Did For Summer Vacation” essays if this is any indication of their writing abilities.
facts to gently correct any myths you hear (they are family and friends, after all),
I have never seen a liberal be able to get his point across gently. Their eyes flash then the lock step talking points spew betwen the f word and insults.
I squelched the in-laws last year.
Said that "I was too gracious a host to be impolite and disagree with my guests........" (much agreement and general nods of assent)
".......Particularly when they're so foolishly misinformed over today's current events."
They didn't have a comeback, just gawping silence. I think that they weren't sure if I'd just called them a bunch of ignorant fools, or not. :-) T-Day was blissfully quiet last year. Hoping for a repeat this year.
Lying liars using lying sources.
MYTH #2: Nobody knows what Occupy Wall Street is about.
The mayhem, destruction of the OWS crowd speaks for itself. Comparing them to the Tea Party (no arrests, ever, except for impostors pretending to embrace the Tea Party.) Speaks volumes. Paid demonstrators; participants asked the question mouthed platitudes they were fed with no hint of comprehension.
MYTH #3: Occupiers should stop protesting and just get a job.
Grade for imagination: A; Grade for sanity: F. The job market before Obama got nominated didn't prevent the 50% of the people who neither have a job nor the inclination to ever get one. Low paying jobs were describes as "demeaning." Using the present conditions created by the apprentice president as an excuse is a sick joke.
MYTH #4: Occupy Wall Street is intent on provoking violence, especially against banks and the police.
The hours upon hours of video of their nehavior speaks for itself.
Cost of Tea Party Rallies : ZERO
MYTH #5: The biggest crisis facing our country is out of control government spending.
Only children and the insane could argue that a spending $2,000,000,000,000 more each year than revenue received, and creating a $16,000,000,000,000 debt, and doubling the federal employees in 3 years has no effect on the economy and everyone.. Spending even more has no effect only in the universe of "wonderland."
I registered Democrat for my first election, and haven't voted Dem since.
But I've had tons of fun the subsequent 60 years. Good luck with your plan.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
What a bunch of Barbra Streisand!!
Yup. With the help of HuffPo, ACORN, OWS, CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post...etc. If I’m going to look at opinion I can hear it from Rush just as easily as the sources listed by the article. If my kids even tried to pull these “facts” out on me I’d give them a fct smackdown. All the info in the article was point of view and conjecture; especially the stuff about OWS. I would simply tell my kids to find the facts. In truth my kids would never believe that garbage.
All of leftist belief is based on circular reasoning.
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