Political Apathy and Truth
The Boondocks and Political Apathy
In March, I endeavored to educate myself politically. I read Morning Brew’s newsletter almost daily, perused political science publications, and began watching several current affairs channels (I’ve listed many of these resources under “recommendations”). I never cared much about current affairs. I was depressed by the global political climate. I genuinely wish for the best in humanity and with almost every news article I read, I’m increasingly disillusioned with the incompetence of government leadership. Since childhood, observing the failings of authority figures and having my opinions dismissed for my lack of experience was infuriating. Sure, it’s interesting that Trump has been indicted for alleged hush money payments, but what does it matter? I thought to myself. As my dissatisfaction with the world grew, I closed my heart to these struggles, to the opportunities I had to help others. The anime Erased, Mushoku Tensei, and Oregairu inspired me to cure my apathy in everyday life, but it was The Boondocks that dispelled this political apathy.
The Boondocks presents many questions of epistemic truth and political ideology through its witty satire. This approach to social commentary had me laughing most of the time, but the realities it illuminates through protagonist Huey Freeman saddened me. Huey and I share many similarities; we’re both taciturn, rational, and phlegmatic individuals who observe the absurdities of society through an objective, often contrarian lens. As satisfying as it is to bask in the strengths I share with a fictional character, Huey forced me to confront many of my flaws as a person; we have an unrelenting cynicism (my optimism notwithstanding), a struggle to reach people who feel so different from us, and apathy. Although Huey accurately criticizes society, the few times he poses a personal interpretation of reality are pessimistic. He occasionally attempts to persuade the people around him but fails miserably. The few times he campaigns a greater cause are crushed not by personal inability, but by societal inertia. Our experiences have instilled apathy and cynicism within us, but there is still hope. Optimism does not have to be naive.
My book failed, but my friend and I are starting an educational policy organization. I can succeed where Huey failed. It’s as Asheru’s “Judo Flip” ostensibly illustrates about Huey and the political ideal. We may be the “stone that the builder refused” but we can also be “the spark that makes your idea bright, the same spark that lights your left from your right.” Unlike Huey, “Imma remain a soldier till the war is won.”
Truthful Discourse
What is truth? Is it too complicated to be assigned a definition? As you may have correctly noticed from the nature of my content, I never label a complex problem as unsolvable (if you are inclined to answer with “it depends” after reading anything I have written I will smack you, feeling insulted by my blatant failure). Some truths exist as a matter of material fact. For example, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Other truths exist as a matter of consensus. For example, a tree is called a tree instead of a dog because that’s the linguistic interpretation that English speakers agreed upon. Finally, many truths exist as a matter of interpretation. For example, if one says that there are three apples in a box, this is an interpretation. It assumes the definition of a box and an apple. It assumes what it means for an object to be inside another object. It assumes the function of numbers and that the apples are similar enough to be grouped and assigned a quantity.
Truth should be normatively rather than descriptively. That is, truth should be defined in a way that is most productive to the pursuit of truth. Defining truth as a state of the universe impossible for humans to confirm trivializes any and all epistemological interpretations. We must assign select criteria to determine truth in a specific situation. Take, for instance, the involvement of hard work in financial success. Postmodern ideologies such as conservatism and liberalism obscure truth. Undeveloped claims that hard work or luck contribute to 99% of financial success are unsubstantiated and reductive. In contrast, accurate data presenting correlations between environmental factors and financial success do develop a sense of truth.
These intricacies of truth are actually more pertinent to the layman than what a 17-year-old’s pedantry may suggest. People need dialectical discourse in lieu of deadlock and compromise because truth empowers us with the optimal solution. I often use parenting as an analogy. Suppose that a child received a poor grade on a test. The father wants to beat him as punishment while the mother doesn’t want her to care about her academic performance. A compromise would be to threaten to beat the child from now on. A deadlock would be for both parents to continue arguing and alternate between beating or ignoring the child. Congress exhibits both of these forms of stupidity. The truth requires one to fundamentally deconstruct the topic and account for assumptions.
Poor academic performance correlates to lower income, especially when it limits opportunities for higher education. This is a fact. Corporal punishment increases the risks of anxiety and depression. This is also a fact. These statements presuppose the meaning of poor academic performance, the meaning of anxiety and depression, as well as the validity of the research these assertions are premised upon. We may arbitrarily accept these assumptions by virtue of scientific credibility. Human communication is rife with assumptions, but we can mitigate this through careful speech. Finally, reflecting on grades and improving study habits has been proven to increase academic performance. Again, this statement is filled with assumptions, but ones that we may arbitrarily accept. For the sake of brevity, I won’t belabor on what constitutes a valid assumption, as it is specific to situationally specific. The parents could conclude that it is best to have their child reflect on their performance and identify areas from which to improve study habits.
This epistemological meticulousness is imperative to ameliorating the political climate. Truthful discourse may achieve the world Huey envisions.
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