Honesty, is such a lonely virtue.

Source

Credit (or apologies) to Billy Joel for the title, although modified somewhat from his original which I share at the end.  I don't know about you, but to me honesty seems to be severely lacking in our world, with lies and corruption being so prevalent.  Am I over generalizing?  Yes, somewhat.  You and me are honest.  We live our daily lives in truth and honesty, and as such it's the foundation of nearly everything we do.  We have standards and practices in our transactions- from the scales in the produce section, in the fuel pumps, to the grocery scanners- all are set and governed by the authorities to deal honestly with us as we live our daily lives.  We have laws that help govern the public with regards to our possessions and our personal safety.  And for the most part these laws work- our property and safety isn't regularly threatened.  Individually we are honest, and we are treated honestly by businesses and other individuals.  That's where it seems to end though, with us in the Demos.  Unfortunately, those of the ruling class, the Kratos, don't seem to live their lives by the same standards.

Pelosi's office acknowledges indoor hair appointment, violating San Francisco Covid-19 restrictions

Gov Newsom Apologizes for Attending 12-Person Dinner Party.  “We should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,” the California governor said in a statement.

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”

"If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor."

"Secretary Clinton issued an official State Department press statement, approved by the White House, placing the blame for the (Bengazi) attack on an Internet video."

I don't think honesty means we deserve to know everything our leaders know, that there should be no secrets.  National security, the conversations that our leaders engage in when going about the business of governing, aliens, etc., are all things that should be protected and kept from us.  Or at least these don't deserve our unyielding scrutiny.  But the bold faced lies above?  Not even in the same category. 

Ok, no surprise, politicians aren't honest like us.  But while we live our individual lives honestly, that doesn't mean we don't take precautions.  We lock our doors, we watch out for our neighbors, we do a brief mental check on the total when we pay for our groceries or fill up the tank, etc.  Do we break out a calculator and double check our receipts?  No, but we also know if the bill makes sense.  If we were charged $75 to fill up the tank when it normally costs $50, we would question it.

The problem as I see it is that some of us are far too used to being lied to and we don't question it.  Our politicians lie to us from day one, from the first campaign ad or speech they talk about lofty ideals or platitudes, but they have no plan to ever come close to that ideal.  They make us feel good about what they are saying, even if they don't mean it.  More and more platitudes.  

Platitudes.  I wasn't exactly sure I was using that term correctly so I did a quick google check-  

A platitude is a trite, meaningless, or prosaic statement, often used as a thought-terminating cliché, aimed at quelling social, emotional, or cognitive unease. The statement may be true, but its meaning has been lost due to its excessive use."  

Yeah, I'm definitely using it correctly.  Their platitudes lead to straight up BS, absolute lies, as these politicians get a taste of power and wish to maintain it.  They can't help but lie when they are faced with the reality the voters demand, when we expect results they can't deliver.  That's where we should say goodbye to them, thank them for their service, and send them home, to try again with another politician.  That was how Aristotle envisioned our government, with people leaving the demos, leaving their farms and shops to serve as our representatives within the Polis (the governing city-state), then return after a term.

Yet from our career politicians these days, we are faced with job-securing dishonesty as a rule, rather than the exception.   And they are now supported by an equally dishonest media and compliant public left.  The media is VITAL to a free society, to keep bad behavior in check, to facilitate the first amendment, to live up to their title as the Fourth Estate- which wields considerable power to keep the other estates in check.  However, they aren't doing that.  We've seen it for years.  Obama weaponizing the IRS, and especially over the past four with the Steele Dossier; when the lack of evidence of collusion was apparent and was resulting in nothing except millions spent on an impeachment.  Even when that was doomed to fail (yet almost didn't save for a fragile GOP majority in the Senate).  We also saw it with the Hunter Biden laptop.  Did everyone forget that potential bombshell?  Did it tie Biden to massive and possibly criminal conflicts of interest regarding a foreign power that might have affected our foreign policy and national security?  Maybe, but the media had their collective fingers in their ears saying "La la la, I'm not listening to you."

If your election lasts more than four days, you should see a doctor.

The dishonesty has continued with this election.  The media isn't supposed to "think" the election is fair and impartial. They aren't supposed to "assume" it is lawful, they are expected to investigate whether it is, or it isn't.  When they refuse to investigate because they want it to be fair, because they want Biden in office, they've abdicated their duty. They don't want to know the truth so they don't seek it out, despite a ton of sketchy voting behavior that is pretty damn close to being systemic- especially in the states which had Trump leading early on.  Social media is even worse than the MSM- with their "fact checked" banners and "missing context" claims.  A video posted with Biden stating he will raise taxes on all Americans got taken down saying it "lacks context because he'll also raise taxes on the rich" is a bunch of dishonest election interference.

Am I full of blind hope?  Not at all.  Biden was the most milquetoast candidate since Dukakis, and the lack of enthusiasm for him is telling.  How he got so many more votes than Obama should be the first sign of voter fraud.  Some might say it's not the media's job to dig up evidence for Trump, but I say it's their job to dig it up for us.  Even if Trump wasn't suing, the media should be looking into this.

Am I biased.  Completely.  Am I disheartened that the candidate I voted for didn't win?  Of course.  Do I think he's perfect?  Not even close.  He's a womanizing, self aggrandizing, thin skinned man who is somewhat a bully.  But he's also decidedly not a politician, and that's the best part.  I'm completely willing to accept those faults because of his policies and what he's accomplished, even with a hostile media and corrupt left- the swamp.  It's also because he's not beholden to anyone, much less the far left, which is where I see our country going, towards socialism- inch by inch, one policy at a time- if the GOP doesn't hold the Senate.  

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What else is the left offering besides "not Trump?"  Their policies are more of the dishonesty we're fed.  They support narratives that don't call out the true reason for problems in this country- from fatherless societies, to "peaceful" protests that are actually violent and illegal riots against our institutions.  From reparations to college loan forgiveness, from calls to defund the police, when the actual statistics about cops don't hold up for half a second, to the cry that the entire country is built on systemic racism.  While at the same time, they feed their masses with a steady diet of identity politics, actual racism, in place of real policies that affect the whole of society.  

There are a lot of truths that are avoided as well-  our national debt, crumbling infrastructure, state and city pensions that are underfunded and leading to civic bankruptcies.  What about the fact that these politicians have been in power for years and years, but nothing ever changes?  Neither side wants to talk about those.  It's all too much honesty they need to avoid at all costs.   

Billy Joel though, he sings the truth, at least when it comes to pouring his heart out over his gold-digging wife leaving him.

I know not everyone thinks the same as me with regards to our President.  I expect there are Chanters who are glad to see him go, but this is far more important than who is sitting in the Oval Office.  This is bigger than left or right.  This is about our Republic.  If we don't have free and fair elections, we are no better than Russia or Venezuela, with an oligarchy in charge and not the voters.  Is President Trump going to remain in office?  I wouldn't put money on it, but any fraud deserves to be brought to light.  Our nation sort of depends on it.