Freedom,Truth and Real Democracy

 P. C. Young Feb 14 2015

     There are few words that elicit stronger responses within humanities vocabulary than truth and freedom.  They are inextricably tied together; you cannot have one without the other.  After all, the words, "The truth will set you free" uttered by Jesus Christ are perhaps the most definitive statement for that relationship.

 

       Science looks for truth and has developed methodology that insures the greatest truth possible for the given tools of observation, theory and experimentation.  Its tools are simple objectivity and verification - not the easy path, but the path towards free standing and profound truths.

       Yet, truth eludes most of us in our daily lives. At odds is the quality of information we receive , acquire and are bombarded with on a daily basis. It takes the form of presentation only, substance less, one sided and heavily biased stuff that portends to call itself news. Self delusion and insanity take the same form.

      Survival requires we discern which words are true and which ones are false, which conduits of words are credible and which ones are not. Whether the words and information we receive is even worth considering for content or cast aside as pointless and meaningless. To be truthful it must be tested.

    

        In nature, truth is absolute: either you survive or you don't. The consequences for eating the wrong food or experimenting with your geographic living conditions are unalterable and permanent: death or debilitating disease, incapacitating injury. Being liberally friendly to the local wildlife may, in fact, leave your face mauled and your food stores defecated in.  In nature, truth is absolute.

       Modern society has buffered and distanced us such that we can regard most things disguised as truth without much harm (in the short term) to us. The longer term consequences of assuming something is true when it is not constructs a world of short sighted contrivances, mostly manipulated by others - that unless we consider each in its own present context and better discriminate between truths, half truths and untruths, our entire world view will be in error and the effects are only slowly accumulated;  ultimately equally and eventually irreversible.

         This axiom holds true for politics. Incorrect ideology will just as certainly lead a people to an either successful or happy conclusion or towards eventual ruin. Civilizations rise and fall; they’re decline can be predicted by the course of missteps taken. I doubt any would argue that a culture ideologically predisposed to mandate complete homosexuality will survive very long. The present generation may enjoy its orgiastic perversity but with no one relegated to reproduce (certainly to take the time to establish a safe and healthy home structured to care for and implore the next generation to invest it and the next generations.

         Societies who have divested personal responsibility, self determination in exchange for superficial conveniences (ultimately turn nefarious and only serve those in power) totalitarian regimes find they have exchanged personal freedoms for eventual servitude. All dictators initially offer greatness and wonderful notions to a tired and starving population in exchange; there again truth is absolute.

         For progressives who naively believe as Lamarckian Geneticists, that magical exposure to information and a complex social environmen, assume that behavior will automatically translate into permanent traits within the human animal. Maslovian demands still reigns supreme and will for the foreseeable future until there is real selection, in terms of reproductive survivability.

       Thomas Edison stated: "There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." We in the United States, who allegedly value freedom more than others, have enabled entertainment to replace more in-depth, informative debate, clearly applying Edison’s axiom. 

        Entertainment subverts dialogue and debate and conveniently applies a calmative salve to quell our disdain for the inherent difficulty of thinking for ourselves. Such an effect is exactly the result that those who intend to conquer us by dividing us, wish to achieve. If social controversy ascends to greater hostility more will shrink from standing their ground and instead find distraction from difficulty.

         It’s only logical that failing to become informed with verifiable facts; personal convictions will falter and even less effort will be applied to defend one’s opinion from another’s. Whereas having confidence in the reported facts offers a more stalwart defense. Personal conviction is a powerful force, and few demur from conflict if grounded from facts which are perceived as truth.

         Here again, scientific evidence when presented in full force is probably the most powerful in convincing people. In today’s culture, scientific authority is powerful. Yet when we see science facts being misrepresented by opinion and for political motives we shirk even from those facts. The credibility of the source is paramount to truth. Questions and or doubts corrode even science.

          Yet even science must have credible reliable sources for its foundational knowledge. We rely on institutions and individuals who have established themselves with reputations for credibility, after sufficient, scrutiny and debate. If one bases their reputation on bad science the results are horrific and one will find they unemployed and branded a charlatan.

         There once was at time when real journalists would as a  matter of professional pride, provide only objective, fact based and unbiased reporting of  news and information. At least greater effort would be undertaken to attempt. Editors of credible news papers would take great pains to insure the credibility of that newspaper was retained at a high standard.  Basically, a more scientific approach was taken towards journalism.

         Those efforts to provide the public with objective facts were effective and enabled better debate and confidence in discussing matters. Such an effort can be undertaken again. It requires only work. It will require time necessary to build credibility. But only such an effort will regain our ability to believe in ourselves and have confidence we know is absolutely necessary for a free society.

         If there is a difference to be made it is with that objective in mind.  Its axiomatic "The Truth will set you free". In that context, ignorance is slavery.

-Philip Young