11 January 2025

Truth, falsehoods -- and fairy tales

 


During the most recent US election season (2024), DT1 publicly proclaimed in a Presidential debate that in Springfield Ohio, the Haitian immigrants were eating pet cats & dogs.

This was denied by a fact-checker during the debate. And widely reported as untrue.

So of course, after the election, many struggled to understand how those who voted for DT could vote for someone who is so blatantly a firehose of falsehoods.

I think that those asking the question ‘how can you vote for a liar?’ are missing the point.

Think of it this way – do you believe the fable or fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood?

In a literal sense, of course not.

But is there not some kind of truth, ‘moral’ truth perhaps, that is intended to be communicated by this story? Do we believe this truth?