You may not know it, or mean to, but you are. If you’re posting those accusatory memes on Facebook, the ones about the stimulus “handouts” or that Trump called the Coronavirus a hoax, you’re spreading lies.
It’s easy to get swept up in it. You see a meme that puts into simple terms the anxiety and fear and an easy thing to believe and WHAM! you’re re-posting, going “See? See? What did I tell you!”.
I’m sorry boys and girls, but it isn’t that easy.
Facts matter. Context matters. And 99% of the memes and articles that are posted ignore at least half the facts, and take words and gestures out of context to provoke exactly that reaction. And the panicked outrage spreads faster than… You know.
A perfect example is how many people deride Trump for calling COVID-19 a hoax. He is, without a doubt, the least articulate speaker ever to sit in the Oval Office, is an egomaniac, and loves to incite controversy and conflict, but he didn’t call the virus a hoax. He called the Democratic political response to it a hoax. The same way he called the investigation into Russian election influence a hoax. Don’t believe me? Look it up yourself.
Don’t get me wrong – there’s truth there, too. There’s so much pork in the most recent, $2.2 Trillion “stimulus” package that you could invite Texas to a barbecue. All of Texas. The whole state. And probably most of Arizona and Oklahoma, too…
But there’s also expanded unemployment benefits in that package for the record number of service workers laid off because of the pandemic. Added loan and grant packages to help small businesses stay afloat, keep their employees paid so they don’t have to go on unemployment. $130 Billion for hospitals and healthcare. Money earmarked for state and local governments to help with their response to this crisis.
Those “handout checks” many are bemoaning as socialism are actually advances on a 2020 tax credit, so come April of next year this won’t be “free money.” And I laugh at the accusation that Trump’s trying to buy votes with that money. Not because that’s not part of it – I’m certain it is – but because you know as well as I do that the Democrats are pissed because Trump beat them to the idea. Handing out free stuff is their thing…
The point is, the deal was made so that both parties got their pork. In a rare show of bipartisanship, each side of the aisle allowed the other their gravy.
That’s wrong. But it’s the way Washington does business, allowing unrelated items into bills. It’s decades past-due for us to do away with that practice…
So – to wrap it up in 25 words or less: When you see something like that you want to re-post, ask yourself, “What is this leaving out?” and find out. It might be something important.
See? 25 words. I’m so proud of myself…
Live long, and prosper.
Uncle John is NOT Happy 