Letters: Debt ceiling hypocrisy; Social media divides

Debt ceiling hypocrisy

In a recent newsletter, Teresa Hanafin (Boston Globe) highlighted the rank hypocrisy of reckless Republicans who have caused most of America’s debt, but now refuse to increase the debt ceiling:

“Lyndon Baines Johnson (D)

Assumed office November 1963: $5 billion deficit

Left office January 1969: $3 billion surplus

Decreased deficit by $8 billion

Richard Nixon (R)

Assumed office January 1969: $3 billion surplus

Left office August 1974: $6 billion deficit

Increased deficit by $9 billion

Gerald Ford (R)

Assumed office August 1974: $6 billion deficit

Left office January 1977: $54 billion deficit

Increased deficit by $48 billion

Jimmy Carter (D)

Assumed office January 1977: $54 billion deficit

Left office January 1981: $79 billion deficit

Increased deficit by $25 billion

Ronald Reagan (R)

Assumed office January 1981: $79 billion deficit

Left office January 1989: $153 billion deficit

Increased deficit by $74 billion

George H.W Bush (R)

Assumed office January 1989: $153 billion deficit

Left office January 1993: $255 billion deficit

Increased deficit by $102 billion

Bill Clinton (D)

Assumed office January 1993: $255 billion deficit

Left office January 2001: $128 billion surplus

Decreased deficit by $383 billion

George W. Bush (R)

Assumed office January 2001: $128 billion surplus

Left office January 2009: $1.4 trillion deficit

Increased deficit by $1.5 trillion

Barack Obama (D)

Assumed office January 2009: $1.4 trillion deficit

Left office January 2017: $665 billion deficit

Decreased deficit by $735 billion

Donald Trump (R)

Assumed office January 2017: $665 billion deficit

Left office January 2020: $3.7 trillion deficit

Increased deficit by $3 trillion”

Social media divides

Do you have friends or family who were once close who are now estranged? Do you find yourself spending a lot of time on social media? Does social media reinforce your beliefs, forming what you believe to be a cohesive and often wronged group?

It’s not just Democrats or Republicans these days, though that does apply. Do you now view others not in that group as corrupted and untrustworthy? The algorithms that are used in social media are designed to get you hooked, and to reinforce groups beliefs, the effect is to divide people. Influencers within groups are often those most vocal and most extreme. Sometimes influencers within these groups are outside nations pretending to be a friend, trying to divide people into conflicting groups and as a result destroy democracies while employing bots and the like. Not to start to bend in the direction of the group think progression is to risk being alienated from “your group.”

We are very much social animals and will often compromise reason, our morality, and much else to remain within a group. It happens step by step, each step we self justify, not allowing our selves to admit we are not staying true to our moral compass. Each step lures one deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. Yet our egos will not allow us to see the error of this process. We must deal with this or face the destruction of relationships and democracy itself. Please examine your social media beliefs.