Here are some important facts.
1.
The average American’s reading comprehension
level is between the 8th the 9th grade.
2.
People want quick solutions that confirm
their beliefs.
3.
Millions of others support your belief. You have
innate knowledge and do not need to read and understand facts. The voices tell
you and you are right!
Bumper sticker solutions, 30-second sound bites, and a group
to blame fits our needs. Low reading comprehension and little effort is
required for us to ‘understand everything’. “Obama did it.”
“Its Bush’s fault.” “The liberals caused it to happen.” “The Tea Party is to
blame.” “The Conservatives did it.” “The illegal immigrants caused it.” Google any of these statements and you will find up to 14
million hits. Think about it: 14 million people support your opinion. (No matter what it is!)
Don’t like Google? ("I hate Google" shows 190 million
results). Find ‘your’ station on the radio or television to verify that your
opinion is right.
We vote and argue over bumper-sticker wisdom.
·
The answer to high gas prices: drill baby,
drill.
·
The cause of high taxes, overcrowded emergency
rooms and class-rooms, crime and unemployment: illegal immigrants.
·
Obamacare
We seldom demand results beyond our petty prejudices.
Look at the price of gasoline. Until the early 70’s, we paid
about 32 cents per gallon at the pump. After the oil embargo was lifted, gas
prices were suddenly a dollar more, then two-dollars more, than three dollars
more. Nobody asked why? There was a lot of talk about our need to become less
dependent on foreign oil. Images of Iraq, Iran and even the Saudis were used by
politicians as they demanded that the USA become free from foreign oil. The inference
was that fuel prices were sky high because of those mean old people in the
Middle East.
Realty: we purchase most of our foreign oil from Canada and
Mexico. (Geography, anyone?)
Reality: oil is sold on the world market. If we drill the price at the pump is not going to change very
much[1]. Prices are controlled by the super-rich of the world.
Illegal immigrants: cause and effect. Instead of debating
the issue, let’s watch Alabama and other states that enacted laws to
push illegal immigrants out of their states. We should see lower taxes, uncrowded
emergency rooms and uncrowded classrooms. We should see significantly lower
unemployment rates as the unemployed snap up those jobs at fish and poultry
processing plants, hotels and motels. Social service agencies, criminal justice
agencies and schools will soon be asking for smaller budgets. Those states
should soon have a tax surplus.
Illegals Cause Sky High Taxes
If our real concern is the cost we pay because of illegal
immigration, then tie any laws to reduce the number of illegal immigrants to a
proportionate reduction in taxes. Simple math formulas should be included in
these laws. (We have 1000 illegal immigrants in our state. They cost us 100,000
in taxes for our schools, welfare, police, etc. Every less immigrant means a
reduction of $100 in our tax needs).
Health Care "Check Please!"
Arguing about who pays for health-care is a national pastime. This is like five people arguing about who
pays the hundred thousand dollar check at a restaurant. (I had the salad and
fish, you had lobster and John ordered soup with his meal. We must dividing
this hundred thousand dollar check fairly!) The real argument should be with
the cost!
Why do we pay more per person for health care than France or
England? Why are they paying 50% less per person and outliving us? Just
like the people in the restaurant, our first concern should be about the
outrageous cost.
Our limited reading comprehension levels, our prejudices,
our ‘certain’ knowledge that required no research, fact-checking or any thought
about other opinions serves the super-rich. They steal trillions while we argue
over the winner American Idol[2].
Will We Change? No, we can't even understand what we read.
We will not let facts get in the way. We prefer
bumper-sticker solutions, bumper-sticker causes and thinking just enough to
come up with a bumper-sticker.
[1] Michael Levi, a senior fellow for energy and
the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations
[2]
Should have been called Americans Idle
No comments:
Post a Comment