Truth

   I've been thinking for awhile now that there seems to be a serious flaw in our government. It's the fact that government officials can lie through their teeth with no consequence, and sometimes there's no way to determine if the truth has been distorted. I'm not talking about issues of national security. I'm talking about "spin." Aren't you tired of having to read through the lines? It's when a politician is asked a direct question about their position on something, and they answer another question. Or when they quote someone, but take it completely out of context. Or when they use facts to bolster their position when they only let you look at a tiny piece of the pie that says they're wrong. Or when they spout rhetoric that is just simply ignorant and untrue. I've often wondered what it would take to fix this problem.
   Of course we could simply have people in our government who are above telling falsehoods and who are committed to honesty. Perhaps a psychological test is in order. My guess is that over half of America would fail that test - especially if the pharmaceutical companies had anything to do with it. Maybe a truth serum would help. No, drugs aren't the answer. Blackmail? Extortion? Threats? I don't believe in those methods, no matter how effective. So is there a way to influence individuals to remain honest? I don't know the answer to that question. Honestly, I think power corrupts and that's all there is to it. The more power one has, the more likely one is to be corrupted. Throughout history I think this concept has been proven many times. Maybe it's just human nature.
   So what is the alternative? Well, we have the system of checks and balances - or at least that's what civics classes tell us. In theory this works quite well, and it has been beneficial. The executive branch goes nuts, the other branches step in and provide the balance. But it seems to not prevent blatant abuses within the government. Bush wanted faith-based initiatives, but Congress didn't pass them. So he issued executive orders. Congress wants equality for gay folks eliminated so they want to strip the judicial branch from being able to be a check or balance. And this system seems to do little for exposing those who aren't completely honest with the American public, nor does it prevent us from being misled whenever it suits someone's needs.
   Perhaps I am rambling away from my point here. All I want is to know what the truth is without having to sort through bullshit everyday. I want more Americans to have access to that truth so they're not spitting out talking points that make no sense and quoting facts that came out of somebody's ass. I wondered a few times if there should be some new branch of the government that had one function - to ensure that the other branches were speaking the truth. So that no one could misquote others, no one could out right lie, no one could distort facts or history, and spin would become a thing of the past. I imagine this branch of government would be completely non-partisan, would have no power except to expose non-truths, would have no opportunity to make more money through conflicts of interest, and would be held to the highest standards of integrity. Oh, if only that were possible.
   I know that idea, while conceived from a need for something real, is completely fictitious. There is no way to ensure integrity without yet another group to watch this new organization. Who would elect or appoint these highly qualified and honest people? Government regulating the "truth" leaves us open for 1984-like abuses of power. And who the hell knows the "real truth" anymore? It's entirely possible that in some situations there is more than one truth. And whose truth would be the right one? Mine? Yours? Of course my truth is always right.
   So the idea of regulating the truth isn't meant to be a reality, and for good reason. But I still yearn for a government where people can't blatantly lie to us, distort reality for their own purposes, and continue to let power and money stain the fabric of our country. Perhaps it is not really a flaw in our government, but in the people themselves. And when it gets bad enough, the public will take it upon themselves to find their own truth. It's a process that has to happen on an individual basis, and out of a need for something better. Maybe that process has already begun.