Our society isn’t what it pretends to be.
Western liberal democracies resemble a narcissistic abuser who presents himself online as a sensitive he/him feminist. They are like a celebrity who claims to challenge authority and defend marginalized groups while simultaneously backing Israel.
Our society is a facade.
This entire civilization thrives on an endless stream of sacrifice and suffering from the global south, even as it produces films about promoting justice and saving humanity.
Commentators criticize “tyrannical regimes” in countries targeted by the empire, all while our own leaders kill, starve, and intimidate rebellious populations to secure global domination.
Education tells us that we live in a free society where the electorate governs, and individuals enjoy freedom of expression—yet, in truth, wealthy elites control elections, and a sophisticated system of censorship and propaganda tightly regulates what we say.
We lack true integrity.
Having integrity as a person means being consistent in private and in public, showing equal kindness and respect to all—whether bosses, children, subordinates, or friends. It means your thoughts, words, and actions align perfectly, regardless of whether anyone is watching. Your professed values must match the values you actually demonstrate in everyday life.
Cultivating integrity as an individual involves harmonizing all these elements and removing contradictions from your life. Building integrity as a society follows the same principle.
As members of the western empire, the road ahead is long and arduous if we hope to reconcile the gap between the society we claim to be and the society we live in. Our actual practice diverges from our espoused ideals more than almost any other civilization. We are an empire built on deceit.
The struggle to establish a healthy world largely comes down to moving from pretense to genuine integrity. It means shaping a society where our highest ideals and deepest values genuinely shape how our civilization functions. Ultimately, this is the objective we all seek.
Achieving personal integrity requires brutally honest self-reflection on who you really are. Achieving societal integrity means awakening as many people in the West as possible to the fact that everything we’ve been told about our civilization and world is a sham. Only then can we target the true causes of our issues and move toward peace and well-being.
Original article: caitlinjohnstone.com.au
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