Pritical Thinking: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking and Common Sense in Politics and Public Policy

By Shawn Brodof

Even to the most casual observer, it is clear that America has seen better days. How did we get here? According to author Shawn Brodof it is due to apathy! He believes the nation’s woes can be solved by applying critical thinking and common sense to the arena of politics and public policy.

When it comes to holding our public officials responsible for their actions, Brodof theorizes that the American public consists of four groups, differentiated by their levels of engagement. The first group pays little or no attention to politics and public policy. The second group is comprised of sound-bite junkies who eat whatever their favorite news source feeds them. The third group is made up of ideologues that refuse to consider anything the “other side” says. The final group, the group that can turn the American ship around, is comprised of Pritical Thinkers.

Pritical Thinkers think for themselves. They base their decisions on facts not emotion, historical precedence not propaganda and talking points. They consider results rather than rhetoric, evidence over ideology. They are truth-seekers who are immune from disinformation and propaganda.

Without the ability to sift through the news with a pritical eye, we are lambs being led to the slaughter. A powerful segment of our representatives in Washington, D.C. no longer serve the interests of the people. As a group, they are self-serving and focused on self-preservation. They seek three things: power, control, and reelection.

Pritical Thinking has been described as part history book, part primer in economics, and part commentary on current events. Brodof reintroduces you to the concept of American Exceptionalism, examines the economic implications of public policy decisions, and tackles many hot-button issues including: Obamacare, dependency on government, immigration, the Federal Reserve, national debt, entitlements, education reform, global warming, abortion, and gun control.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shawn Brodof
• Release date: Sep 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9780982957875

Shawn Brodof

Shawn Brodof is a consummate entrepreneur, business coach, and consultant who started four businesses while accumulating over twenty years experience working for Fortune 500 financial institutions.He is the author of four books - The Termite Effect, The No Regrets Principle, Pritical Thinking, and The Proverbs Project.

Book preview

Pritical Thinking

The Lost Art of Critical Thinking and

Common Sense in Politics and Public Policy

Shawn Brodof

Copyright © 2014 by Shawn Brodof

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without prior consent of the author, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law or by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

Published by Shawn Brodof at Smashwords

Discover other titles by Shawn Brodof:

The Termite Effect – 25 Common Business Mistakes and Their Hidden Consequences

The No Regrets Principle

For more information about the author or other titles, visit http://www.Clarity-Coaching.biz.

Book cover designed by Sandy Campuzano.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Special quantity discounts on bulk purchases are available for sales promotions, premiums, fundraising, and educational use. Special editions, including personalized covers and corporate imprints can be created for special needs.

For more information, please email [e-mail] or call 704.806.8544.

ISBN: 978-0-9829578-6-8

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I

The Foundation

Apathy / Black and White / Shades of Gray

Vocabulary Tests and Pritical Thinking

The United States Constitution

The Federalist Papers

Repeal the Seventeenth Amendment

Voluntary Union

The Freedom Scale

Liberal vs Conservative

American Exceptionalism

Truth-Seeking

I Second that Emotion

Your Mama!

I Don’t Accept Your Premise

The Pritical Thinking Decision-Making Filter

Part II

Economics 101

Minimum Wage

Fair Share

Flat Tax

Economic Stimulus: Food Stamps and Unemployment Compensation?

This Recession is Not Different

The Housing Bubble of 2008

Doomed from the Start - Social Security

How Much Damage is the Federal Reserve Doing?

Part III

Global Warming

What About the Baby?

More Guns, Less Crime

Obamacare

National Debt and Wasteful Government Spending

Dependency

Education Reform

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Parting Shots

Energy

Immigration

Unemployment

News Sources

Gay Marriage

Voter ID

Conclusion

Citations & Footnotes

Introduction

"Complex problems have simple to understand, wrong answers." H.L. Mencken

I have been writing a political blog for almost ten years. For the most part I write for myself other than periodic social media posts. Because of that blog, a previously active Twitter account, and my personal Facebook page, I unknowingly wrote this book over the course of those ten years.

This is a book about critical thinking with American politics and public policy as the case study. The above quote from H.L. Mencken masterfully captures one of the goals I have in writing this book – rather than blindly accepting someone else’s opinion or point of view, I want my readers to be inquisitive, ask questions, do their own research, and draw their own informed conclusions.

