Wednesday Morning Rant

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You probably know this series as the "Three Wise Monkeys." They see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, respectively. When not in emoticon form, it's often a sculpture or a painting or poster - ironically, produced even for the Manhattan Project. This Japanese symbol is likely rooted in Buddhism or Confucianism.

Its meaning is also the topic of some debate. In some interpretations, it means that one should not dwell in evil or on evil thoughts. In others, it symbolizes the dodging of moral responsibility - of "looking the other way," to borrow a western idiom. I think this is closer in terms of metaphor for Current Year affairs, but nowadays I think it is slightly different, rooted in the avoidance specifically of truth. The virtuous man in our modern tyranny sees no truth, speaks no truth, hears no truth. Lies must be solicited, promoted, demanded and defended at all levels.

In one of his "quick hits" last week, Ace had a little aside about one such example from Washington State (don't comment on old threads):

For the last five years, Scott Smith of Tumwater was a transportation planner for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). He was the primary WSDOT employee tasked with forecasting fuel consumption, pricing and revenues from gas taxes and fees. After 35 years working as a public sector economist, Smith said his career was ruined for his refusal to lie about how a new state policy, according to his mathematical calculations in early 2023, would jack up prices at the pump by 45 to 50 cents per gallon. He said the retaliation and pressure were so great he felt forced to resign.

Pick a topic. Any topic. It doesn't matter. Elite universities have a double-standard on both speech and action, with racial or sexual or political standards for rules? Don't mention it. Just accept the lies and do not speak truth for any reason. Ditto any other topic you please. Education? Elections? COVID? DEI initiatives? Wars? Immigration? Entertainment? Sex? Corruption? All of them have the same iron rules: see no truth, speak no truth, hear no truth.

Lies are the coin of the realm and like all coinage, it must be protected. Searching for, telling or sharing the truth - even publicly discussing the idea of truth - is to debase the currency and invite the wrath of those who issue it. When everyone in every position of authority lies about everything, the safe course is not merely with joining them in the lies, but to become anti-truth.

Our power class - economic, political, social, cultural - necessarily close their eyes, ears and mouths to truth. They all live - and demand that you live - according to the tenets of the Three Depraved Monkeys.

posted by Joe Mannix at 11:00 AM

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