Prof. Peter Hotez says what many of have been feeling and wondering - we grew up assuming that the American people were smart, educated, knowledgeable, thoughtful, creative, forward looking.
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@AkaSci I don't believe in US education since the late 1970s. At that time, I wrote to my cousin in the USA about German rents in DM (= German marks, the currency at that time). She asked me what both means. At that time she was working in a bank, responsable for stocks!
Unfortunately, I don't have a solution beside making education free and accessible for *everyone*.I figure that 1964 was a pivotal year in US history.
The Revenue Act of 1964 lowered the highest marginal income tax rates from 90%, thus shifting the tax burden to those with lower incomes and allowing those with higher incomes to hoard wealth. Taking money out of circulation drove up inflation and caused the collapse of social infrastructure, such as the universities that educated the generations that built the post-WWII economy and got Americans to the Moon.
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I figure that 1964 was a pivotal year in US history.
The Revenue Act of 1964 lowered the highest marginal income tax rates from 90%, thus shifting the tax burden to those with lower incomes and allowing those with higher incomes to hoard wealth. Taking money out of circulation drove up inflation and caused the collapse of social infrastructure, such as the universities that educated the generations that built the post-WWII economy and got Americans to the Moon.
Everyone got a tax cut from the 1964 reform. But the biggest cuts were for the upper brackets.
" ̶T̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶m̶o̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶i̶r̶c̶u̶l̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶d̶r̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶l̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶"
This put *more* money in circulation, not less. This functioned somewhat like lowering interest rates (also increases money in circulation) and that was what spurred inflation to new heights.
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Prof. Peter Hotez says what many of have been feeling and wondering - we grew up assuming that the American people were smart, educated, knowledgeable, thoughtful, creative, forward looking. But look at the vast swath of the population now, lapping up the lies, gaslighting and snake-oil emanating from grifters in right-wing media, republican leaders, billionaires and the current White House.
How will we turn things around?
#UsPol
1/n
I'm sorry but ~1/2--2/3rds of americans have always been basically dense. They were simply better managed when information media was top down and managed, and not a populist driven free-for-all. Not a popular take, but democratization of informational media is NOT good for democracy. What we have to deal with now is exactly where a populist media environment inevitably lands.
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The goal of this discussion should not be to critique Prof. Hotez or to claim "I told you so."
One of the goals should be to look for solutions, even if they sound vague and difficult.
E.g., how can we help people recognize and reject the peddlers of disinformation? Get them to join the Fediverse?
Another objective would be to influence people to reject the MAGA party and to vote for Democrats (even if Democrats are imperfect).
Your thoughts?
2/n
@AkaSci I disagree.
We should push people to reject the system entirely.
Conspiracy theories proliferate everywhere in US society, not just among Republicans. Just look at all the people who spread 2020 style conspiracy theories about 2024's election.
Americans need to be more critical of the people in power and push for an alternative that isn't as murderous, imperialistic, and genocidal. And the first step in that is crushing the influence of the Republican and Democratic parties.
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@AkaSci I disagree.
We should push people to reject the system entirely.
Conspiracy theories proliferate everywhere in US society, not just among Republicans. Just look at all the people who spread 2020 style conspiracy theories about 2024's election.
Americans need to be more critical of the people in power and push for an alternative that isn't as murderous, imperialistic, and genocidal. And the first step in that is crushing the influence of the Republican and Democratic parties.
@AkaSci conspiracy theories arise when ignorant people with little scientific knowledge seek to reconcile their hatred of government policy with their support of the centers of political and economic power.
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@anarchademic @amyedge @AkaSci
I mean like society-collapsing, Mad Max I learn-to-play-flaming-guitar on-the-hood-of-a-tanker, "worse"...
Sorry, I should've been more specific.
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They've industrialized the malfunction, but I don't think it's new. I mean look at all the cults and mystical movements of the 19th century. Maybe it's cyclic?
@Phosphenes @AkaSci it's certainly not new. Since the beginning of colonization, colonizers have been dependent on misinformation, a lack of critical thinking, and the prioritization of racism over all other thought. Otherwise, the US couldn't exist. It's always been like this to some degree, and it's been a push and pull of grassroots education and elite propaganda since. "Educated" privileged white people want to go back to the misinformation they learned, but we need to tear that down, too
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OK. I just related basic economics--inflation is spurred by increasing money supply.
️ And the rich do not "hoard", they continually invest and reinvest--*that* is how their net worth continues to grow, as long as their investments are sound. -
@anarchademic @amyedge @AkaSci
We've just redone the old 'opimist joke' from Pres. Bartlet on The West Wing...
Pessimist: "Things couldn't possibly get any worse."
Optimist: "Oh, sure they could!"
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Prof. Peter Hotez says what many of have been feeling and wondering - we grew up assuming that the American people were smart, educated, knowledgeable, thoughtful, creative, forward looking. But look at the vast swath of the population now, lapping up the lies, gaslighting and snake-oil emanating from grifters in right-wing media, republican leaders, billionaires and the current White House.
How will we turn things around?
#UsPol
1/n@AkaSci Well, a lot of the smart, educated, knowledgeable, creative american people probably came from other countries and I guess they've been deported by now. That leaves the rest...
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Prof. Peter Hotez says what many of have been feeling and wondering - we grew up assuming that the American people were smart, educated, knowledgeable, thoughtful, creative, forward looking. But look at the vast swath of the population now, lapping up the lies, gaslighting and snake-oil emanating from grifters in right-wing media, republican leaders, billionaires and the current White House.
How will we turn things around?
#UsPol
1/n@AkaSci country boy will survive
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Prof. Peter Hotez says what many of have been feeling and wondering - we grew up assuming that the American people were smart, educated, knowledgeable, thoughtful, creative, forward looking. But look at the vast swath of the population now, lapping up the lies, gaslighting and snake-oil emanating from grifters in right-wing media, republican leaders, billionaires and the current White House.
How will we turn things around?
#UsPol
1/n@AkaSci
> How will we turn things around?We will not. There is a chance our grand-grandchildren will find themselves in mood to fight their immortal owners.
Like it was described 2000 years ago: https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/42603 [Book VI, Chapter II. On the Forms of States.]
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Prof. Peter Hotez says what many of have been feeling and wondering - we grew up assuming that the American people were smart, educated, knowledgeable, thoughtful, creative, forward looking. But look at the vast swath of the population now, lapping up the lies, gaslighting and snake-oil emanating from grifters in right-wing media, republican leaders, billionaires and the current White House.
How will we turn things around?
#UsPol
1/n@AkaSci that assumes many ever did think critically.