I believe it is time for the public to demand politicians stop making empty assertions and start making arguments based on facts, figures, and historical evidence. In my own little way, I want to stop the practice of telling people what to think and teach people how to think. If you have an opinion, make sure it is an informed one. Basing your position on feelings when it comes to public policy has not served the country well. In a nutshell, Pritical Thinking is about understanding what you believe and why you believe it. If you cannot explain your beliefs to a 12-year old, you need to do some more research. Pritical Thinkers hold the people around them accountable for their beliefs. We ask simple, probing questions in an effort to get them to explain why they believe the things they believe. You will be surprised how few people can answer with any level of detail.

Know what you believe.

Understand why you believe it.

Own it!

Share it!

Take a moment and think about someone who you consider exceptional in some aspect of life. It could be someone who plays a music instrument, a professional athlete, a motivational speaker, a parent, a business person, a pastor, or a colleague. What do all of these people have in common? They put in countless hours to get to where they are. The same theory applies to understanding and defending your beliefs. It takes time and requires study. My hope is that this book might jumpstart your study and understanding of your political and public policy beliefs.

At the end of this book, my hope is that you think differently. That you read more than the headlines; that you listen to the news or to your friends with a pritical ear.

My intent is not to present an academic, footnote-laden presentation. It is to cover a lot of ground, plant many seeds, and offer an alternative method to evaluate politics and public policy.

In the Beginning

During the election cycle of 2008, I attended a dinner party where I made, what I considered, a rather innocuous claim. I had the audacity to claim that, then vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, was more qualified to be President than, then presidential candidate, Barack Obama. I substantiated my position with the fact that Palin had been a mayor of a city and a governor of a state. Obama, on the other hand, had never held a job that required anywhere near that level of responsibility and decision making. One person in attendance was apoplectic. The sheer hatred for Palin seemed to ooze from every pore. However this person never debated my point. She simply hated Palin so much that she could not bring herself to evaluate my argument on its merit.

Similarly, I gave Glenn Beck’s latest book, Miracles and Massacres, to a friend this Christmas because of his interest in American history. I struck up the following dialogue with another person present at the time:

I don’t like Glenn Beck.

Why not?

I don’t like people like him or Rush Limbaugh.

Why?

They are too conservative.

What does that mean – too conservative?

You know what I mean.

Actually, I don’t. Please share.

I am discerning enough to figure it out.

Then came the money question: How many hours have you listened to Beck and Limbaugh combined?

Response: Silence.

There is one final encounter that I had some time during George W. Bush’s term in office. I was complaining to a friend, who happened to be a life-long Democrat, about the way the mainstream media and the Democrats in Congress were constantly maligning Bush. I asked this person what they thought about the unfair treatment of the President. His response was, as long as it’s my side doing it, I don’t care!

It was during these types of conversations, and others that I will discuss later, that I came to the understanding that most people are not critical thinkers. They tend to be ideology accepters, sound-bite junkies, or simply close-minded. An ideology accepter is someone who has an ideological bend or persuasion and they ignore anything that contradicts their views. They very rarely, if ever, allow their beliefs to be challenged. They only look for confirmation of their beliefs.

These same people simply refuse to follow the likely outcome of a proposed policy that they claim to support.

Thus the concept of Pritical Thinking was born!

I do not feel any animosity towards people who live or think differently than me. I feel animosity toward politicians, party hacks, and political parties that try to drive wedges between people that live or think differently than each other. When I have conversations with friends with different political views, we invariably agree on about 60% -70% of the issues - government spending, tax policy, most foreign policy, the amount of regulations, etc. There are other issues where we may not agree but we are able to find a middle ground – abortion, global warming, healthcare reform, welfare reform, gun control, education reform. With a little Pritical Thinking, most problems can be solved to the agreement of the majority. However, Washington, D.C. is not interested in seeking the truth; they are only interested in gaining and maintaining power and control.

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PART 1

The Foundation

Apathy / Black and White / Shades of Gray

"Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.

If the next centennial does not find us a great nation… it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces." Congressman and future President James Garfield circa 1877

I understand that politics bores most people to death and it frustrates those who do find it a worthwhile study. It is the perfect storm for complacency, indifference, apathy, and frustration. Thus we find our country in a very bad place right now.

Americans are largely apathetic or indifferent when it comes to their public officials. The name of my previously mentioned blog is Apathyreigns because I believe that the apathy that currently reigns in America will lead to the nation’s ultimate downfall. Politicians exploit the American people’s lack of interest in their day-to-day activities. In order to maintain their grip on power, the modern Democratic Party prays for and preys on an ignorant populace.

