RECENT MYTHS IN POLITICS

One of the primary definitions of a myth is “A widely held but false belief or idea or a misrepresentation of the truth.  A factitious or imaginary person or thing, or an exaggerated or idealized conception of a person or thing.”  In my opinion, the most recent and biggest myths in politics are the following:

1.  The first big myth in recent history was the one propagated by George W. Bush that there were weapons of mass destruction being gathered in Iraq.  This myth led us to spend almost a trillion dollars of tax money (off the books) and cost approximately 4,000 American lives and an untold number of physical and emotional problems for thousands of our servicemen.

2.  The second big myth that I believe to have been perpetrated in Texas concerns the Republican effort and law which was passed requiring voter identification, claiming it was solely for the purpose of preventing voter fraud.  Numerous scholarly investigations and testimonies in court have pretty well established there was little or no voter fraud in Texas, and particularly none based on mis-identification of voters.  The idea was born at an ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) gathering which was comprised of mainly conservative state legislators and sponsored by the Koch brothers.  Numerous conversations and utterances from Republican leaders after the deal was passed clearly indicate it was their hope it would adversely impact the number of minority voters going to the polls and would favor Republicans in upcoming elections.  Some Republicans still look at you with a straight face and say it was only for the purpose of stopping voter fraud ... none of which they can document.

3. The third current big fairy tale is almost amusing, as well as somewhat sickening—that our legislative leaders in Austin can look the public in the eye and say the only purpose for draconian restrictions on abortion clinics in Texas was for ensuring the health of women.  This is after the same leaders have traversed the state vowing to end abortion.  While I’ve never been keen on abortion, it strikes me as grossly hypocritical to stack so many requirements on what the court has determined to be a constitutional right by using the phoney excuse they are trying to help women.  That’s almost as ludicrous as the old saying, “I’m the tax man.  I’m here to help you.” 

4. The fourth big myth is that climate change is a "myth" — it is being propagated by captains of industry that climate change, or global warming, is a myth created by radical environmentalists.  Even worse, a Republican candidate running for election to the State Board of Education has proclaimed global warming is something made up by Karl Marx to destroy Capitalism.  While I have done some research on the theories that Karl Marx espoused, I have never found such an advocacy dealing with global warming.  Political conservatives continue to deny its existence in the face of thousands of prominent worldwide scientists who have documented the effects of the continual warming of our planet.  The real opposition is not any altruistic desire to save the planet, but is simply to save profits of large fossil fuel burning power plants and corporations which continue to spew trash (carbon dioxide) into our atmosphere destroying the ozone layer around the earth which protects us.

5. The fifth and biggest myth of our time has been around for quite a while.  It is that if we cut taxes for multimillionaires and billionaires it will somehow put money into the pockets of working men and women.  Supply-side economics has never worked.  It didn’t work for Reagan.  It didn’t work for either Bush.  It won’t work in the future.  If you believe that lowering taxes on the billionaires will add one penny to your family's income, you must believe in fairy tales.  Theories espoused by the majority of the current United States Congress simply continue to widen the gap between rich and poor in America, and eventually will erode the very fabric of our nation.  

Watch carefully for myths put forth by politicians ... and do your best to vote your own interests in the upcoming elections.