"You're Gotta Read This..."

"There are no wrong opinions. Just those that are closer to the truth." Ancient Greece.

You've got mail. Ever get that email that shows some political nut spewing utter nonsense? Me too. What is humour for me passes as true information for others. One man's clown is another man's dissident.

Nothing beats when someone sends you trash under the guise of being an important document of facts. Of course, all to solidify the senders perceptions. "You actually believe the report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology about how the Twin Towers fell?" or "Nostradamus predicted this" or "It was the American government who did this!" and "Fuel can't melt steel!" are just some of the popular misconceptions in the public domain. Yes, it is easy to dismiss or refute but what concerns me is how this can have a lasting impact on a society.

There will always be gaps of evidence and information when studying history or piecing together a massive destruction of a structure. It's how we treat those gaps that is essential in keeping out integrity in line. We must not fall prey to a bunch of jackals who take advantage of these 'holes.' They tempt you with an apple under false pretenses and it's time to fight back. "You've gotta read or see this" really means "Wake up and see things my way."

What makes this point of exchange all the more surreal is that the sender usually encloses an attachment about a subject matter they know little of. It is my contention, after reading not hundreds but thousands of pieces of opinions about America that most people haven't a clue of what they are talking about.

The sly and industrious ones, like some blogs for example, carefully cut and paste all sorts of sources and bits of information to prove a one-sided point. And what's a messy debate without each side accusing the other of censorship or being unpatriotic?

Things are most certainly inverted. We don't know what passes for security and what passes for freedom. Sometimes people are just free to have innocuous dubious allegiances. For example, I was watching a documentary about the horror film industry in Canada. One of the speakers was wearing a Che 'Crazy Ernie' Guevera T-shirt. It made me think. Ok, what if Che got his wish? Would this guy be free to stand in front of us? Indeed, would he even be a filmmaker? Would the world be a better place under Che? It seems to me that Che would be a far more hands on censor sorcerer than Bush ever could.

Liberals - well, they're really not liberals. More like impostors - claim conservatives (who really aren't conservatives) control the world. Both sides have been invaded by a bunch of neo-fakers. However, an argument can be put forth that the most popular talking heads of pop culture is actually in the liberal camp.

See where I am going with this? Liberalism IS North America. It has an invisible romantic hold on everything. Oddly enough, it is the conservatives who seek to protect and uphold the traditions laid down by liberals over the last few hundred years. Follow?

In contemporary times, we are witnessing the conservative element hitting back. Which is a good thing in that it should in theory keep everyone on his or her toes. Alas, I'm not sure this is happening anywhere on the continent. Everyone has taken positions in their forts and has not come out.

The fact of the matter is that since 9/11 America's role in the world is bigger than most people's ability to process, dissect and rationalize. I don't expect Canadians to understand it - though they clearly should. America's political permutations are far more complicated and numerous than Canada's. Maybe this is why so many easily fall for the 'you've gotta read this' ploy.

I do not mean this in a pompous manner - I myself go to great lengths and pains in deciphering the layers upon layers of facts and myths - but I have grown tired of the interloping armchair historian/political pundit so prevalent around us.

It has become somewhat of a bore to have to listen to people try and one-up each other about who will come up with the 'wittier' attack on Bush. Or who will catch him in a 'lie.' I suppose that if we scrutinize anyone on earth we could find dirt on him or her. Maybe even the Dalai Lama.

I guess people are just better at arriving at a natural truth without expunging into searching it out.

It does seem as though people who don't read history claim to be 'in the know' somehow. That they can fill in the dearth of evidence better than anyone who studies it. That those who do read it are manipulated and duped. Such are our times. Facts are mere mirages. "I don't know you but you're type' mantra prevails. That's why it's so hard and frustrating to have any meaningful dialogue about America. Everyone already HAS the answer. There is no communication.

What do I do with "You gotta read this..."? Delete. Truth is an elusive sucker.