When you know of a better way of seeing things, how long of holding onto that idea does it become immoral not to tell others of this better idea?
I've been spending some time recently criticizing progressive leaders in the American Congress for sitting on their hands and not using their power and leverage, to achieve great things. However, here I am and I know of a Metaphysics that's far better than our current one. Truth be told, if all intellectuals knew, understood and appreciated this Metaphysics, it's highly unlikely we would be in this mess that we're in right now.
Because what's abundantly clear to me is that we live in a time of great metaphysical failure. Our current metaphysics has horrendous guardrails against all sorts of immoral behavior because what's considered 'common sense' is far broader than what morally and intellectually ought to be. This is a failure not just because of our corrupt politicians who began to give their backs to the working class in increasing intention over 50 years ago. But as the Metaphysics of Quality (MOQ) uniquely shows - it's a failure also of our current metaphysics which says that whatever anyone says, does or advocates is up to them and their morality and that there's no way for us to judge the morals of others.
This is wrong and denying this is the case is itself immoral. Claiming that something is and ought to be amoral when in fact it is and ought to be moral is itself immoral. Because most things are, in some way, moral. It's up to us to decide what's better or worse, and with the Metaphysics of Quality we are provided with a powerful way to do this that's in line with logic and experience.
This is far greater than our current metaphysics. A Metaphysics which has so many weaknesses we are left with countless instances of soft corruption and social forces being permitted to immorally take control of our culture.
The corruption at the heart of our democracies sits at the center of this immorality. An immorality which prevents parliaments and congress from doing what's intellectually right for the people and instead takes heed of what their donors request of them. So, with the powerful being democratically catered for and the working people given short shrift, it's no wonder that the grievances of these working class folk are turning to increasingly radical means of their voices being heard.
"All these politicians, they work for us! We pay their salaries, and we pay our taxes. And what do we get? Nothing! They don't represent us. They need to pay the ultimate price for their crimes."
MAGA Trumper Storming the Capitol
What the MOQ shows clearly is that neglecting working class folks and instead catering to a parties donors wishes is immoral. Intellectual laws exist so that folks are to be treated equally. At their base; political donations are immoral in that they preference the social power of money and corruption over the intellectual spirit of the law but yet still they are an aspect of our democracies that continue to be tolerated. Why?
They are tolerated not just because the same folks who need to change this are the corrupted politicians themselves. They are tolerated not just because our media, also on the take with money from social forces, is undermined in its ability to intellectually report on what's occurring. But also, and even more importantly, is that they are tolerated because our intellectual class uses a Metaphysics that fails protect itself from these social forces.
But also, and even more importantly, is that they are tolerated because our intellectual class uses a Metaphysics that fails to protect itself from these social forces.
Start with the media. Reporters are supposed to remain 'unbiased' and 'objective', we are told, and to only report on the 'facts'. Morals? They are likely subjective prejudices that muddy a good reporters view of what is occurring. 'Objectivity and amorality is the most important thing for a good reporter'. Morality be damned.
The same is true for academics who ought to be intellectually investigating how values influence and create our shared cultures and commenting on present day cultural events from this same moral and values based perspective. But they don't because our current metaphysics doesn't allow it. Instead our current metaphysics allows far more immorality than what, the MOQ shows, logically makes sense. A strong man who at all points undercuts and undermines intellectual quality is immoral; this isn't just someone's opinion about morality and not necessarily true. It's true for all people, everywhere. But academics can't ever say that quite so easily and when they do say it they can easily be replied to with a 'Who says?'.
Indeed, if everyone knew and used the MOQ instead of the clunky metaphysics that we use today, it ought to be obvious to just about anyone that not just political donations, but a strong man coming in and taking over congress is immoral and dumb. This is the strength of the MOQ. We are able to call Trump and his supporters actions immoral. Not just in some time, and not just in someone's opinion. With the MOQ we can say logically, empirically, by supporting Trump and his overthrow of congress - his supporters are being immoral.
But the MOQ goes further than simply calling someone immoral. The MOQ provides us a way to understand the values of others, and our own, in a way that is far from the cynicism and unproductive conflict we are constantly bombarded with today. Because another strength of the MOQ is that it provides us a way to understand and sympathise far more easily from other folks perspectives. With the knowledge that at their core, folks are thinking and acting based on their values, we can look at those values, examine them, and understand why they value the things that they do.
Turn on cable television of most mainstream news networks and we are lead to believe that most Trump voters are racist or bigoted; and that's the extent of their dissatisfaction. But if we hit the streets as Chris Arnade has, and you listen to the forgotten middle part of America, then you will quickly discover that their grievances oftentimes are extremely legitimate. They are the forgotten but their voices are still extremely important. Shining a light on those voices and their struggles, as Chris does, is incredibly valuable.
Because it's within all that suffering and hopelessness that has continued unaddressed for decades, that they've been primed for manipulation. Their distrust for intellectuals, with their failing metaphysics and long time neglect, has hit an all time high. Instead they've become increasingly skeptical of even basic facts they're told and so have turned toward paranoia and conspiracy. It's only been comforting for them to see these same conspiracies, disinformation and propaganda spewed by the Orange man himself. Someone who assures them, 'Trust me - I know better'.
The most common factor in Trump support has always been how strongly they identify with Authoritarianism. In Trump their basic values are met and they follow him and commit whatever horrible acts in his name to wherever he takes them.
But what's very clear to me is that in a world which understands and appreciates the MOQ - this never happens. Those authoritarians don't stop respecting authorities, but they do respect authorities who uphold decent values not the strong man anti-intellectualism given to us by the current guy in the job. Indeed - one of the greatest strengths of the MOQ isn't that it's better for intellectuals to protect what's good and right (although it is that); but that it's something anyone can understand and they can use it to act accordingly - including any current or future Trump supporters!
But when? When do folks start to see that our current problems are largely metaphysical and the power and beauty of this better, alternative metaphysics called The MOQ?
That's not something that's easy to answer.. But hopefully - it's sooner than we think! :)
