Yeah some people seem to have great difficulty distinguishing between the two, that certainly doesn't help.
I read a book years ago that helped me and the basic message was telling yourself that your own thoughts are just that, thoughts and not facts. I use this regularly in my life.
You should send that book to Steven Hawking. Oh wait, that's all he's got so maybe just let him think otherwise.
I'd rather see government by the wealthy. After all, they are the makers, shakers, best educated, self-motivated professionals... and the ones who pay the lion's share of the taxes. Instead, we now have government by the parasite class. Not hard to imagine where THAT ends up.
God you're blind the government is by the wealthy, paid for by the wealthy and made up of the wealthy. EDIT: And the wealthy are getting wealthier.
Unfortunately we already have that in the form of crony capitalism along with the parasite class. I contend we can survive one or the other but not both simultaneously as we have now. Of course I prefer neither crony capitalism nor morally bankrupt socialism.