A Navajo proverb says that it is impossible to wake someone who is pretending to be asleep. Nonetheless, for my own peace of mind, I will try. Here are some of the most common lies of the American Left:
The Lie: The minimum wage is good for workers and the economy.
The Truth: Raising the minimum wage makes it more expensive to hire certain workers. If they are more expensive to hire, business owners have an incentive to hire fewer of them.
Democratic Senator Ben Cardin said: "Every time we've increased the minimum wage, we've seen a growth in jobs."
That is not true. According to various studies, the effect is at best neutral.
The Lie: The 2nd amendment only allows people in a well-regulated militia to keep and bear arms.
The Truth: The state constitutions written in the same period make it clear that the purpose of the amendment was personal self-defense.
Pennsylvania constitution, 1790: "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State shall not be questioned."
Vermont constitution, 1777: "That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the State"
Kentucky constitution, 1792: "That the right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State, shall not be questioned."
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The Lie: American schools are underfunded and teachers are underpaid.
The Truth: The US spends more per student than any other country. US teachers earn more than teachers in most countries and earn more than most American workers.
The Lie: Most southern Democrats became Republicans after 1964.
The Truth: Only Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, and Mills Godwin did. Many more did not, including Al Gore Sr. (father of Vice President Al Gore) and Robert Byrd. Byrd was a former KKK member who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This was one of the longest filibusters in US history.
The Lie: Women make less money than men for the same work
The Truth: Men make more because they work more hours.
The Lie: Bill Clinton balanced the budget and left a surplus for Bush.
The Truth: The national debt went up every year of Clinton's presidency. The budget was almost balanced one year, but there was never a surplus.
The Lie: The Robber Barons of the late 19th century oppressed working Americans.
The Truth: The so-called Robber Barons were neither- they didn't steal their money and they weren't nobility. In fact, Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller grew up in poverty. Rockefeller's business drastically cut the price of kerosene. This enabled poor people to light their homes. Rockefeller spent the last 50 years of his life donating to charitable causes. The other so-called robber barons also donated vast sums to charity.
The Lie: The minimum wage is good for workers and the economy.
The Truth: Raising the minimum wage makes it more expensive to hire certain workers. If they are more expensive to hire, business owners have an incentive to hire fewer of them.
Democratic Senator Ben Cardin said: "Every time we've increased the minimum wage, we've seen a growth in jobs."
That is not true. According to various studies, the effect is at best neutral.
The Lie: The 2nd amendment only allows people in a well-regulated militia to keep and bear arms.
The Truth: The state constitutions written in the same period make it clear that the purpose of the amendment was personal self-defense.
Pennsylvania constitution, 1790: "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State shall not be questioned."
Vermont constitution, 1777: "That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the State"
Kentucky constitution, 1792: "That the right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State, shall not be questioned."
source
The Lie: American schools are underfunded and teachers are underpaid.
The Truth: The US spends more per student than any other country. US teachers earn more than teachers in most countries and earn more than most American workers.
The Lie: Most southern Democrats became Republicans after 1964.
The Truth: Only Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, and Mills Godwin did. Many more did not, including Al Gore Sr. (father of Vice President Al Gore) and Robert Byrd. Byrd was a former KKK member who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This was one of the longest filibusters in US history.
The Lie: Women make less money than men for the same work
The Truth: Men make more because they work more hours.
The Lie: Bill Clinton balanced the budget and left a surplus for Bush.
The Truth: The national debt went up every year of Clinton's presidency. The budget was almost balanced one year, but there was never a surplus.
The Lie: The Robber Barons of the late 19th century oppressed working Americans.
The Truth: The so-called Robber Barons were neither- they didn't steal their money and they weren't nobility. In fact, Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller grew up in poverty. Rockefeller's business drastically cut the price of kerosene. This enabled poor people to light their homes. Rockefeller spent the last 50 years of his life donating to charitable causes. The other so-called robber barons also donated vast sums to charity.
