On facts, opinions, and Nazification of dissenting people

Many questionable statements were made in the campaign, such as an emergency budget would be needed if a leave vote was returned and 800,000 jobs would be lost simply on the result. In fact 800,000 jobs were created.

What worries me more is the trend towards the truth becoming “my truth” rather than “the truth” .

I heard a radio commentator accusing Nigel Farage of lying on his Brexit Party speaking tour; this could simply mean his didn’t speak “their accepted truth” and therefore it couldn’t be the truth.

Younger folk seem to mix up their opinion and what they believe to be true, with the truth and previously accepted norms of truth and falsehood.

There are no longer two sides to an argument – there is only one position, the political one, and if you don’t accept it you are a vile person. If you don’t accept my truth, then you are obviously a Nazi.

I also see another trend emerging which is almost religious in nature on climate change. For example, the new darling of the left in the US Alexandria Ocasio Cortez says you must accept her green new deal, or you are not a good person (it reminds me of the gospel preachers in Corn Market: you must believe as the end is nigh).

I am reminded of Liam Neeson’s role in the brilliant Kingdom of Heaven movie, where he swears his son in as a Templar knight, cautioning him to “speak the truth even if it leads to your death”.

If we can’t be truthful with each other we are in trouble, as “the truth will set you free”.

If you can’t be truthful with ourselves we have an even bigger problem.

Don’t get me wrong, I was in sales for 40 years and might have told the odd white lie myself, as well as possibly a few black ones. But surely, it can never be right to tell a lie to protect the truth.

Brian Gibson, Comber