Right wing believers tend to cling to dogmas that have no basis in reality. How about we list a few?
1) Tax cuts produce jobs. This myth is based on fallacious logic from a bad premise. The bad premise is that the wealthy always re-invest in profit producing business in the US.
That myth was busted with the inversions, socking money away in foreign banks, and in some cases, the person renouncing their connection to the USA. Since these folks have demonstrated that their magic spreadsheets are more important than the nation of their birth, we need to compel them to pay their share so American resources benefit America, not China or the Cayman Islands.
2) Regulation kills jobs. Same bad premise. Regulation enforces standards that protect our safety and prevent fraud. It is possible to make a profit without workers dying routinely. You can make money without stealing from your customers. You can make a profit without cheating your workers of fair compensation. All it requires is due diligence.
3) The USA is meant to be a Christian nation. You mean like every nation in Europe? White people came to the USA to escape the tyranny of the Church. Even the believers saw the Church as a tyrant to disallow material government powers. At the time, denominations tended to burn each other at the stake for heresy. At no time at our founding was there a Church of the USA, and that was intentional. The material government was meant to be governed by material based ethics. A representative republic does not kowtow to the loud rants of would be potentates of the pulpit. Christian ideas do not support liberty, but a tyrannical monarchy. The founders of this nation intended the USA to be secular, allowing believers to worship within reasonable limits ( like no burning people at the stake).
4) Christians are under attack. Let us look at the numbers. Even in antichurch Portland, half of the people living there are Christian. Atheists in government office are next to extinct. It would be easier to find a unicorn than to find evidence of anti-Christian conspiracies having any effect in the US. Equality movements are carving into areas where Christian people had preferentially been treated. Something tells me that is not the same as actual persecution like white people fled from during the founding of the USA. And the Church was doing the persecution and was not the victim thereby.
I will add more to this later.
Tossed this to Deepseek, who expanded it.
Your points critique several common right-wing beliefs, challenging their validity with historical, economic, and social context. Here's a breakdown and expansion of your arguments:
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### 1) **Tax cuts produce jobs.**
- **Myth:** Tax cuts for the wealthy incentivize investment in job-creating businesses in the U.S.
- **Reality:** The assumption that the wealthy will reinvest their savings into the U.S. economy is flawed. Wealthy individuals and corporations often prioritize maximizing profits, which can lead to:
- **Offshoring profits:** Storing wealth in foreign banks or tax havens like the Cayman Islands.
- **Corporate inversions:** Relocating headquarters overseas to avoid U.S. taxes.
- **Stock buybacks:** Using tax savings to inflate stock prices rather than create jobs.
- **Conclusion:** Tax cuts without accountability often benefit the wealthy disproportionately while failing to stimulate broad economic growth or job creation. A fair tax system should ensure that American resources benefit Americans, not foreign entities.
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### 2) **Regulation kills jobs.**
- **Myth:** Regulations stifle business growth and lead to job losses.
- **Reality:** Regulations exist to protect workers, consumers, and the environment. Examples include:
- **Workplace safety:** Preventing deaths and injuries in hazardous industries.
- **Consumer protection:** Stopping fraud, false advertising, and unsafe products.
- **Environmental standards:** Reducing pollution and mitigating climate change.
- **Conclusion:** While excessive or poorly designed regulations can be burdensome, well-crafted regulations ensure ethical business practices and long-term sustainability. Profitability does not have to come at the expense of safety, fairness, or environmental health.
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### 3) **The USA is meant to be a Christian nation.**
- **Myth:** The U.S. was founded as a Christian nation, and its laws should reflect Christian values.
- **Reality:** The Founding Fathers intentionally designed the U.S. as a secular republic:
- **Separation of church and state:** The First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a state religion.
- **Historical context:** Many early settlers fled religious persecution in Europe, where state-sponsored churches often oppressed dissenters.
- **Diverse beliefs:** The Founders included deists, Unitarians, and other non-traditional Christians who valued reason and secular governance.
- **Conclusion:** The U.S. was designed to allow religious freedom, not to enforce a specific faith. Christian nationalism contradicts the Founders' vision of a pluralistic, secular government.
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### 4) **Christians are under attack.**
- **Myth:** Christians in the U.S. face widespread persecution.
- **Reality:** Christians remain the majority religious group in the U.S.:
- **Demographics:** Over 60% of Americans identify as Christian.
- **Political representation:** Atheists and non-Christians are severely underrepresented in government.
- **Cultural influence:** Christian holidays, symbols, and values dominate public life.
- **Perceived persecution:** What some Christians interpret as persecution is often the push for equality (e.g., LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights) or the enforcement of secular laws.
- **Conclusion:** While some Christians may feel their influence is waning, this is not equivalent to persecution. True religious persecution involves violence, imprisonment, or systemic oppression, which is not occurring in the U.S.
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### Additional Points to Consider:
- **5) Trickle-down economics works.**
- **Myth:** Wealthy individuals and corporations will naturally share their wealth with the rest of society.
- **Reality:** Wealth concentration has increased, with the rich getting richer while wages for the middle and working classes stagnate. Trickle-down economics has been widely discredited as a driver of inequality rather than shared prosperity.
- **6) Climate change is a hoax.**
- **Myth:** Climate change is a fabricated issue pushed by scientists and activists for political or financial gain.
- **Reality:** Overwhelming scientific consensus confirms that climate change is real, human-caused, and poses a severe threat to the planet. Denial often stems from corporate interests (e.g., fossil fuel industry) or ideological resistance to regulation.
- **7) Immigrants are a drain on the economy.**
- **Myth:** Immigrants take jobs, strain public resources, and contribute little to society.
- **Reality:** Immigrants often fill critical labor shortages, pay taxes, and contribute to economic growth. Studies show that immigration has a net positive effect on the economy.
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Your analysis highlights the importance of questioning political narratives and examining the evidence behind them. If you'd like to expand on these points or add more myths, feel free to share!
