Introduction
It can be difficult to enter the political fight, when we see so many people being dishonest and ignoring reality, seemingly just to get their way. All one needs to do is take a look at any panel-based news segment to see this at play. If we watch long enough in any given episode, we’ll witness someone get pinned down with a direct question that, if answered honestly, requires the individual to make a clear declaration based on some verifiable fact related to the show topic. If a direct, honest answer to the question could cause the panelist to either break ranks with any of their beneficial political affiliations on the one hand or incriminate themselves as taking a morally reprehensive stance on the other hand, then we’ll note that the show participant will opt to both not directly answer the question and engage in some method of deflection, in order to evade answering altogether. This level of intellectual dishonesty exists across the political spectrum, regardless of political party affiliation. And it is wholly destructive to our society.
It’s Exhausting
There are those of us who approach life from the position of accepting reality, even if it doesn’t match what we would have desired. We are willing to incorporate new information, integrate the new data, and shift our world view and perspectives, based on the assimilation of these new facts. However, when we find ourselves in a context in which we must maintain a community with others who do not subscribe to this process, we can become overwhelmed. Those who refuse to acquiesce to data that is verified in objective reality serve as a roadblock to societal growth. This becomes frustrating for those of us who wish to continue to mature as both individuals and a collective.
Stop Arguing With Them
It’s a waste of time to argue with those who refuse to see what is clearly in front of them. There are certain political aspects that can be argued. Let’s say that we all live in a certain region, and we agree on two concerns: 1) we should keep track of immigration to our region, and 2) we have agreed on the method of measuring this phenomenon. We can debate as to why we are experiencing either net negative or net positive immigration since we don’t have data discussing the reasoning for the immigration. However, once we’ve measured that one or the other is happening, then we shouldn’t be debating the measurement, a.k.a. the actual, real-world data. Ultimately, reasoned debate should encourage us to agree on a methodology that allows for the tracking of the reasons behind the immigration patterns.
Unfortunately, in today’s United States political arena, we aren’t functioning in an astute manner. There are people denying the Holocaust, the Nazi Party’s genocide of the Jewish people’s of Western Europe in the early-to-mid 1900s. There is a current, state-backed effort to redefine the United States’ sanctioned chattel slavery of Africans and African-Americans and downplay the racist realities of this nation, which has drawn harsh criticism from the NAACP. In other denial of evidence-backed reality, even with a 97%-99% consensus amongst the global scientific community that climate change is real, there are still a large portion of individuals who try to shed doubt on the existence of this existential threat to our human species.
Those who so vehemently deny that which we have verified as a society can only be described in a few ways. They are some combination of idiots, liars, or schizophrenics. In any case, such individuals are both indifferent to objectivity and quite dangerous to our world. What’s more, many of these people are in positions of power within government and large corporations, and they make legislative, policy and business decisions based on their denial of the truth.
We are beyond the looking glass.
War for Sanity
Instead of arguing, those of us who do believe in engaging with the world based on facts must disengage with those who deny plain reality. We must band together under a flag of truth, use our numbers to take political power, and reshape our society in a way that respects the honesty of the data that we have access to. And we must do this in order to respect our ancestors who fought and struggled to give us our opportunity to be here today, each other, and those who will inherit the world that we have presided over.
In “There Is No Tomorrow”, we discussed the concept of “being true”. Make no mistake. Those who deny honesty are united in their desire to create a world of chaos. Therefore, it is beholden upon us to guard the truth, be true to one another, and create a future of both justice and stability.
Consequences
Regardless of the outcome of this confrontation over objective verity, there will be real-world repercussions. Rule by those who reject verifiable facts and data will see our civilization plunged into a mayhem of disjointed, destructive decisions that are fueled by the precarious predilections of unstable deviants. As evidence, I offer the tariffs levied by the regime of President Donald J. Trump. Setting aside the 77 million Americans who thought it was a good idea to vote for a failed businessman, let us consider that the majority of these people polled in favor of additional taxes on goods imported into the U.S. These same people argued that the prices of goods and services were too high. Yet, they denied the widely-known truth that tariffs are taxes levied on the purchasers of goods and services. They easily believed the lies of Trump, who said that the exporting nations would pay the tariffs. They refuted economic reality that was based on both expert analysis and historical fact. As a result of the tariffs, the year 2025 was not good for small businesses. The prices paid by consumers have inflated even more and many small businesses, the backbone of the American economy, are suffering an increasingly inhospitable operating environment.
In order to avoid negative outcomes and ensure a sustainable future, those of us who appreciate mature, reasoned approaches to solving problems must unite and stand against this kind of insanity.
Enforcement
In the end, we guard the truth as a reminder of the decisions that we have to make, in light of those who deny reality. When the time comes to address those who sow seeds of chaos, we must arm ourselves of the truth about these people, that we adequately record the realities of the destructive power of the intentional stupidity of harmful dissidents, who seek to disrupt justice and equity. Such persons cannot be allowed to hold power due to the ruinous effects wrought by their ignorant decision-making. Further, it is our duty to report to the future on the unfortunate necessity of politically neutering this portion of the population both for the benefit of all in the present and for the increased chances of delivering a stable world to those in the future.
We Must Guard the Truth
For all of these reasons, we must guard the truth. For it is our charge, our weapon, and our defense for building a better world.