Where is The Truth ?

i have been troubled a little lately by this idea:

If i really did want to know what is going on in the world,
If i really did want to find out what is true,
Who is telling the truth? Who is lying?
How would i do that?

If we fall back for a moment to the well worn adage;
A man with one clock knows what time it is,
While a man with many clocks never knows what time it is.

The Learned Assumption here is that the man with many clocks has a better idea of ‘About’ what time it is, While the man with only only clock may be severely deluded as to what time it is.

But this begs the further two assumptions that
Concerning The man with one clock; His clock is randomly set,
While the man with many clocks, Each clock is presumably wrong, but nearly correct.

It is much more likely; ( ??? ) that all these clocks, may be either accurate or inaccurate.
And that the man with many clocks, will only be very confused as to which is more accurate than the others.

Shifting this to The News of The World;
Where -Every- News Agency has a very distinct Agenda for how they wish to shape the news to fit their own best interests, which may not at all be the best interests of their principle listeners,
The Man that listens to many radio or television newscasts will -Most Reasonably- end up being entirely confused at the end of any given day.

The people that listen to only Rush Limbaugh or NPR may Know exactly what is going on in the world, But they differ only from the man that switches channels all day, in that they’re not as aware that they are as confused as anyone else.

The Only real difference between these two classes is that while everyone is confused,
Some are more aware of being confused.

The Third Class may be those that listen to many different sources and make a very determined effort to sort it all out and decide for themselves what is true and what is substantially less true.
Are these people really any less confused?
Or are they just editing together their own Rush Limbaugh Program?

The Trouble with Information concerning Flying Saucers,
And i use this Topic because the Assertion i am about to make is made much ‘Clearer’ by It’s Extremism,
Is that The Really True Bits hidden within The Stupendous Sea of DisInformation Regarding Flying Saucers, Is =NOT= The most Reasonable or Sensible Bits,
But in all likelihood, The Most Absurd.

That’s The Nature of Flying Saucers.
They -Presumably- Represent a Technology hundreds or Thousands of Years beyound us, Created by Brains that evolved in a Completely different Environment, Having Taken Millions of Different Evolutionary Branches than our own Development of Sentience.
Some may like to believe that Physics are going to be the same everywhere in the universe,
But the more astute observer should be aware that there are many different approaches for how to make a chair or wagon, each of which is dependent upon the original shape of the user.

In the more ‘Ordinary’ World of News;
What test or criteria might reasonably be applied to ‘have a good sense of knowing’ What is True?

Just how Strange is The World?

How much to Governments lie to us?

Is there some Grandiose Truth that they are keeping from us?
And how much is this flavoring what they are telling us?

The End Point is;
If i really was interested in What is going on in The World,
Just how would i find out?

Extensive Reading is only going to confuse me more.

What is the Alternative?
To stick my head in the sand and ignore the world.

Yes.
i think that’s it.

With the tiny caveat that ‘in the sand’ is interpreted to mean;
‘Stick to my own experiences’.
The world for me; Is what is happening to me.

Is crime out of control in the world?
Is crime out of control in my neighborhood?

Are Flying Saucers taking over the world?
Are Flying Saucers taking over my neighborhood?

Maybe it is sufficient, and reasonable to take on a view of the world,
As being a small world, that i have personal knowledge of,
And just ignore what the news is saying.
What the news is saying, more often than not, completely contradicts what i know, from personal experiences, to be true.

This would mean that my personal world is very, very different from The Rest of The World,
Or - - The News Agencies, And the Government & Zealots are lying to me.

Which is more reasonable?

Another aspect of this is that many ‘Gullible Skeptics’ insist that we apply ‘Occam’s Razor’ to What we are supposed to most readily accept as ’True’.
But what Occam’s Razor seems to demand; Is that we most readily accept the lies that we are already most familiar with.

The Real trouble with Heretical Truths, Is that they are Unfamiliar.
If Jebus were to appear before you and tell you something that tangentially broke from What was generally assumed to be his populist teachings,
How would you decide if what he was saying Now, Right in front of you,
Was True or Not?

Think Locally; Act Locally.
Let the World take care of itself.

Still Another aspect of this;
Is When a Politician comes to you and says that an important Vote is coming up,
And it’s important that you vote in a particular way.
Very often; The Voter has No Idea what they are voting for;
But let us assume for this example that Voter understands the Issue in all it’s details.
But The Politician wants you to Vote Against Your Own Best Interests For The Benefit of The Community.

This is Completely Wrong.

Don’t EVER do that.

That’s how Voting & ‘Democracy’ Works,
You Vote for What you Personally Believe,
And what is In Your Best Interests.

If you vote the way the politician wants you to vote;
You are casting additional votes for their best interests.

This is why many dictators love to pretend they are governing a democracy.
They know that they can get you to vote for them, and their best interests,
Not your own.

I am approached with the most opposite opinions and advice, and by men who are equally certain that they represent the divine will. I am sure that either the one or the other is mistaken in the belief, and perhaps in some respects, both. I hope it will not be irreverent of me to say that if it is probable that God would reveal his will to others on a point so connected with my duty, it might be supposed he would reveal it directly to me.
-- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)