For the past 30 years or so, Americans have been systematically brainwashed about Social Security, health care and welfare.

Republicans insist that Social Security must cut benefits by 20 percent or raise the retirement age to 75, a blatant lie. Social Security can be permanently fixed by requiring that millionaires pay in at the same rate as everyone else.

People are told that American health care is the world’s best. Actually, costs are shockingly high compared to the rest of the world and overall health outcomes are mediocre.

We’re told constantly that welfare for the poor must be cut. Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times suggests that politicians stop giving welfare subsidies for private planes, yachts, hedge funds, the biggest banks and corporations, and corporate meals and entertainment.

Large corporations and super-rich people such as the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson have conspired with politicians, who are given money for political campaigns. Together, they have rigged the tax code through the years so that the wealthy don’t pay their fair share.

To quote Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, “It is astounding to me from a moral perspective that folks in the Republican Party stay up nights figuring out how they can give more tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires and large corporations, and then come back and try to cut Food Stamps for families who are hungry, for kids who are hungry, try to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. It is really a very ugly moment in American history.”

Ellen Field, New Gloucester