As an academic, I'm very pro-Truth. I think trying to figure out what it is and then sharing it is a big part of my job. (Even if it's inherently an elusive sort of a concept. But there can be truths about that, too…)
Society, however, doesn't seem too excited about truth. Consider this depressing post by Digby at Hullabaloo:
During the campaign Bush repeatedly lied about the reasons for the Iraq war, even based upon the irrefutable public record, and as best I can tell the travelling press corp never bothered to comment upon it
Then he documents it at some length.
Depressed enough yet? Consider his next post about what the cable networks think is newsworthy. Hint: a lot involves someone named “Natalee Holloway”; not much involves the real issues of the day.
Update: The science version — for this administration reality is just an option….and not such an attractive one.
“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.” – John Kenneth Galbraith.
Nope. Truth doesn’t matter much. I have a hard time with this myself. But it’s, err, true.