Earth 1 and Earth 2: Fact Checks

I apologize in advance for the length of this blog, but it is a subject that requires an in-depth look. I am going to repeat what I said in previous blogs about critical thinking because it is critical to our discussion today.

I taught various psychology courses at the university level for many years and am now a religious studies professor at Florida International University since 2005. I always push my students to think critically about history, religion, science, culture, government, economics, and so on. "Critical Thinking" requires observation, analysis, and conclusions that are fact-based and evidence-based. With the onslaught of social media, AI fakes, and everyone's opinion as fact, it sometimes seems like a losing battle. Nonetheless, their class comments and essay grades depend upon their ability to provide accurate, knowledgeable, fair, and balanced arguments. Most live up to the challenge, which shows they can do it.

Sadly, critical thinking seems to be becoming extinct in our current political and culture wars. In today's climate, facts and evidence are dismissed as "fake news," and opinions become "alternative facts." Lying for some politicians becomes a norm rather than an outlier. This distortion of truth and reality might seem laughable if it did not have such dire consequences.

So, now we get to Earth 1 and Earth 2. In the United States, a significant minority of our population, perhaps as much as 40%, seem to live on a different planet than the rest. That other planet is Earth 2, a realm of conspiracy theories, autocracy, QAnon, and fringe right-wing beliefs. Sadly, I've discovered this second planet in conversations with friends, family, and clients who are devoted MAGA followers. We live in two separate realities, and accurate, well-sourced facts seem to have little effect on their beliefs. They are convinced of their "facts," and that is that. No debate or discussion is possible. Yet, facts matter. So, let us review some of Earth 1 truths and Earth 2 beliefs.

Earth 2: Let's start with the big Earth 2 belief that Donald Trump is a good businessman and will bring good business to our country. They believe his business expertise will be put to good use in running the government and "draining the swamp." Much of this is based on the perception of Trump from the popular NBC series, The Apprentice.

Earth 1 Fact: Donald Trump is not considered a good businessman by his peers. He has filed six bankruptcies despite receiving some $410 million from his father over a thirty-year period, plus a $250 million inheritance. That is not conjecture but information taken from Trump's own financial records. I want you to think about that. How do you fail financially with that colossal $660 million inheritance, yet all of his casino and other business ventures have failed except for The Apprentice? The Apprentice was a scripted television show. In other words, he was an actor saying lines and following a script developed by someone else. What he is good at is promoting his brand and being an entertainer.

In truth, he attained much of his success through cheating and fraud. His charity was closed, and fined $2 million for being a fraud. Trump University grifted millions of dollars from unsuspecting people (many with lower incomes) who bought into the name brand. He had to close the "university" and pay a $25 million fine to the duped students. Finally, last February, the New York Attorney General, Leticia James, won her civil fraud case against him. If you think this was a setup, understand how the process works. She cannot charge him with anything until she convenes a grand jury of randomly selected citizens. She presents the evidence and witnesses, and if the grand jury votes that there is probable cause, she can file charges. If they vote no, then that is the end of the case. In this case, they voted yes, and the case went to a jury trial. Again, 12 randomly selected jurors are chosen, but only after both Trump's lawyers and the State's prosecutors have weeded out who they want and don't want on the jury. The jury of his peers unanimously found him, his sons, and Trump executives guilty of fraud. Because of the enormity of the millions he bilked businesses, banks, and New York (in lost taxes), the judge fined them $450 million. This is good business and a good businessman?

(As a side note, the same prosecution, grand jury, and jury process had to be followed in the many other state and federal cases he has lost or is facing. In January, a jury of his peers found him guilty of the sexual abuse of writer E. Jean Carroll and awarded her damages of $83.3 million for defaming her.)

On Earth 2, according to Trump, our terrible economy under President Biden is crashing, and we are "the laughingstock of the world." He says we have the worst inflation and employment rates in the world.

Earth 1 Fact: The economy is much better under President Biden. The economy was much worse under President Trump. The economic facts are irrefutable. Since the pandemic, the United States has had the fastest and best recovery of any nation. Our inflation rate is declining and now is among the lowest in the world. We are admired around the world for our robust economy, low inflation rate, low unemployment rate, and record-breaking stock prices. We are now one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world. Since 1989, 51 million jobs have been created under various presidents. The score: 50 million were under Democratic administrations, and 1 million were under Republican administrations. That is not a great Republican track record. The Biden administration has the highest number of new jobs created (16 million) of any American president in our history. Historically, the wealthy and all Americans have always done better under Democratic administrations than Republican. Billionaire Mark Cuban, Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street giant, and 16 Nobel laureate economists have stated that Kamala Harris's economic plans are solid and will build the economy. In contrast, Trump's economic policies could lead us to a recession as early as next summer. Who do you trust?

