Truth works far and lives long: let us speak the truth.

From The World as Will and Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860).

And now that I have allowed myself the jest to which in this two-sided life hardly any page can be too serious to grant a place, I part with the book with deep seriousness, in the sure hope that sooner or later it will reach those to whom alone it can be addressed; and for the rest, patiently resigned that the same fate should, in full measure, befall it, that in all ages has, to some extent, befallen all knowledge, and especially the weightiest knowledge of the truth, to which only a brief triumph is allotted between the two long periods in which it is condemned as paradoxical or disparaged as trivial. The former fate is also wont to befall its author. But life is short, and truth works far and lives long: let us speak the truth.

Sort of reminds me of a joke I saw somewhere the other day.

Person 1:  Whose 19th century philosophers were the most dense and difficult to understand, the French or the Germans.

Person 2:  Yes.

The bold text from Schopenhauer is usually rendered inaccurately, but more accessibly, into pragmatic English as:

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

We currently seem to live in a world dedicated to proving Schopenhauer correct.

Russiagate

Covid-19 Lab origins 

 

Covid-19 Vaccine efficacy

Covid-19 School closings and masks

Hunter Biden's Laptop

J6

The list goes on and on.  The truth (opposite of the establishment party line) was first ridiculed, then it was violently opposed. Now we are moving into the third phase where it is becoming accepted as being self-evident.  Not in all corners, but gradually and increasingly for a majority.  

I am eager for those who abused our system of government to be punished for their crimes.  Accountability has to have some meaning.  On the other hand, it has to be with due process and by the law and the law might not cover the abuses committed.  And most critically, we can't establish a pattern of prosecuting former leaders unless the illegality of their actions are egregious and transparent to everyone.  We are not there yet and I suspect we never will be.

If the law has no punishment for the crime, perhaps the punishment should be extra-legal and undertaken as penance by the perpetrators as a substitute for fruitless prosecution.  They have to read and discuss with the public all the works of a dozen French and German 19th century philosophers.  That should keep them busy, out of trouble, and miserable.