It’s not a lie, it’s called “Divide and Conquer” Set the population against each-other with non-partisan social issues so we don’t notice the bipartisan banking practices.
Read anything about the history of the Bank Of England or, if you prefer something Lighter and closer to home go read the dark satire Report from Iron Mountain alongside any newspaper from today.
Bringing this back to a maritime context. Why do you think the Jones Act gets bipartisan support? Why do you think the Jones Act has been turned into a social issue? If congress supports a strong domestic fleet then why does MARAD keep getting bipartisan cuts? Why do you think the largest flags of convenance were founded and are still managed from New York?
Answer: The banks.