Again, according to Trump, Earth 2 is suffering a crime wave "the likes of which we have never seen."  Blue states are worse than red states.

Earth 1 Fact: Violent crime is at a fifty-year low and continues to drop under President Biden. Crime was much higher under President Trump's administration. Red states have a higher crime rate than blue states.

Earth 2 asserts hordes of terrorists and criminals are invading our borders every day. Under President Biden, the border crisis is much worse and overwhelming our society. Immigrants are taking our jobs and are part of a plot to let them vote for the Democrats. Haitian immigrants are eating our pets.

Earth 1 Fact: Immigration has been a problem for every president since Ronald Reagan. All have struggled with the fact that many people from Central America want to escape the poverty, murderous gangs, and oppressive, corrupt governments they live with every day. They want a better life for their children and families, and we would probably choose to come here, too, if we were in their shoes.

The border situation is better today than it was under Donald Trump. Crossings are way down. But here's the real problem. Donald Trump. Some very conservative Republicans and Democrats came up with a bipartisan border plan this year that most Democrats felt was too restrictive. However, they supported the bill anyway because it offered some much-needed relief. It would have added 1500 Border Patrol Agents and several dozens more immigration judges, as well as enhanced fentanyl detection systems. Even the Border Patrol Union supported it. When it was ready for a vote, Donald Trump called his cronies in Congress and ordered them to kill it. He said he did not want to give Biden a win in immigration during an election year. So, the bill died. Trump was more concerned about providing Biden a bipartisan "win" than solving the immigration issue or serving the American public. Finally, America is a land of immigrants. Every new immigrant group since the 1700s has faced initial discrimination and unwarranted stereotypes: dirty, stupid, spread disease, criminals, savage, etc. The Dutch, Germans, Italians, Irish, Polish, Catholics, Jews, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and now Haitians. This is so insulting to our friends and neighbors who come from immigrant families. By the way, percentage-wise, more crimes are committed by native-born Americans than immigrants. And I don't hide my pets from my Haitian neighbors.

Earth 2 believes that unions are a danger to our society. This is also the belief of many corporate leaders and billionaires (of course).

Earth 1 Fact: I was a union local president as a young social worker in Delaware. The union is AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees). Earlier, I worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad as a lineman and belonged to the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalman Union. So, I have personally seen how vital unions can be. However, are you aware what unions have given to you? The Five-Day Work Week. Overtime. Sick Leave. Paid Family Leave. Vacation Leave. Many early union organizers were beaten and killed to obtain these basic rights. Also, when unions win a raise, it raises wages for everyone. For example, when the UAW (United Auto Workers) forced the big three auto companies with their incredible profits to the table and won their strike this year, non-union auto companies then raised their wages for their employees. When Elon Musk and Donald Trump laugh about Musk firing all his striking employees, it gives you an idea of how much they respect the American worker.

Earth 2: Teachers are bad and are indoctrinating our children in leftist, Communist, and LGBTQ ways.

Earth 1 Fact: What the hell? Some of the most important people in my life were my teachers. They were not only good at teaching their subjects but taught us a lot about life. Mrs. Ronning (third grade). Mr. Goodman (7th-grade science), Miss Festa (algebra and math, who also taught us how to dance rock and roll after school). Dr. Zink (high school English). I could go on. They didn't indoctrinate us. They helped us grow up. Who were the special teachers in your life?

If you go late at night to Office Depot, you will often see teachers making copies of lessons and assignments for their students with their own money because school system budgets have been so cut back.

I take this personally. I teach at a university. I don't indoctrinate my students. I teach them to think. I am considered a very good teacher by my students. My daughter has been an excellent high school Spanish teacher for many years. Her mother was a biology high school teacher for many years. We all know the hours of preparation, student guidance, parent-teacher interaction, and grading are long, and the pay is terrible. You have to be dedicated to be a teacher, so I find this right-wing. anti-teacher propaganda is not only insulting but unfair, considering what teachers have to put up with today. To all the teachers out there, I would say, "Thank you for your service."

Earth 2: Government is bad, and there is a "deep state" of hidden government officials who are trying to undermine Donald Trump and his right-wing, conservative agenda that is trying to save our country.

