THE SPIN STOPS HERE!

That phrase has been popularized by radio and T.V. talk show host, Bill O’Reilly, to try to explain, as a policy of his shows, that he will not allow people to say anything that is biased and/or patently untrue in order to gain an advantage against another person during a discussion or to push an agenda that is obviously untrue and misleading. The dictionary definition of “spin” is: to provide an interpretation or a bias of a statement or an event, especially in a way as to attempt to sway public opinion their way.
To listen to the political bombast that is being constantly shoved in our faces, the “spin” in political rhetoric today, is alive and well and getting worse with each passing day. It’s difficult for the average citizen to know what is a fact and what is a biased interpretation of those facts.
Well, what are some of the topics where “spin” seems to be in play on a regular basis. Here’s a sample:

The Democratic politicians in the Congress and the President are proclaiming, with a populist slant, that they will not raise taxes on our lower and middle income citizens, and that they will only raise taxes on the “rich”. That is definitely not true - it is a “spin” in it’s most blatant form. By letting the Bush tax cuts expire, which they say they will do, they will impose on the lower and middle income taxpayers an extra tax burden because the rates will revert back to the pre- tax cut rates of 2002, which will cause a tax increase to the people in those income tax brackets. No matter how you “spin” it, you can’t make silk out of a sow’s ear. The same thing with capital gains taxes. Almost 50% of reportable capital gains in 2006 that was reported by taxpayers, those capital gains were reported by taxpayers with incomes under $75,000 – hardly what you would consider “rich” in today’s economic climate. The Democrats want to raise the capital gains tax from the present 15% to 20% . No matter how you “spin” it, that is a tax increase, pure and simple, and on the lower and middle income people to boot. That “tax cut” touted by President Obama and his lackeys in Congress, is not a tax cut but a tax rebate, a form of welfare. So when he says that 95% of the people are getting a tax cut, he is not telling the truth. Welcome to Chicago-speak, c/o your President.
Another area where “spin” seems to be flagrantly used is in the area of race relations. The political activists ( sometimes called “race hustlers”), like the “Rhyming Reverends”, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, can say the most outrageous racist statements and get away with it, while their “white” counterparts get vilified for doing and saying similar things from a “white” person’s perspective. Just let a “white” person or politician say something negative about a black person, either real or imagined, and they get a charge of “racism” thrown at them - case closed, argument finished, the “spin” has crucified that “white” person to “racial hell”. Is that fair?

The P.C. police are out in force and using “spin” for all it’s worth and we are the victims. Political correctness has also raised its ugly head in the area of illegal immigration. We are told to not call illegal aliens, illegal aliens anymore, we must call them “undocumented workers”. That’s like calling a drug dealer an unlicensed pharmacist. How ridiculous is that? The “spin” by the open border advocates, is that the U.S. couldn’t survive without all the “illegal immigrants” that are in our country. Who says so? The amnesty crowd, that’s who, and they “spin” their tales of woe about discrimination to the illegals to gain sympathy for the people who have violated our laws, have caused an undue burden on most of our public services, including our prison system, our educational system, our health care system, and our welfare system, all of which is estimated to cost the taxpayers over $380 billion a year, and much of the money they earn is sent back to their mother country, mostly tax-free. Try to “spin” your way out of that. California is an economic basket case as a result of our lack of border enforcement and the stupid policy of having “sanctuary cities” in Los Angeles and San Francisco, to name just two. The taxpayer citizens of California are fed up and are voting with their feet to leave the state. Who’s going to be left in the state to make up for that revenue loss? Would it be illegal aliens? Just a guess on my part.

We, as informed citizens, cannot let “spin” dictate how we live our lives. We must stand up to these “Disciples of Deceit” and tell them to take their snake oil somewhere else because the “spin stops here!”

Written by Chuck Lehmann
"Chuck on the Right Side"