Mind Your Mind in the Midterms
I wish I could keep the alliteration going, so you’ll want to read more about the top issues in the 2022 midterms (here in the USA if that were not obvious) and learn how politicians and pundits might manipulate your thinking. As this is a publication about social problems, what causes them, and how to fix them, we’ll focus on relevant claims from both sides of the political aisle.
Top 5 Issues in 2022 Midterms
You’ll see slightly different terminology and perhaps a different order when someone reports on top issues on voters’ minds as the midterms approach. Here is what Morning Consult listed:
- Economy/Jobs/Cost of Living
- Education
- Abortion
- Gun Policy
- Immigration
They reported on the percentage of likely voters who say each issue is “very important” to them.
You’ll hear about those issues and see them in campaign ads. Pundits will talk about them on television, on the radio, and (of course) online. We hope they’ll be both honest and accurate when they talk about what’s causing these issues and what should be done.
In reality, the Democrats and Republicans are both going to be somewhat inaccurate and biased. I guess everyone knows that, and they’ll be on the lookout for questionable claims from the OTHER side. That’s to be expected. What I hope here is to encourage two things to happen:
- People will be more critical of claims coming from their own side.
- People who are undecided, about what party to support or about whether to vote at all, will learn a few things that encourage them to get off the couch and vote.
Critical Thinking Needed Now
Politicians might just be saying things to get elected. Or, they may actually want to implement some of the solutions that they talk about. They may believe what they say about gun control or about climate change policies. As responsible voters, it would be good to support someone who has a fact-based relationship with society. And, someone who is seriously interested in solving problems versus doing the Democrat “thing” or the Republican “thing” to make their own supporters happy.
So, this is where the desire to think critically is important. Why support people and ideas that will not help? Why invest in policies and programs that don’t help? Shouldn’t we want Republican-friendly or Democrat-friendly policies that will make the economy better, protect the environment, and enhance public safety?
I think so.
How much time and money has been wasted on the subject of “assault weapons” since the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas? Gun policy is one of the top issues of 2022, so the subject will come up. What is the answer to this kind of school shooting, or mass shootings in general? Politicians and pundits have floated a few solutions:
>Ban assault rifles
>Institute “red flag” laws that allow authorities to temporarily remove firearms
>Invest in mental health care
>Raise the buying age for semiautomatic weapons to 21
Will those things help and how do we know? Those are questions a good critical thinker will ask. A shameless propagandist will just tell you that people will relentlessly abuse red flag laws to take guns from people they don’t like. A different shameless propagandist will babble incoherently about weapons of war designed to mow down as many people as possible in as little time as possible.
Gun control just makes an easy example of the phenomenon of manipulation. One could easily go and find examples from immigration reform, climate change policy, poverty reduction, and so on. People abuse language, statistics, scientific thinking, and logic to “sell” you on a political party.
Seriously reconsider your support for these people. The only reason to support them is, I guess, to keep someone even worse from getting into office.
What’s Next?
In the next several weeks, look for at least five more essays like this one, each diving into one of the top issues in these upcoming midterm elections. If you are unsure of what to think about fixing the economy, reducing gun violence, or whatever, the upcoming articles will help you think about some of the claims you’ll encounter and you’ll be better equipped to answer three important questions:
- Is this backed up by science or data?
2. Are they making logical sense?
3. Are they abusing language to mislead us?
Okay, that last one is probably a given, but it might be gratifying to know HOW this manipulation plays out on a specific issue.