Earth 1 Fact: Again, what an affront to all the hard-working public servants in government. Think about all the things that government does that are essential to a modern, complicated society: building and maintaining roads, bridges, schools, water and sewer, and traffic systems; police and fire departments; military and coast guard; post office; public schools and universities; municipal airports and seaports; public transportation (busses, subways/monorails, trains); judges, prosecutors, courts, jails and prisons; laws and regulations to protect the public in health care, business and government fraud and corruption, environmental safety, passenger safety, and so on. Whether it is putting up a street light, ensuring planes are built and maintained safely, drug interdiction at the border, the National Guard helping communities after a hurricane, inspecting food for contamination, or spraying for mosquito control; the government is deeply involved in keeping our country going and keeping us safe. That is what our taxes pay for.

Are there lazy, biased, and corrupt government employees? Of course, just as there are lazy, biased, and corrupt corporate employees, real estate agents, and doctors. It is part of every human organization, but for the most part, most people are honest and responsible. As an assistant in the Dade County Manager's Office, I found my co-workers and bosses were generally hard-working, dedicated public servants. The difference between government and business is that government is about service to the public, and business is about making profits. I get really upset with Trump's attacks against the FBI and the criminal justice system. I have had the privilege of working with many fine agents, officers, prosecutors, public defenders, and judges over the years. I didn't always agree with them, but I rarely questioned their integrity. There is no deep state, just people trying to perform difficult jobs that do not pay enough. And most tried to stay out of politics. They didn't see that as part of their job.

Earth 2: Anyone who is not for Trump is a leftist, liberal, Communist, and fascist. They are trying to destroy our country.

Earth 1 Fact: First, let us define fascism. It should not be confused with Communism, which is an economic and utopian vision that the State runs everything in a classless society where the workers are no longer exploited. It was a noble vision but was a horribly failed social experiment. Fascism is very different, although both lead to autocracies and dictatorships. Fascism is essentially an alliance between wealthy industrialists and political forces that wish to control a society and government for their own benefit. They cloak it in ideology and idealistic premises, but the motives are money, power, and domination. They believe they need to govern a society without the benefit of voting and democratic rules because they know better than the masses. So, it is also about ego. Germany's Hitler was a fascist. Italy's Mussolini was a fascist. Spain's Franco was a fascist. Today, Hungary's Orban is a fascist. Turkey's Erdogan is a fascist. The Philippine's Duterte is a fascist. Venezuela's Maduro is a fascist. Brazil's former president, Bolsona, is a fascist. Even Russia's Putin, the former Communist and KGB Colonel, is now a fascist, and there are many more would-be fascist leaders throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Donald Trump is an autocrat and a fascist. If you don't believe me, listen to him. He tells us all the time what he will do if elected. He and his Project 2025 will definitely move the country far from its democratic moorings. He has said he would like to terminate the U.S. Constitution, that he would be a dictator on Day 1, and that he would jail all his opponents, even execute some for treason (like General Milley, formerly head of the Joint Chiefs under Trump).

I am a progressive liberal and have been since my Civil Rights and Peace Movement Protest Days in the 1960s. I also consider myself a good American and a patriot. I vote in every election. My Dad fought Hitler in WWII in the 101st Airborne in some of the worst battles in Europe. I was in ROTC in college. I was a very hard-working, dedicated public servant for 15 years before entering my private practice. So, I strongly resent when my service and dedication to my country are smeared simply because I believe in this wonderful, diverse, multiethnic, multiracial, multireligious experiment we call American democracy. I don't think we are by any means perfect. We have made lots of terrible mistakes throughout our history. However, we represent a bold experiment "to form a more perfect union," and I believe we can continue to do better when we lead from our heart.

Earth 1: In the debate with Kamala Harris, Donald Trump stated most Americans, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents wanted Roe v Wade overturned. They wanted it returned to the states and to have abortion banned. (He has previously supported a national abortion ban, although recently, he has waffled on the issue as he realizes how unpopular this stance is with the American public.) Many MAGA Republicans at the national and State levels are now focusing on banning IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), abortion pills, and even contraception since they believe all are a form of murdering fetuses. Many support no exceptions for rape or incest. They state these abortion bans will not harm women. Trump also insisted that supporters of abortion allow abortions in the ninth month of pregnancy and that some babies who are born would be executed.

