The unreality of America and the importance of facing facts

Facing facts is not something we’re very good at in America. In fact our entire society is based on the opposite principle, avoiding the truth in favor of an appealing fortress of contrived fantasy: Disneyland America, Leave it to Beaver America, the America on television, the one where everyone lives comfortable, privileged lives and no one is poor, homeless or insane. And no one ever goes to jail, loses their house, falls ill and goes bankrupt, goes to war or comes home in a body bag.

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We, as a culture, are in such denial that it is both astonishing and alarming. History can be thought of as having two meanings, that which actually happened and the stories we tell ourselves about what happened. Those stories are often in stark contrast, and often intentionally so, to what actually took place. History is told by the victors to make themselves feel and look better. Our history is hopelessly bound up in our propaganda and mythology.

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Commentary by The Secular Jurist:  We highly recommend reading this profound critique of America.  It is filled with incredibly insightful quotes from notable figures such as Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Carl Sagan, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Albert Camus, and Voltaire.