Unfounded Assumptions

by Tom Kando

Recently back from Europe, I’m still smarting from the declining dollar. The Euro now fetches $1.46, up from $1.25 four months ago.

The economy remains the central issue. It’s timid Obama (who was the first President ever to have to humiliate himself by publishing his birth certificate!) vs. rabid Republicans. The latter have successfully defined the problem as “the debt.” They claim that nothing is more important than debt reduction. Cleverly, they only focus on the government deficit, not the country’s balance of trade deficit. Maliciously, they only propose to cut government services to low-income and middle-income people, while refusing to tax the rich and the corporations at the higher and more reasonable rates which prevailed in the past. In fact, they want to further reduce those taxes.

Here are a few of the unfounded assumptions which the plutocracy has repeated so often that most people now accept them as dogma:

1. The Market Place has all the wisdom. Let the forces of the free market automatically solve our economic problems.

But in fact, today, the most capitalistic economies are sputtering, while mixed economies are thriving.

2. The rich are rich because they work harder. They deserve it. The poor are poor because they don’t work hard. It’s the little pig that built a straw hut vs. the little pig who built a brick house.

This is called Social Darwinism, and it’s BS.

3. Lowering taxes will create jobs.

The evidence is to the contrary. Just compare the Clinton years and the Bush years.

4. The military budget is sacrosanct. Any reduction in it would endanger the US.

But look at the April 25 issue of Time for a good rebuttal: Our military budget of $687 billion (excluding dozens of billions spent off-budget on our Middle-Eastern wars) represents half of the world’s military spending. It has nearly doubled over the past 9 years. We could save hundreds of billions and still be the world’s macho cop. We have a dozen aircraft carriers, while no other country has more than one. We are still building additional ones, for $15 billion a pop. We have 500 bases around the world, including 80,000 troops still in Europe, 70 years after World War Two. There are 17 spy agencies. Etc.

5. The economy will rebound if/when we maximize consumption and spend more money again. Consumption is the be-all and end-all.

That most of this heightened consumption benefits China and the other countries which still produce things, is conveniently forgotten.

6. We must grow our way out of the recession. Grow the economy. Growth is the solution to everything.

Until when? Until we have paved over and desertified the planet?

7. Work and money are primary, leisure is secondary. Of course, Brecht was right: Erst komt das Fressen, dan komt die Moral.” One has to eat.

But that’s not what I am talking about. What I mean is, why do so many college students pursue boring but lucrative careers such as business and Wall Street, instead of interesting but lowly paid ones such as biology, history and teaching? Is modest comfort not enough? Does everyone have to try to be filthy rich? Are art, music and the outdoors a waste of time?

8. Socialism is a cuss word.

Call the alternative to unbridled Capitalism what you will. Keynesianism (Paul Krugman), Democracy (Michael Moore), “Mixed economy” or something else. One thing is clear: The current “debate” about our economic plight is one-sided propaganda, not a debate. A true alternative that would provide greater equity and a return to a prosperous, middle-class based society is not in sight. Instead, due to such widely accepted assumptions, a majority seems to want to increase the pain and suffering of the many, for the benefit of the few. leave comment here