That’s not your question. I answered that. You know I am sworn to veritas. What you want to know is what does that mean? That’s very simple and very complex.
I’m not trying to be evasive. Our culture doesn’t really place truth as a virtue anymore. We don't really have the words or understanding these days. That is not a conservative or progressive thing. The elites never did value truth except as a way to obtain and retain power.
Many progressives will tell you that truth is subjective. And that is true, sort of. They can’t tell you why truth is subjective. Many conservatives will tell you that there is THE truth and that is all that matters. Which is also true, but they can’t tell you why.
Truth isn’t singular because human perception and understanding is not singular. You can look at a rock and tell me if it is glowing or not. But you can’t look at a rock and tell me if it’s emitting gamma rays. You can listen to a great song on the radio. But without the radio it’s just silence. You can’t smell if someone is wealthy. But you can see the power that wealth gives them when they choose to use it.
One problem comes when we assume that everyone else has the same perceptions and understandings that we ourselves have. Not everything that progressives do is evil. Not everything that conservatives do is good. And most importantly, the label is not the individual. Many individuals make up the label, but the label doesn’t define the individual. That label game is just US virus THEM writ large, and it assumes that there is an absolute right and an absolute wrong. Truth usually falls in between.
Take you for example. Since I mentioned 1776, you’ve been going on about compromises. Before that you were lecturing me on greater evils and lesser evils. But if I asked you to sacrifice your ideal that America is the greatest country ever, you’d tell me to fuck off.
Legend tells that when a great Roman general or dictator returned to Rome, they would drive a chariot through throngs praising his name. But next to him was a slave whose job was to tell him he was only mortal and not perfect.
Among other things, my oaths mean that I don’t see A truth as unbreakable and inviolate. I know that the strength comes in the alloy and not the “pure” form. I look for the commonality and the ways that truth can be made more durable and useful. As our confrontation here shows, people don’t want truth that doesn’t fit theirs exactly, even if it is truth.
For you, the idea that your side can commit serious wrongs is an untruth. The idea that conservatives share blame for our current political crisis is wrong. Yet logically, if conservatives weren’t partially to blame, then they had no power at all.
Of course, progressive are exactly the same only with the nouns changed.
Even scarier, both conservatives and progressives see CONTROL as the only possible way to “win.” Control becomes the goal, not your stated principles. You both have truths, but you believe that your truth means that no other truth is possible. You lose sight of your principles for short term wins. And then you attack anyone who doesn’t support CONTROL as the only acceptable goal. This is truth, albeit one you reject.
Truth depends on perspective. The trick is finding a common perspective that works reasonably well for all concerned.
I’m never going to agree that voting the correct party into power is a practical solution. Where I think you and I can agree is that government must be reduced and that government doesn’t belong in our business or property. I know I am not going to convince many that voting is silly and counterproductive. As long as I get to say what I believe, I’m content with that. I’m not crusading.
Are you?
Because that’s the other thing. Crusading for THE truth above all alternatives means that THE truth must replace all alternatives. Which isn’t exactly truthful…
Every morning I greet the sun as part of my devotions. When I have time and the weather permits, that means standing wearing nothing but a silver pendent. Not even glasses so I can see or socks to keep my feet warm. But I am not demanding that everyone else do that. Nor am I asking permission to do that. It’s my truth and no one else’s. This one truth doesn’t require anyone else to submit or allow.
Let me give you another example. I am an honest to gods tree hugging pagan. I embrace Nature as a virtue, as a concept, as an entity, and as deserving respect. I don’t accept climate change alarmism and usually I go after those who use climate change as a justification to control the words and actions of others. I don’t ask that you do any of those things. Nor do I need the approval of others to do them myself.
At the moment, there are elements (but not the totality) on the “left” who feel they can control the rest of us because they have never had to accept responsibility. Liberty without consequence never works. But I am not going to overthrow them just so the “right” can rule. I don’t want rule, I want commonality. Not everything on the “right” is bad and not everything on the “left” is good. My duty is to make the connections that others may ignore or not even perceive.
You don’t have the whole truth. No one does.