Fictions and
Factions
Charlie Earl
Public
service is supposed to be a noble pursuit. That’s the way it has been described
in our history books and civic classes. Given that our elected and appointed
officials have assumed a stance of imperial superiority, they are neither
servants nor noble, and they often ignore the will of the public. Public
service today is a sentimental fiction…somewhat like Santa Claus or Roy Hobbs.
Compounding the myth of service is the sense the governments consistently lie,
misrepresent or “misspeak” to us. It’s a veritable cornucopia of fictions
heaped one on top of another. And…when governments do not lie, they classify
important information so that we cannot discover what mischief they are
pursuing.
We are
surrounded by fictions. Most of our entertainment is fictitious including
so-called “Reality T.V.” Our athletic superstars are caught using illegal
substances to enhance their performances, our singing diva lip-syncs the
National Anthem at the inauguration, and our preachers and priests are
buggering children. Nothing or no one can be taken at face value anymore
because we are inundated with fictions and deceit. Given how many lies and
fictions permeate our daily lives if you’re not cynical or skeptical, then you
probably do not deserve to consume oxygen. If you do not view nearly every
statement from every imaginable source as doubtful, you are undoubtedly a low
information member of the human species.
Factions are
groups or organizations that work together for a common cause or goal. That
definition sounds very inclusive, but in the present environment filled with
deception and distortion, factions become very exclusive. We have become so
jaded by the volume of lies that confront us that we severely restrict our
sources of information to the point that we live on remote islands of
knowledge. The progressive-socialist leaning crowd has their reliable sources,
the libertarian-conservative group has theirs, the neo-con statists, the mushy
middle…all tune in to their preferred bases of distortion and dismiss the
others. The “working together” aspect of factions morphs into “never the twain
shall meet.”
So….here we
are, clustered with our little ideological or philosophical groups surrounded
by other factions just as committed as ours. We take pot shots at one another
while knowing that they lie continually while our side doesn’t lie as often. We
are engaged in a massive war of attrition with each faction holding on until
one or more of the other groups wave the white flag of surrender. It never
happens. Rather than meekly giving in, each group becomes more firmly
entrenched in its ideological fox hole. The issues and their remedies that
divide us are numerous and perplexing, and we all have our preferences and
ideals.
The key to minimizing
the overwhelming weight of fictions that oppress us is to insist that the
messages are distilled to the point of common understanding. I suggest we begin
with: “Does this proposal, law or idea enhance our individual liberty?” Forget
the perceived “good (a very subjective qualifier),” and concentrate on the
purest attribute of personal freedom. The reduction of the arguments and
talking points should lead to the dissolution of some of the factions. We
should discover that while our methods and means may differ, our cooperative
goals are to expand our opportunities for choices without government coercion.
Obviously, there are factions who seek to invest the government with more power
(perhaps even absolute power), but the distilling process should reduce the
plethora of factions to a minimal, manageable number…..perhaps only two…those
who love freedom and those who would deny liberty.
In the final
analysis the real work must be done by each of us as individuals. We must force
ourselves to look beyond the lies we favor and those we reject. We must insist
on the fresh air of liberty. We must boil the arguments and statements down to
their simplest base: Is MY freedom enhanced or encumbered? Liberty….first,
foremost and forever!
Charlie Earl
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