In Search of Truth

As I reorient my career into that of journalism, I must embark it with a completely clean slate. As long-time educator – one who has taught over a decade at the collegiate level, I’ve always strived to share with others in a thoughtful and engaging manner; and that won’t change.

In November of 2021 I found my way back to Canada after having lived and worked in China for a total of 13 years. Being absent from my homeland provided me with a different lens through which I could view Canada, its politics, socioeconomic tendencies, history, people, culture, values, and so on. Upon my return, and amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, I could barely recognize the country I had left back in 2008.

This great nation was no longer the one whereby its citizens were openly fun-loving, sociable, free, proud, and as considerate as before (at least for the most part); this really saddened me (and still does!) Instead, what I returned to was divisiveness, bitterness, anger, along with people who have seemed to have forgotten the values that underpinned what it really means to be Canadian.

Of course, the pandemic certainly contributed a lot to this new reality. Yet, my gut tells me that much deeper roots and factors lie beneath this societal change. And part of my new journey is to found out what they are and how they came about.

In my first two months back and in the early part of 2022 I was astounded at what I witnessed in regards to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 pandemic policies and diktats, and even societal norms and expectations for that matter. By the later, I am referring to the divisiveness between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, those who masked-up and those who did all they could to avoid doing so. I couldn’t bear to first-handedly witness such hostility between Canadians from all walks of life – including those from my own circle of friends and family.

Likewise, I was quite alarmed and astounded as to the extent to which some of our fundamental rights as Canadians had become so abrogated (or at the very least ‘trampled upon’). Having had witnessed such kind of abuses in China, I never expected these would occur in Canada where the rule of law was traditionally, and for the most part, respected. Though the Chinese Constitution assures freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and redress from the government, these have all become but wishful fantasies as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has chosen to simply discard them in the trash bin of history.

When I saw our own government bypass due process and our own legal statutes by freezing the bank accounts of law-abiding citizens who had donated funds to support the Truckers Convoy, I was absolutely shocked and stunned about this abuse of power. These are the kinds of abuses and overreaches we see in places like China and Cuba, and other Banana Republics. Never in a million years had I thought this could happen in Canada. But it did.

Another troubling trend I witnessed since my return is the politicization of our media along with several other key institutions such as our health authorities and law enforcement agencies, but to name a few. There’s no doubt that the response to the Covid-19 pandemic brought about much of this ugliness.

Trust in these institutions has significantly waned and we can easily see that there are large masses of people that have lost faith in them. I am not sure what they can do to regain that trust. But all I know is that there is a lot that needs repairing. Part of it will be to hold these institutions to task and account. After all, they exist to serve the citizenry, not those of outside corporate or supranational interests.

Globalist and elitist organizations such as the WEF (World Economic Forum) come to mind. Its leader Klaus Schwab has openly stated how proud he is of their Young Global Leaders such as Justin Trudeau, our current Prime Minister, having helped the WEF penetrate the [Canadian] cabinet. Specifically, Schwab stated the following about Trudeau: “I know that half of his cabinet, or even more than half of his cabinet are for, actually young global leaders [of the WEF].” While this claim is certainly up for debate with regards to its accuracy, it is nonetheless a worrisome one that we needn’t readily brush aside so hastily.

Another trend I’ve noticed over the past several years (not just in Canada, but practically everywhere around the world), is that of what is called dis-, mal-, and mis-information along with ‘fake news’ and the like. As we are definitely living in the Information Age, information is everywhere and is readily manipulated to the highest degree for a variety of ends. This is nothing new of course. Labels are thrown everywhere – whether they are about the information itself or aimed at individuals. Terms such as far-right, far-left, conservatives, liberals, MAGA Republicans, and anti-vaxxers come to mind. In the old days, they use to label those who didn’t abide by societal norms as ‘non-conformists’. Today, there exists an abundant supply of labels that can be used to vilify others.  

But getting back to the dis-, mis- & mal information axioms, I must offer an alternative, perhaps unconventional, perspective on them. In my humble opinion, there is no such thing as disinformation, misinformation, malinformation, or fake news, since they are ALL simply INFORMATION.

As human beings we are endowed with our God-given minds and ability to think and discern it all.

In fact, and perhaps even from an anthropological perspective, being able to discern fact from fiction is what is paramount to living a life that is honest, free, and fulfilling.

Sadly though, it seems that people from all walks of life – the educated, uneducated, rich, poor, young, old, etc., have strayed from this vital cognitive skill which we call discernment; for without it, we are simply sheep following orders and easily led to slaughter.

I often ask myself: Why have human beings lost their sense of discernment? Of course, this remains a complex affair that could be studied ad infinitum. But suffice it to say that one of its main contributors has been that of a lack of education with regards to critical thinking.

As a long-time educator, I have made it one of my main duties to instill this vital intellectual skill – that of critical thinking – to all my students.

In China, for the most part, students are taught ‘what to think’ rather than ‘how to think’; this is why you see a populace that is mostly unquestioning and obedient - even when they know something is not right or immoral.

Sadly, I have also been witnessing this disturbing trend here in Canada (and of course elsewhere). I am not saying that everyone is like this, but rather that it is a worrying trend that absolutely needs to be addressed if we are to return to the values of honesty, integrity, and morality; for without these, we have lost some of the essential building blocks of a thriving and functioning society.

Furthermore, with heightened levels of critical thinking among the masses, we can return to a society in which civil discourse is the norm rather than divisive speech we sadly witness online and in social media.

Apart from improved civil discourse where respect among individuals can flourish, we also need to pursue truth. In a complex word such as our own, getting to the truth is not easy. That is why journalists will often focus on ‘accuracy’, as truth can too easily be elusive, subjective, and selective. One of my favorite quotes about truth is:

“Truth is truth, even if nobody believes it. A lie is a lie even if everyone believes it.”

I love this quote because it is unswervingly honest.

As I embark on my new journey as a journalist (preferably as an investigative journalist), I will strive not only for accuracy (among other key principles such as independence, impartiality, humanity, and accountability) but also to speak the truth – inasmuch as facts uncovered will testify, no matter what they reveal and who they may offend.

I hope that you can join me in this search for truth and to help transform society to one where tolerance, morality, camaraderie, integrity and honesty prevail.