According to Wikipedia.org, Confirmation Bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor and recall information in a way that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.
Confirmation bias occurs when you see or hear something that you believe is already true, even though, it may not be at all true.
People who are struggling economically in our changing economy may blame illegal immigrants and minorities for their predicament, rather than automation, globalization, entry-level jobs that require a higher skill set and the dismantling of labor unions.
People who feel that taxes and healthcare costs are too high may also blame immigrants, minorities, welfare recipients and big government, rather than big tax cuts to the wealthy that don’t trickle down but are instead used for stock buybacks that only make the rich richer, big pharma that outlandishly overcharges for life saving drugs to only enrich themselves and the fact the government has been overtaken by the wealthy class who does not effectively represent the majority of Americans.
The struggling working class has come to believe that big government is the cause of their problems, when in fact deregulation has caused much of the unfairness that currently exists in our economy. Deregulated lending and mortgages resulted in countless foreclosures for hard-working families and the 2008 financial crisis (and remember it was hardworking Americans who bailed out the bankers who got rich causing the crisis and who went unpunished). The deregulation of the airlines resulted in the loss of thousands of good paying jobs that included healthcare and pensions. Deregulated campaign finance has allowed the ultra-wealthy to have unfair influence in our elections and in passing policies that favor the rich at the expense of the majority. These are just a few examples of the problems caused by deregulation.
We need a bigger, truly representative government that is fair for all Americans and that supports the common good. We need campaign finance reform and finance regulation. We all need to invest in infrastructure, education and healthcare. We need to stop the few that are robbing the country of its resources that should be used for the common good of our democracy. Blaming people who are in the same boat as us rather than the captain who is steering the boat and keeping all the spoils for himself.
Be aware of your confirmation bias and fact check what you see or hear even if it agrees with your pre-existing beliefs.
reilly m gray 