When you look at the fall of the Roman Empire, its ultimate demise was not conquest by enemies. It was due primarily to an epidemic of apathy that grew out of a relatively affluent populace. You may have heard the term bread and circuses. It was used to describe Rome. As long as the people were entertained and well fed, they paid little attention to how bad things were. On top of that, the empire expanded its citizen base (think amnesty for illegal immigrants) to the point that the country could no longer afford its social programs. Rather than work for a living, many Romans decided to live off the public dole (think food stamps and the ever-expanding number of Americans receiving welfare).

As fewer and fewer Romans chose to work, the government stepped in with more and more regulations. As the regulations mounted, the government slowly began to become more and more totalitarian in nature. All along, inflation wreaked havoc in their economy. Does any of this sound familiar?

Fast forward to modern-day America: Our public officials have taken full advantage of the electorate’s see-no-evil-hear-no-evil approach to public policy. The next thing we know, the country is bankrupt, we have a 40% out-of-wedlock birthrate, the NSA is spying on us, we are involved in multiple wars, purposely devaluing our currency, bailing out entire industries, passing unconstitutional legislation that no one reads, and we are stuck with a real unemployment rate of over 12%.

While modern Americans have endless sources for news, they have even more sources of distraction and entertainment. Therefore the apathy coma is sustained.

Vocabulary Tests and Pritical Thinking

The only thing I hate worse than a political leader that is wishy-washy is a flip-flopper. Liberals will make the argument that conservatives are hard-headed and unwilling to change their position on issues. What they do not understand is Pritical Thinkers hold their positions on issues based on principles and facts.

I developed a memory trick for my children when they studied for vocabulary tests that I want to share with you. I call it The Good or Bad Test. Essentially, the trick is to attach a general connotation to each word (good or bad) and then try to recall the definition or determine what is meant based on its context in a passage.

I will employ the same technique in this book. While the level of interest in politics and public policy remain low for the majority of Americans, very few arenas of life have a more dramatic impact on you, your children and your grandchildren. It behooves all of us to pay attention, have an informed opinion, and let our representatives know what that opinion is. It is our responsibility to understand how our elected officials are voting and let them know how we feel about it!

You must first come to the realization that some things are good and others are bad. There is good and bad, black and white, right and wrong in the world! Despite the cat-calls by liberals that you are a simpleton for thinking this way, the truth is you are a realist! Operating in shades of gray and relativism has led the nation to where we are today – in debt, with a stagnant economy, a record number of people out of work, on food stamps, on welfare, with broken families, and morally corrupt.

I ask you to consider The Good or Bad Test as you read this book and then apply it to the news reports that you hear. Keep in mind, this test is only meant to provide you with a gut check or initial reaction to a public policy initiative. It is not meant to provide a solution. That is the next step!

As an example, let’s use abortion. Abortion is bad! Whether you consider yourself pro-choice or not, most people understand that abortion is taking the life of an unborn human being and, since murder/killing is bad, abortion is too! Therefore, your approach to public policy around abortion can be shaped by the fact that abortion is bad and, rather than just going with the flow and not making any waves, you might actually begin to frame the debate differently among your sphere of influence.

Next, let’s consider the issue of raising the minimum wage. Most people consider it a good thing for all the touchy-feely reasons we hear politicians spew - livable wage, no one can raise a family of four on minimum wage, etc. However, if you study the policy, you will see that raising the minimum wage actually hurts the very people it is supposed to help.

The United States Constitution is a force for good! It was not perfect when it was signed; it still is not perfect. However, that document is the primary reason America has seen so much success is her short existence when compared to the much older societies around the world. Efforts to circumvent or bypass the Constitution short of the amendment process are bad and should be loudly opposed by every American.

Bearing children out of wedlock is bad! These children are more likely to grow up in poverty; they are statistically more prone to commit crime, end up in prison, and are less educated than their two-parent counterparts. As a society, shouldn’t we do everything we can to promote two-parent households? Isn’t it in the best interest of society to do such?

One more example: spending more than you make is bad. If an individual, family, or company spends more than they bring in, the consequences are severe; usually bankruptcy. Why is it that our government, led by both political parties, can spend more than it takes in year after year after year? Why can’t the federal budget be balanced? Who opposes such efforts and why? Click here for the answer. Again, armed with The Good or Bad Test results about debt and deficit spending, you can oppose debt ceiling hikes and the Federal Reserve’s decade-long printing press.

We need to stop being afraid to unapologetically state our beliefs in terms of black/white and right/wrong. You see where the shades of gray, wishy-washy, relativism has gotten us as a nation. Maybe it’s time for a new, fresh tact?

