Don't believe everything you read!

When the Continental Congress disliked acts of Parliament and, more specifically, the actions of a succession of not very bright British cabinet ministers, they realized that most American colonists had no idea who these various persons were. Their methodology for organizing popular opinion against these policies and persons was to place the blame squarely on the one person who was known, at least symbolically, to every English speaker – King George III.

     This blame was condensed by the brilliant writer and, even more brilliant propagandist, Thomas Jefferson into the Declaration of Independence. As a work of propaganda, it is almost without peer, blaming solely poor old George, who by this time was suffering the beginnings of the porphyria which would dog him for the remainder of his life, for everything. 

    Jefferson realized that to focus colonial anger there needed to be a target and George was a great one.  Jefferson listed numerous grievances against acts of Parliament and the afore mentioned ministers, placing the blame for them entirely against the king. A partial list of these acts alleged to be George’s offenses (abridged for brevity) includes:  

According to Jefferson,  George III  did/or has:

 ..endeavoured to prevent the population of these States;

…has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

… cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

… has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. (My personal favorite!)

… has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

    While acts of Parliament may have, in fact, did impose some of these conditions on American Colonists, the principal objections came from the likes of John Hancock, the wealthiest man, perhaps, in New England, and other men of relatively high status in America whose economic fortunes were affected by hated tariffs and anti-smuggling acts of Parliament. Jefferson’s job was to make the average colonist, essentially untouched by most of these issues, not only feel that the woes of the rich were the woes of the poor, but that one, and only one man , George III was responsible.

   If this sounds a bit familiar, it should. Social media are full of posts  and/or chain e-mails by the great unwashed, blaming the President for a myriad of things created and passed by a majority of 535 elected legislators and signed into law by one man.

     One outstanding example is “US Dollar to collapse as Obama’s currency law goes into effect.”  First of all, the law in question, commonly referred to as FATCA, specifies that those who are either expatriates (choosing not to live in America, but holding on to US citizenship) or simply Americans hiding money on offshore accounts thereby avoiding taxes, must pay taxes. This was passed by a majority of both houses of Congress in 2010. It isn’t new, and until very well heeled pressure groups began to protest paying their fair share(s), many Americans were unaware of it. 

    When asked if they think it’s wrong for the super rich to hide money in offshore accounts, thereby avoiding the taxes the rest of us are responsible for, over 70% of respondents in every poll on the subject ever taken resoundingly responds “yes.” In spite of this, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz  and other Republicans are lobbying to repeal and using numerous scare tactics in the process. The “currency law” referred to is the Bill which includes provisions for FATCA, again, a law enacted by Congress.  It is astounding to me that Tea Partiers would be duped into supporting a law favoring the wealthy, yet here it is! Paul, Cruz, and their ilk are opposing a law which enacts a principal consistent with the wishes of a super majority of their constituents. Mind boggling isn't it?

     Just as ridiculous, in the other direction are the spots on Facebook and elsewhere, claiming “Obama wants …..(whatever ).”  In point of fact, these are primarily ads run by Mortgage companies and have nothing to do with the President.

    I guess what I’m trying to get across here is that if you were too (lazy, uninterested, stupid) to pay attention in American Government class to learn how the legislative process works then you probably shouldn’t believe all the crap you see attributed to the President, regardless of party, unless it’s something he really, truly did all by himself, like LBJ picking his beagle up by the ears, or Nixon being so drunk that Kissinger had to take a phone call from Mrs Thatcher, or Clinton ….well, you know! If all the right side ads on FB went away, we’d all be better off and undoubtedly more well informed!