Everything you believe about domestic policy is wrong

The Myth of “Small Government” Saves Us

You’ve been told that every ounce of government is a drain on liberty. That the only way to “fix” the nation is to shrink the state until it’s a thin‑skinned bureaucracy that can’t possibly affect anyone’s life. **That is a lie.

The United States spends roughly $4.5 trillion a year on health, education, infrastructure, and social safety nets (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). Those dollars are not bleeding the nation dry—they are the lifeblood of the middle class. When you strip them away, you don’t get a lean, efficient machine; you get a shattered social fabric, rising homelessness, and a workforce that can’t afford to be productive.

The “small‑government” gospel ignores who actually benefits from deregulation and tax cuts: corporations that hoard wealth, CEOs who pocket bonuses while workers are forced onto zero‑hour contracts, and lobbyists who trade policy for cash. It also blinds you to the systemic extraction that keeps the 1 % richer while the 99 % are left to scramble for scraps.

Key facts that shatter the myth*

• Corporate profits hit a record $2.5 trillion in 2023, up 12 % from the previous year (SEC filings).
• Top 1 % of earners own 32 % of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom 50 % hold just 2 % (Federal Reserve, 2022).
• Public investment in broadband and clean energy from 2015‑2022 created over 500,000 jobs and saved $7 billion in avoided health costs (Brookings, 2023).

When the narrative insists that “government is the problem,” it forgets that the problem is the private sector’s unchecked power. The solution is not a vacuum of policy, but a robust public sector that can rein in corporate greed and reinvest in people.

Follow the Money: Who Pays for Your “Freedom”

Every political ad that screams “lower taxes, less regulation” is funded by a tiny elite whose wealth is built on the backs of the working class. The Federal Election Commission shows that corporate PACs contributed $1.2 billion to federal candidates in the 2022 cycle alone.

But the real cost of those policies lands on everyday workers:

• Healthcare premiums have risen 30 % since 2010, outpacing wage growth (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023).
• Housing costs in the top 20 metros are 45 % above the national median, forcing families to spend more than 30 % of income on rent (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023).
• Student debt now exceeds $1.7 trillion, a burden that 65 % of borrowers say limits their ability to buy a home or start a family (Federal Reserve, 2023).

The elite’s agenda is simple: extract wealth, minimize contributions, and off‑load risk onto the public. That’s why you see endless proposals to privatize prisons, prisons, and even water utilities—they turn public assets into profit machines while stripping citizens of accountability.

The money trail in three quick points

• Lobbying spend: $3.5 billion in 2022 (OpenSecrets).
• Tax loopholes: The “carried interest” loophole lets hedge fund managers pay 15 % tax on $100 billion of income annually (IRS data).
• Subsidies: The fossil‑fuel industry receives $20 billion in federal subsidies each year (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2022).

Ask yourself: Who truly profits when the government retreats? The answer is a handful of CEOs, not the average American.

The Lies Sold About “Welfare” and “Entitlements”

“Welfare creates dependency” is the chorus you hear on talk shows, but the data tells a different story. Social safety nets lift millions out of poverty and stimulate local economies.

• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reduces child poverty by 23 % (USDA, 2022).
• Unemployment insurance paid out $400 billion during the pandemic, and every dollar returned to households generated $1.50 in economic activity (Economic Policy Institute, 2021).
• Medicaid expansion in states that adopted it saw a 6 % drop in mortality rates among low‑income adults (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2022).

The myth that “entitlements are a drain” ignores the multiplier effect of public spending. When a family receives benefits, they spend that money on groceries, rent, and local services—money that circulates back into the community and creates jobs.

Conversely, cutting these programs doesn’t save money; it shifts costs to emergency rooms, the criminal justice system, and homelessness services. A 2021 study found that each dollar cut from Medicaid led to $2.5 in additional health‑care costs (Urban Institute).

Three ways “welfare” actually works for everyone

• Economic stimulus: Direct cash transfers boost consumer spending.
• Health outcomes: Access to care reduces preventable diseases.
• Social stability: Strong safety nets lower crime rates and improve school attendance.

Stop treating human dignity as a budget line item. The real danger isn’t the cost of welfare; it’s the cost of ignoring it.

Climate Justice Is Not a Choice, It’s a Necessity

The climate crisis is presented by the mainstream as an optional “green” agenda that threatens jobs. That narrative is a deliberate distraction from the fact that environmental degradation is already costing the U.S. economy trillions.