Earth 2 Fact: These Earth 2 beliefs are an outright lie. There is no killing of babies after they are born (that is murder), and there are no abortions in the ninth month of pregnancy. The majority of Americans, including Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, have consistently polled (67% to 85%) to keep Roe v. Wade, allow IVF, and allow for exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Some who support Roe v Wade may be pro-life, but they believe that the government should not be involved in a decision that should be made solely by the woman and her doctor. We now have documented cases of women dying because of their State's abortion ban. The medical personnel were too afraid to give these miscarrying women proper treatment until they were literally at death's door. Moms, Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, would still be alive today if their doctors were willing to give them the routine care that existed before Georgia's abortion ban. Their doctors, who could have performed what used to be an accepted, routine D & C procedure, could now face ten years in prison. In a couple of states, they face life in prison. Thousands of women have shared stories of bleeding out in hospital waiting rooms and parking lots, miscarrying at home and needing treatment, having to travel to other states, and being forced to continue a pregnancy from rape and incest unless they went to a state that allowed abortion.

Earth 2 believes in White Christian Nationalism. Donald Trump has hosted White Supremacists, Holocaust Deniers, Anti-Semites, Neo-Nazis, and Manosphere advocates at Mar-a-Lago. Some of these have proclaimed Hitler was the good guy in World War II and that a secret Jewish cabal is controlling the world. The Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina has called himself a "black Nazi," believes that women should not have the vote, and is a self-proclaimed "perve" on several porn websites. He is only one of a number of extreme Trump-endorsed candidates.

Earth 1 Fact: Here on Earth 1, we recognize that we are a diverse society; it is our strength, not our weakness. Caucasian people only represent 16% of the world's population but have this elevated sense of supremacy. Within a few years, white men and women will not represent the majority in this country, and this is apparently quite threatening to them. I relish my many friends from different countries, races, ethnicities, and religions. They make American life and culture so much more interesting. I remind my Hispanic friends that MAGA Republicans will not differentiate between Mexicans, Cubans, Hondurans, and Columbians. White Nationalists do not consider Hispanics "white." Do you think the mass deportations envisioned by Trump and his followers are not focused on all Hispanic, Black, and Muslim immigrant groups? Some white house staff reported that Trump and his senior aides saw no difference between "illegal" immigrants and Green Card holders.

Holocaust Denial would be laughable if it were not such a dangerous conspiracy theory. The only problem with Holocaust Deniers believing that Jews made up the idea of the death camps and the deaths of 6 million Jews is that the Germans were inveterate bureaucrats and record-keepers. There have been literally hundreds of warehouses filled with millions of Nazi documents, testimonials, pictures, videos, and eyewitness accounts that meticulously recorded the horrors of the Holocaust. As one Jewish friend put it, "How can 13 million people in the whole world control everything they are supposed to in the face of 2 billion Christians, 1.4 billion Muslims, 1 billion Hindus, and 300 million Buddhists?" Good question.

Finally, if it were up to the manosphere, we would be living The Handmaid's Tale, where a woman's role is restricted to the home and raising children. I am not making this up. Check out VP candidate J. D. Vance's views on women over the past few years. He has said an abused wife should not leave her husband. He stated that his mother-in-law, an Indian immigrant and a well-known scholar, should be relegated to taking care of the grandkids. He asserted that childless women should not have the same voting power as women with children. He believes that the primary role of a woman and wife is raising children, despite being married to a highly successful lawyer wife, Usha Vance. It goes on and on.

Earth 2 asserts that Donald Trump is well-respected and well-liked by most Americans. Kamala Harris is not.

Earth 1 Fact: In fact, polls consistently show that the majority of the American people (55%) do not like him. This compares to Kamala Harris's favorability rating of 48%. People can relate to her because she came from the middle class and, among other things, worked at McDonalds as a teenager. She also has 34 years of experience (Prosecutor, District Attorney, California Attorney General, Senator, and Vice-President) in public office--far more than Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump—so she is well-equipped to handle the presidency. More importantly, however, literally hundreds of former Trump White House officials, cabinet members, generals,  and senior advisors, including his own Vice President Mike Pence, will not endorse him, stating that he is "unfit for office." Many have indicated their support for Kamala Harris. Added to this are hundreds more Republicans from the Reagan and Bush Administrations, including top national security officials, who have called Trump "unfit" and that Kamala Harris has the qualities needed to be president. Former super-conservative VP Dick Cheney is among them. Who will you believe if even most of his top staff and military people like him the least, will not endorse him, and advise voting for Kamala Harris?

I hope my Earth 2 friends consider this blog's facts and evidence and return to this very nice Earth 1. Welcome home!