What James Talarico Believes
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TL;DR
- Many people, including politicians, sincerely believe things that are not true, often rooted in a perverted moral impulse.
- The belief that public school teachers are underpaid is a common 'fact' that is not supported by economic data, but it persists because it serves a patronage system.
- The idea that shadowy billionaires control U.S. politics is a fiction that lacks rigorous analysis and common-sense challenges.
- Data centers are not controlled by shadowy billionaires; they are largely owned by publicly traded companies like Amazon, whose shares are held by institutional investors, including teacher pension funds.
- Confronting and overcoming these 'respectable conspiracy theories' is presented as essential for responsible citizenship.