This chain letter effectively highlights the fallacies inherent in conservative ideology over the past 50 years.

One of the primary reasons for Wal-Mart’s immense profitability is its reliance on federal and state governments to subsidize their workers. Despite earning billions in profits, they refuse to pay a living wage or provide adequate health benefits.

The U.S. Postal Service is a crucial service that is not meant to generate profits. Just like we don’t say the U.S. Military lost $780 billion, it is because the Postal Service provides vital services to the public.

If the Republican party ceased cutting Social Security or dismantling Medicaid and Medicare, they wouldn’t be considered “broken.” Real entitlement is passing a $2.3 trillion tax cut for the wealthy while increasing taxes on the middle class. (The 2017 bill gradually raises taxes every year on individuals earning less than $75k/year, yet it is misleadingly labeled a tax cut.)

The comment stating that $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor” is absurd. What is not hyperbole is that tax avoidance by the wealthy amounts to approximately $1 trillion. So, these millionaires and billionaires who complain about their money being transferred to the poor are not only evading a trillion dollars in taxes but also benefiting from the roads and subsidies their companies rely on to conduct business.

The Department of Energy plays a significant role in people’s lives by imposing restrictions on how much companies can charge consumers, thereby saving them substantial sums of money throughout their lifetime. It is far from being a failure.

While Fannie and Freddie may have their flaws, they are not worse than most private lenders. Predatory lending is a major factor behind a whole generation drowning in debt and struggling to enter the housing market.

Foreign aid to countries, including Pakistan, is not only morally right but also pays back in significant dividends. Our country spends less than 1% on foreign aid, and the services and stability it provides have been beneficial to those in need worldwide, from health clinics to cleaner water. Additionally, later in the letter, the same argument is made about addressing problems in America. Well, then, let’s fix them. The author refers to social services as “entitlement” but also emphasizes the need for America to take care of its own. Which is it?

Universal Healthcare, particularly a single-payer system, would not only save lives but also prove to be cost-effective. The only argument against it comes from those invested in private insurance companies. Healthcare reform has led to coverage without denial and over 40 million people receiving government-backed healthcare, myself included. Whether certain individuals or the author of this poorly written chain letter choose to acknowledge it, we already have universal healthcare that we pay for. Hospitals do not turn people away; they simply charge exorbitant fees, leading individuals to bankruptcy. As a result, the public ends up paying significantly more than citizens of other countries with healthcare systems in place.

I will not dignify the xenophobic remarks about “illegals” with a lengthy response. People who come to this country seeking a better life are no different from those who came before them. America has, and hopefully always will be, a beacon of opportunity for all who choose to come and embrace our freedoms.

I could continue discussing these matters at length, but the pattern remains consistent: deliberately undermine a system by defunding it, label it as an entitlement, then present private businesses as the solution to deregulate the industry, prioritize shareholder profits over the public good and the environment.

While I had no intention of responding to this, in the midst of intense political debates, pieces like this chain letter only contribute to further division within our country. The government is not some villain that can be blamed for everything. The government is a reflection of who we want it to be, whom we empower, and whom we trust.

Let us stop voting against our own interests and instead support social programs that we all depend on. Because as a society, our destinies are more interconnected than one might think.

And please, refrain from sending anything like this to me again.