Sense on Cents

Without the truth, we are mere slaves to a corrupt system and will never control or master our destiny.

I don’t write this premise whimsically nor do I accept it as a given. The fact is, our forefathers are rolling over in their graves right now given the fatuous culture our society has not only tolerated but promoted. I continually call for the pursuit of truth, transparency and integrity while navigating the economic landscape for the very reason that without these virtues we are doomed as a nation.

High five to AL for pointing out that none other than Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times drills this very point in writing, The Fat Lady Has Sung. Whether you agree with Friedman’s politics is immaterial.  Friedman hits this critically important point in writing:

We have to demand the truth from our politicians and be ready to accept it ourselves.

I firmly believe we not only have to demand the truth from our politicians, but also from every other individual in our nation, including our media, our financial representatives, our children, and ultimately ourselves.

Why has the truth become so scarce? In my opinion, as a nation we have rationalized ourselves into oblivion and sacrificed our future in the process. Without an undying commitment to truth, transparency, and integrity, our foundation will continue to rot. Let’s not kid ourselves . . . the underpinnings of our society already have serious rot.

Many in Washington would dismiss the pursuit of truth as merely part of the political process. During this economic crisis, others such as Tim Geithner and Ben Bernanke clearly believe the American public can not handle the truth.  Those in the private sector have sacrificed truth in the pursuit of ever greater profit.

Add it all up and America has a major problem.

Life would be so much simpler if we collectively embrace a life in which we do not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in ourselves or others. I am all for forgiveness, but I have no desire to stand idly by and see vice overwhelm virtue.

I thank Thomas Friedman for having the courage to draw attention to the ‘demand for the truth.’ Demands are one thing. We must, however, put these virtues into practice and highlight those individuals and institutions who do not practice them.

LD

This entry was posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 6:05 AM and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.