Truth and Democracy

Nothing is More Important than Truth in a Democracy

A Good Blog Is:

A good blog of any kind must be simple and unified, even relentless. It must have a central theme and support this theme with every word, picture and even advertisement. This kind of thing you can see in The Daily Kos, Anne Coulter’s site, Michelle Malkin, Rush’s site, any number of successful political blogs and sites.

My site is unified around truth, in politics, news and entertainment. It leans right, but seeks truth from the left and right wing. My blog is unique in that I am eager for all kinds of truth, including philosophical truth, and truth about God and life. This opens my blog up to the great philosophical questions mankind is always asking. I don’t propagandize for a particular viewpoint; rather, I ask my audience to think, hard. I challenge them to become good Republicans, Democrats, citizens of the United States and of the world, and good human beings.

Mixing Messages

Political pundits rarely mix their messages. Rush delivers red-meat right-wing propaganda. Ann Coulter offers cutthroat controversial anti-left attacks, with humor. Michelle Malkin presents well-researched politically incorrect right-wing stuff. Bill Maher performs drive-by anti-right humor and mantras that make leftists feel they are cool, hip and smart.

A couple of pundits are in a category by themselves. William F. Buckley, for example, is one of the fathers of modern conservatism. Instead of talking down to his audience, he maintains a lofty level of language and ideas that challenge people just to understand what he is saying. His message is simple, pure conservatism, but his delivery is highly intellectual. On the left is Buckley’s counterpart, Gore Vidal. Then there is the faux intellectual, Noam Chomsky, who speaks nonsense every time he opens his mouth, but with great flair and elevated vocabulary, so that he sounds like he is smart.

Back down to earth, there are some pundits who get away with mixing their messages. Dennis Prager successfully mixes religion and politics. Michael Medved has created a niche relating popular culture and politics.

I mix philosophy and politics.

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Philosophy and Politics

I think philosophy and politics are a natural duo. Plato, Socrates and Aristotle started it all with such works as The Republic, with the first recorded discussions about the philosophy of democracy and other forms of government. Then, of course, we’ve had all kinds of philosophers who talked about politics, from Adam Smith to John Stuart Mill.

One reason why we don’t do this anymore is that America is relatively settled. It has chosen its political philosophy, which is a democratically representative republic. We’ve got all our political traditions in place, and there is no need for a revolution anymore, unless you listen to the far left rhetoric about the matter—the radical leftists, socialists, anarchists, One-Worlders—the ones who demonstrate against the World Trade Organization and The World Bank and so on. They would love a revolution. Some days I would love one too, a revolution to install common sense back into politics.

I do think, though, that there is a need now to once again start exploring the philosophy of politics. Not because this is a time for a revolution; rather, because the world has gotten so complex, fast changing, and small. Whether we like it or not, we rub up against all the cultures and governmental systems of the world now, with extensive travel, instantaneous communication, and relentless immigration.

Why Philosophy is Important in the Iraq War

Part of the reason, I think, we fail in some of our wars, like Vietnam and Iraq, is that we lack an expert knowledge of the cultures of these lands. You can’t install a Western-style democracy in a land that doesn’t want it or isn’t prepared for it. If your theory is that all people hunger for freedom, this might be true; but it is also true that freedom must be earned; it cannot be imposed. Iraqis must be willing to die for freedom, or they won’t get it. Plus, freedom can have many faces. Freedom in Iraq might look different than freedom in America.

Black and White versus Relative Truth

My blog is an attempt to deal with the complexity of our world through the simplicity of truth. As I will continue to say, some things are black and white, and some things are relative.

America is good. This is truth.

Our soldiers are heroes. Truth.

Republicans are mostly good people. Truth.

Democrats are on the wrong track. Truth.

Islam is on the wrong track. Truth.

George Bush is a good president. Relative.

If you have read this whole post to the end, you are brilliant. Truth. At least, that's my opinion.

Thanks.

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