By Pinar Temocin / Image via Acción Poética Francia
It is a perplexing relationship between political truth and its innate value in the current political arena. There is also a contradiction between the structure of morality within the populists and the actions of politicians. Perhaps this relationship has never been clear and/or concrete.
There exists a substantial debate about objectivity of truth. Some might assert that objective moral truth is itself a value. If we talk about politics, we want to see this as an objective reality in people’s lives. However it has been corrupted over many decades. This happens when the discourse around national interests, public welfare, freedom of citizens, equal rights, etc. have been abused by political handshakes. In this way, essential social and political events depend on the ultimate decisions of political elites, and a vast majority of these elites are motivated for their own selfish interests. Political legitimacy became inherently a question of one’s moral conception. This is to say that politics cannot be separated without considering its own moral structures, and today we can see these moral structures have no value and justification.
In the political status-quo, the truth has been hidden, and we stumble on lies and ignore the facts of reality. Politicians do whatever they believe and whatever they want. Decisions ambiguously are taken in accordance with the need of politicians in various policy scenes. The problem creates delusions of policy makers which may cause all the political theories and facts, concepts, and practices to fail. These days we pessimistically face the current political era stuck with hidden values and perceptions, and we become more skeptical with each passing day. We see the evidence of the moral collapse in politics. Considering the world wars, first Moon landing, 9/11, Guantanamo Detention Camp, the contradictory ideology of the North Korea, weapons of mass destruction, “no war-no peace” situations, modern dictatorships, rigged polls, political manipulation of media authorities that serve immensely political elites, and other major global threats facing us, they continually highlight this reality.
How can we reconcile politics and superior morality? The answer has never been found in history. Even moral nihilism has not provided a concrete aspect to the moral consensus. By virtue of this situation we dream of political utopias and utopian governments which may function without moral questions. We do not need a hope-monger preaching for us, public hunters with pompous street speeches, business magnates who serve political marginalization of morality, political demagogues of tycoons, religious leaders and orators. We literally need the bare truth with the intellectual and moral capabilities of policy makers as well as a proper sense of morality and transparency in the policy making process.
Ironically, the dirty hands of democracies win mass moral consciousness in the justice game in our dark age, and we feel the dark hands of Big Brother as a pawn at each step we take. Yet we continue to pretend that the game is being properly played, and we clap along for the players who misguide all the moves.
I’m standing on a stage of fear and self-doubt.
It’s a hollow play, but they’ll clap anyway.
(My Body is a Cage / Arcade Fire)