The United States Constitution

"The government was set to protect man from criminals – and the Constitution was set to protect man from the government." Ayn Rand

"Every member of the State ought diligently to read and to study the constitution of his country, and teach the rising generation to be free. By knowing their rights, they will sooner perceive when they are violated, and be the better prepared to defend and assert them." John Jay

As a Christian, I believe the Bible is the authority on how I should try to live my life. As an American, I believe the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and all of the personal writings of the Founding Fathers are the authority for the country. I believe the Founding Fathers of this country were extraordinary. What they did (taking on the British Empire) is nothing short of miraculous but their crowning achievement is the United States Constitution!

The Constitution is the glue that holds the United States together. It is one of the reasons America is exceptional. The problem is fewer and fewer Americans study the Constitution. Ignorance of the Constitution and of your rights is NOT bliss. It is a recipe for disaster.

It has always irritated me when I hear liberals and progressives bad-mouth the U.S. Constitution depicting it as an antiquated document written by a bunch of old, rich, slave-owning, white guys. They claim the document needs to change with the times.

Rather than follow the constitutional amendment process, liberals and progressives have instead chosen to pursue their agenda via judicial activism, executive orders, and government regulations. It has always struck me as ironic that, if they are so sure that their agenda is the right thing for the American people, they would run through fire to get it through via the amendment process. Instead they pursue a philosophy that plays on the passions of the people, claiming that government can meet everyone’s needs. Progressivism is a corrupt and bankrupt philosophy that will ultimately produce a corrupt and bankrupt country.

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the

government to restrain the people. It is an

instrument or the people to restrain the government."

~ Patrick Henry

When in doubt about an issue, look to the original intent of the Founding Fathers. What did they say about a particular issue? When someone tries to circumvent the Constitution by making arguments that the Founding Fathers would never have imagined modern life, simply remind them that that is the reason the amendment process was created. If you don’t like something, offer up a constitutional amendment. Otherwise, if the Constitution is silent on an issue, then the federal government should have nothing to do with it! Instead, we find politicians and political parties circumventing their constitutional requirement by using regulations, bureaucracies, and executive orders.

The founding documents made it clear that our rights are granted by God, not government. The purpose of the Constitution was simply to provide a structure that would protect us from anyone who thought they were greater than God. A Pritical Thinker knows that if rights are not given by God, rather by government, then government can just as easily take those rights away.

"Because men are not angels, there must be government.

Because government is made up of men, it must be controlled and limited."

~ James Madison

Why the Federal Government's Power Must be Limited

Adapted from a April 17, 2009 blog post

Unfortunately, for the future of our nation, Congress has successfully exploited American constitutional ignorance or contempt. Walter E. Williams

"The purpose of the federal government is to protect our constitutional and natural rights, not to restrict or inhibit them." Judge Andrew P. Napolitano

Why should the power of the federal government be limited? Because the U.S. Constitution says so! Because the 10th Amendment makes it clear that all powers not specifically given to the federal government would go to the states.

The Founding Fathers had just escaped the tyranny of a king who thought he knew what was best for the colonists halfway around the world. They had no intention of creating a federal government with similar powers. Thus the Constitution granted the states most of the power. They knew that governments and political leaders are held more accountable when politicians are closer in proximity to their constituents. The people in a town know better than the people in the state capitals. The people in a state know better than Washington, D.C.

Fast-forward 240 years and consider the fact that the federal government is the nation's largest creditor, debtor, lender, employer, consumer, contractor, grantor, property owner, tenant, insurer, health-care provider, and pension guarantor! In a country where the federal government’s role was to be severely limited, that last sentence should scare the hell out of you!

In case you are wondering, the U.S. Constitution does NOT enumerate: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the war on poverty, highway funding, education, healthcare, bailing out private businesses, cap-and-trade, CAFE standards, or light bulbs.

What does the federal government do well besides waste our money? NOTHING! As Ronald Reagan once said, the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector. Even national defense, which is one of the enumerated powers, is full of wasteful spending.

Washington uses federal money as an extortion racket against the states. The federal government's favorite tools are the highway trust fund, Medicare, education funding and most recently – healthcare! All of these are used to blackmail the states by forcing them to adopt Washington’s plan for the states rather than the states determining its own route.

The whole point our Founding Fathers made with enumerated powers was to allow the states to do as they pleased knowing that the people could flee if things got out of hand. Examples of this would be the liberal utopia of California, which is bankrupt, or New York, Minnesota, or Illinois where the Democrats who run those states are constantly raising taxes. Another example is Oregon with their continuous experiments on social programs. If you don't like it, get the hell out! Flee to a state of your choice and take your tax dollars