Common Misconceptions of Economic Policy

In this book, you will find essays on common misconceptions in topics such as taxes; unemployment; inflation; income inequality; deficits and debt; Social Security; welfare; and the roles that market forces, corporations, and the government play in the economy.
I do my best to write about economics in language that is easy to understand for everyday citizens - those who are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable with the language of economics. The essays in this book have been written with such a reading audience in mind. My hope is that if you have reading comprehension skills, you can understand what I am trying to say, even if you tend to shy away from the subject of economics.
I am not using this book as a platform to use political labels and political talking points in order to make political statements based on a predetermined political position. My agenda is to use truth and logic in order to debunk such statements. People will find that the conclusions I reach tend to fall towards the progressive – rather than the conservative – end of what the political spectrum has become in modern times. I already know that many people who blindly follow conservative talking points will see my conclusions and denounce what I have to say, based solely on a liberal label that they attach to me, with no regard for the actual points I make. This happens all the time. They can’t – or at least they choose not to – logically rebut the actual points being made. Instead, they commit several logical fallacies (Section 12 of this book) through a personal attack. But they are not alone. On those occasions when my conclusions don’t coincide with commonly-held liberal positions, I get the same treatment from those who blindly follow liberal talking points.
I have found that the truth does not lie on the side of anybody’s talking points. I have also found that the truth cannot be found by making an attempt to balance opposing talking points. The truth can only be found through an unbiased search for the truth. That truth is rarely found straight down the center. I have concluded that it is dishonest as well as illogical to tailor an argument so that it agrees with the left, the right, or the center. The truth is what it is, regardless of labels.
This book is a follow-up to Sanity and Public Policy: Separating Truth from Truisms, by Jerry Wyant.