Throw out the old conservative lies – ask more questions!

Lie #1 – “Tax and spend Democrats”

Does anyone remember their high school government class? A public official’s job, regardless of political affiliation, is to tax and spend.

In our democracy, the government provides for the common welfare. (See our founding documents.) And how does government provide? Through the collection of taxes and spending based on public needs. Government -- of any variety – doesn’t happen without taxation.

So the whole idea that Democrats own taxing and spending is an outright lie. It’s a Republican or Independent’s job as much as a Democrat’s. It’s every public official’s job.

Americans need to get over their miserliness about taxes. We want a military, social security, financial aid, roads and bridges, quality public schools, hospitals, fire and police departments, safe food, vaccines and a host of other public services we take for granted. All of which are paid for by . . . taxes! And now we want public health care.

Which leads to myth #2 – “Government is the problem.”

To me, this statement was the worst legacy of the Reagan administration. If the old fraud believed this, then why the hell did he run for public office? Was it simply to destroy our American democracy? If you believe government doesn’t work, you have no incentive to work at a government job. Consequently Americans have gotten very little help from government during the Republican-dominated years which followed Reagan.

Today, Frank Luntz is trotting out the health care version of this meme in an attempt to tank a public health care option. “You won’t have any choice of doctors or hospitals. Government-run programs never work.” Except, see #1 for a list of public programs that have been working.

Lies, lies, lies . . . repeated so often most of us have accepted they are true.

#3 – The Great Socialist Threat!

Does anyone throwing out the term “socialism” really know what it means? Do you?

Conservatives routinely play the fear card; facts be damned. And they love to paint European Democratic Socialist countries as godless bastions of hedonism.

Yet for all our “patriotic” blathering about what a great democracy and country we are, our quality of life is declining. Americans are sicker. Our infant mortality rate is higher. We work more hours for less pay. We take fewer vacations. And we don’t vote in as high numbers as citizens in these social democracies.

That’s right. Perhaps the greatest privilege of our democracy – the vote – and Americans don’t exercise it.

Here’s my thought. Maybe we don’t pay enough taxes! You see, in Europe, citizens pay much higher taxes, so they have a greater incentive to vote. Of course, in many countries they also get health care, child care, much greater paid maternity (and paternity) leave, longer minimum paid vacations, education that includes pre-k through college -- a strong social safety net. They may have fewer cars and less plastic and electronic crap, but they don’t need it either.

Get past the fear and start asking questions

The founding fathers believed a healthy democracy demanded an informed populace. So instead of simply accepting 15-second TV news reports and commentary by radio and TV pundits as information, go read something. And read outside your comfort zone.

If you’re liberal, read a conservative publication like The Weekly Standard or The National Review. If you’re more conservative, read The Nation or Salon. Form your opinions after perusing many sources. Because the truth is somewhere in between, and the press is no longer free. Most media outlets are corporate minions, developed to make profits – not to serve the public’s need for information.

As a nation, we have forgotten that at our peril.