Such is what we have been told or taught in one version or another our entire lives. However, I do wonder how many people abide by this well touted often breached lesson or moral of that maxim. Judging by current events, all formats of media and the various talking heads, not too many. That proliferation of lies, half-truths and absolutely outrageous statements indicate that truth telling, and valuation is a lost art practiced by very few. I believe not too many people remember that entire idea of truth, and even if they do vaguely recall it, they ignore it. Much to the detriment of all.
" The right to search for truth implies also a duty: One must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true.” Albert Einstein.
That is quite an interesting injunction from one of the most brilliant people ever, A man who fled from an evil force, a hatred, based on lies. More than that, that baseless hatred persists and is unfortunately alive and well once again. Or, as always - take your choice for it matters not, actually. However, one might be justified in wondering how mankind descended to such depths of depravity that we now live in a world where lies dominate. These lies are so bold in content that one is almost driven to believe in its truth. It is most difficult to believe that someone would utter such outrageous statements if it were not true; hence, one trusts and believes. One more step down the road to absolute dissolution of civilized society.
It is almost possible to excuse those who buy into these lies, because this is all they are fed. What they read, what they hear, what they are exposed to, is almost 100 percent unpasteurized garbage presented as if words from Sinai. There is so much damage done to a civil society via these lies because they pervade. Because of them we are losing the ability, skill, talent, desire, to talk sanely, to talk calmly, to hear, to listen, to speak, to understand. We substitute loud voices, ever growing threats and a race to a past pursuit of MAD -mass mutual destruction, a fate and future greatly to be avoided. But how can we do that if we care not to know the truth nor value it and despise the truth sayers who become the pariahs of society. None hear. No one sees anything other than what they wish to see or think they see. Pretty depressing.
And so mankind continues its walk on the roads leading to hell. A hell which we ourselves have ginned up and keep quite healthy. The truth makes us unhappy. So, we ignore it. We ignore the imminent and eminent danger of unrestricted A.I. development. Science fantasy has become science fiction has been approaching full reality as robots increasingly near complete sentience rivaling, even overtopping that of humans. Terminator reality? Despite all that quite transparent danger, researchers continue recklessly into the murky depths of A.I.
Worse, is when A.I. is partnered with sites such as QAnon and the like, spewing Untruths in a continuous river of lies and incitement to violence. All the while, even intelligent people seem to be beguiled into belief and espousing of outrageous remarks presented as truths. They have bought in, gulped down the Kool-Aid of Rev. Jones and are the picture definitions of "Lord, what fools these mortals be." Not fools, actually, but the deluded, seeking leadership, true truth, and for assurance of a better world for our kids. As we all are. Still searching.
Through the centuries when things are tough, dangerous and demoralizing, with unsettling events, people turned to one who appeared to have an answer. Most of the time that answer should never have been asked for. Today we are living in such a time. People don't like what they see when they look around and take stock.
They see rabid, shouting people, supporting murderers. They see a president of a nation committing treason, attempting to remain in power for life. They see a nation where the shooting of children if one is in a snit is enabled, for otherwise why would assault rifles not be banned for public consumption!!! Children go hungry, and the elderly are left to fend for themselves. The richest nation in the world cannot provide health care for its citizens. The judicial system is corrupt including members of the Supreme Court. Would be leaders, the politicians, are nothing to write home about for the most part. The vast majority of them have huge backbone issues, and power and money and a need to cater to their voters drives them. Morals - nowhere in sight.
Nations turn on their allies in manifestations of bravado, rather than commonsense. Enemies conspire together against another enemy and partnerships dissolve as often as they did in the time of Henry VIII and the Emperor Charles. We spend zillions of dollars on military equipment, have a Space Force ready for the contamination of space with the taint of men and all the while two astronauts languish, trapped in a broken space vehicle, apparently unable to be rescued at the moment.
Down here on Earth, Nature rages furious with mankind and what they have done to this earth. Mother Nature warned us time and time again not to fool with her. But we made sure to continue to do just that. As a result, we have monster hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, mudslides, and a HUGE miles wide and long island of garbage afloat in the ocean. Yet we continue to pollute the ocean. Lands are sinking or drowning. People are dying from the extreme heat. Droughts or floods are growing in number. But on we go, continue on our way and the deniers proliferate. Wonder what they'll say when the first dinosaur comes back to tread all over them!
As a Jew I see the past reimposing itself on the present and sending ominous threats into the future. Anti-Zionism is preached, all the while denying the truth of its antisemitism, JewHatred. The world has brought in once again to its old, trusted trope of hatred for the Jews, of calling for their death. Once again, Israel is surrounded by enemies, vicious terrorists, and criticized for its efforts to defend itself and prevent the repetition of October 7. All the while, the hostages are undergoing torture, brutality, starvation and death. And the world is quiet once again. Par for the course.
As a woman, I watch in great dismay and shout in great anger at the rising tide of denial of rights. Rights that are inherent. Yet deny them they would and seek to do with great success. People tsk tsk over the awful situation with the Taliban as they erase the women and they do not realize how we are trending that way. Sexual harassment is ongoing. Right of choice -denied, under attack. Unto and including death. Denial of funding of IVF. The people who are desperate to have a child are then cursed for not having a child. Christian extremists wish to impose their version of Christianity, of the Bible, upon this nation. They call to Jesus (a Jew) as their only hope for 2024!
We live in a troubled world in troubled times. Nowhere in sight is there that charismatic leader of good spine and character, with working intelligence who can see a path through the morass of our creation. We continue to nourish it as well. Truths no one wishes to hear or see, are nevertheless there - here. We must learn to acknowledge them and figure out how to get back to truth as policy. We need to save ourselves, for there is no other way.
Robots. Machines. Drones. Famine. Drought. Floods. Denial of Rights. The erasure of women. A rapidly increasingly dangerous climate and environment ruined by the actions of man. Deforestation. Over demand of water. Crops that fail or are not reaped. Hatred among mankind. The skeletal bodies of mother and child who are truly starving. Constant warfare. Rape as a weapon of war. The look of hopelessness and desperation. The silent plea for help, so loud in our ears. Elderly uprooted and confused.
What the hell have we done?
How the hell do we fix this mess?
We need to change and soon, very soon
- like NOW!!
No comments:
Post a Comment