“Had I been asked about these matters at the time, I would have responded truthfully about the arrangements I had put in place.
“I have no intention of now submitting to the political intimidation of this government using its numbers to impose its retribution on its political opponents.” (Scott Morrison – a man loose with the truth – in Key quotes from Morrison censure motion, The Canberra Times.)
But truth tells us that for many, life is about perception. Not what it is but what we perceive it to be. In America and Australia, facing facts or the truth of facts has become outdated among those on the right.
Everyone has their version of reality. Facts and the truth within them are now unimportant to the conservative mind.
Why do they turn their backs on the truth? They are avoiding facts that would set them free from their own bullshit – the truth about themselves.
Morrison was a stupid fool who created a perception with every lie told that he was guilty of something, even if the public couldn’t put their finger on it.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (a vocal critic of Nazism) said this of stupidity:
“Against stupidity we have no defence. Neither protests nor force can touch it. Reasoning is of no use. Facts that contradict personal prejudices can simply be disbelieved. Indeed, the fool can counter by criticizing them, and if they are undeniable, they can just be pushed aside as trivial exceptions. So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self-satisfied. In fact, they can easily become dangerous, as it does not take much to make them aggressive. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.”
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Having the capacity to admit that you are wrong is an absolute prerequisite to discernment and knowledge.
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The former Prime Minister’s perception of himself was always one of his superiority of intellect over others with a God-given place in history where he believed he had the right to override parliamentary and democratic conventions in the name of his faith.
When l watched his response to the censure motion against him in the House of Representatives, I couldn’t help, as he was being congratulated by most of his colleagues, if what I was watching was the demise of a once great political party.
There is a theory that Scott believed he had a God-given ordination of predestination and that his history had already been written. In his response, he was in full-throttle Morrison mode, full of the lying hypocrisy of the past decade. He was not giving an inch in his self-righteousness, always creating the perception that he was right because God had given him his authority to be so, even if it meant telling lies.
He insisted that nobody had the standing to judge him.
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Lying is wrong, but lying to defend a lie with another one is immoral.
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Were all the men congratulating this stupid man just as complicit as he was in the downfall of Liberalism? Were they all equally in denial? Judging by the enthusiasm of their congratulations, one would have to think so.
Since May 21, when the conservatives suffered a terrible defeat, we have not heard a word from Peter Dutton about how he might reshape the party he now leads, even by putting his stamp on it. It might be because he has no plans to do so. His words and deeds thus far would suggest this is so.
There hasn’t been a hint of apology for the appalling governance we have endured for almost a decade. Indeed, it is hard to point to any rational explanations from any opposition member for the defeat. No backbench member has uttered the words, “we governed badly.”
Are they that bogged down in denial that even their leader cannot point to any need for redefining their doctrines?
So, what of their denialism? What a lot of watery human beings they are. None of them with even the intestinal fortitude of a dead rabbit. When l watched all those politicians shaking the hand of the former Prime Minister, the only one l saw with any integrity was Bridget Archer, who ignored the denialists and voted with the government. In parliament she admitted that:
“I do not accept any of the explanations put forward by the former prime minister for his actions, and I’m deeply disappointed by the lack of genuine apology or, more importantly, understanding of the impact of these decisions.”
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Do you shape the truth for the sake of a good impression? On the other hand, do you tell the truth even if it may tear down the view people may have of you.? Alternatively, do you use the contrivance of omission and create another lie? I can only conclude that there is always pain in truth, but there is no harm in it.
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The questions the Opposition asks during Question Time are a strong indication that the arrogance of conservatism has defeated Liberalism, and all that’s left is a party of far-right Trumpists not sure of its present ideology or what it actually means except that it represents big business, the wealthy and the privileged. Understanding that which you genuinely represent requires a familiarity with the truth.
Locked into denialism, the Opposition cannot possibly seek forgiveness from a shocked electorate. Only “The truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32). The solution to the conservative dilemma lay at the heart of those six words.
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My thought for the day
Presenting facts to people who have reasoned by their feelings that they are right is futile.
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