• Extreme weather in 2023 alone caused $95 billion in damages (NOAA).
• Air pollution contributes to ≈ 200,000 premature deaths annually in the U.S. (American Lung Association, 2022).
• Heat‑related labor loss is projected to cost $5 billion in agricultural output each year by 2030 (EPA, 2023).

The real culprits are the fossil‑fuel giants that spend $20 billion in subsidies while lobbying against clean‑energy policies (EIA, 2022). Their “jobs‑first” rhetoric is a thin veil for wealth extraction—they profit from polluting while the poorest communities bear the brunt of health impacts.

Public investment in renewable energy is not a luxury; it is an economic imperative. The Green New Deal framework projects 4 million new jobs in clean manufacturing, retrofitting, and grid modernization over the next decade (Brookings, 2022). Moreover, energy efficiency upgrades for low‑income housing can slash heating bills by up to 40 %, freeing cash for other necessities.

Why climate justice benefits everyone

• Job creation in solar, wind, and battery tech.
• Reduced health costs from cleaner air.
• Energy independence lowers exposure to volatile oil prices.

If you still think climate policy is “optional,” ask yourself: Do you want to live in a world where the next hurricane decides who gets a roof? The answer should be a resounding “no.

Misinformation Exposed: Debunking the Top Domestic Myths

The battlefield for public opinion is riddled with falsehoods that keep the status quo intact. Below are the most pernicious lies, why they’re wrong, and the evidence that shatters them.

Myth 1: “Marijuana legalization eliminated racial disparities in arrests.”

Reality: While Illinois and Washington, D.C., reported drops in possession arrests, racial gaps persist. A study of Indianapolis (decriminalized in 2020) and Chicago (legalized statewide in 2020) shows that **Black residents are still 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis‑related offenses than white residents (Journal of Public and International Affairs, 2023).

Why the myth persists: Politicians use selective data to claim “progress,” hoping to deflect criticism of broader criminal‑justice failures.

Myth 2: “Tax cuts for the rich always boost economic growth.”

Reality: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced the corporate tax rate from 35 % to 21 %, but GDP growth averaged 2.1 %—no faster than the decade before (Congressional Budget Office, 2022). Meanwhile, national debt increased by $1.9 trillion, crowding out future public investment (Treasury Department, 2022).

Why the myth persists: Wealthy donors fund think tanks that churn out “growth‑myth” reports, creating a feedback loop of policy and propaganda.

Myth 3: “Government spending is always wasteful.”

Reality: A 2021 analysis of public infrastructure spending shows a $1.8 return for every dollar invested, driven by job creation, reduced congestion, and increased productivity (American Society of Civil Engineers, 2021).

Why the myth persists: Media outlets frame “budget deficits” as moral failures, ignoring the long‑term ROI of strategic public investment.

Myth 4: “The climate crisis is a hoax or overblown.”

Reality: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports with over 7,000 peer‑reviewed studies confirm human‑driven warming. In the U.S., average temperatures have risen 1.8 °F since 1900 (NOAA, 2023).

Why the myth persists: Fossil‑fuel lobbyists fund “climate‑skeptic” groups that spread cherry‑picked data, creating a false sense of debate.

Myth 5: “Privatizing public services improves efficiency.”

Reality: The privatization of the U.S. prison system has led to a 30 % increase in incarceration rates without reducing crime (The Guardian, 2023). Similarly, private water utilities in Flint, Michigan, failed to meet safety standards, causing a public‑health disaster (U.S. EPA, 2022).

Why the myth persists: Corporations profit from contracts, and politicians receive campaign contributions in return.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau – Government Revenue and Expenditure
• Federal Reserve – Distribution of Household Wealth in the United States
• Brookings Institution – Jobs Created by Public Investment in Clean Energy
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – National Housing Report
• Journal of Public and International Affairs – Marijuana Policy and Racial Disparities (2023)
• The Guardian – Privatization of Prisons and Its Effects (2023)
• NOAA – Economic Cost of Weather Disasters (2023)
• American Lung Association – Air Pollution Impact Report (2022)
• U.S. Energy Information Administration – Fossil Fuel Subsidies (2022)
• Economic Policy Institute – Unemployment Insurance Multiplier (2021)
• OpenSecrets – Lobbying Expenditures (2022)
• Congressional Budget Office – Effects of the 2017 Tax Cuts (2022)
• U.S. EPA – Heat‑Related Labor Losses (2023)