Aletheia stands for Truth and Sincerity and has always been a valued friend. Back in time, a fable circulated of a man travelling in the wilderness, where he found Aletheia standing all by herself. He asked her why she’d left the city. “Among the people of old, lies were found among only a few, but now they have spread throughout all of human society.”

With the advent of so much information on the internet, you might have thought that Truth would be springing from the screen. Some hope! At least we had Socrates. He may have written nothing but his words and actions in the search for and defence of Truth changed the world. His example still inspires people today – but not enough of them. Instead, we’re bombarded with fake truth. Consider this: “If I were to run, I’d run as a Republican. They’re the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.” The quotation has been circulating on social media along with a photograph of a young Donald, and it sounds entirely believable. Except that it’s a complete fabrication.

In fact, it’s almost impossible to know what to believe. The Pseudologoi seem to retain a strange influence on people. They were the spirits of lies and falsehood. Apparently there are no Russian troops in Ukraine, the current tsar would never poison an ex-spy in Britain and the government in Syria had no involvement in the recent chemical weapons attack. Iran is the most peaceful state in the world and Kim Jong-Un and the Donald are only pretending to be somewhat unsavoury characters. The holocaust never happened, Stalin and Pol Pot were not mass-murderers and no-one’s ever guilty of any crimes because they’re bon dimounn or because the victim of rape and murder was from another community. Sectarian lobbies certainly don’t help with their pa tous nou dimounn or the way they exploit sensitive issues like religious symbols.

Politicos love making speeches, yet Demosthenes long ago pointed out that: “In a political system based on speeches, how can it be safely administered if the speeches aren’t true?” Or there was Aristotle, who stressed the importance of real knowledge and expertise in the field of political deliberation. Wise words from centuries back, now replaced by biryani and pasta.

Aletheia also stands for Openness, the kind ofopenness freedom of information could bring about. An act was promised, not just in 2014, but in the then government’s programme of 2005. Perspective is also important to avoid selective facts. Meanwhile, elections are round the corner and have been ever since early 2015. It must be the longest bend ever, which may explain why some parties are going round in circles. We could do with a little less rhetoric and rather more parrhesia, which demands boldness and integrity. Sadly, like water under the bridge or in the tap, parrhesia regularly gets washed away in a swirl of populism and plastic.

To help us out, I wish I could persuade Pistis to come and sit atop Pieter Both. She was one of the good spirits to escape Pandora’s jar, standing for trust and honesty. Unfortunately, she took a good look around her and promptly fled back to the mountain tops, abandoning mankind. Perhaps that’s why some believe that truth is unimportant, but it’s not clear how there can be a decent society without truth and trust. As for the Justice system, it would be rendered useless. But who cares in a world where discredited leaders are blindly followed and in a country where those who are malin are rewarded with a sly grin?

Yours sincerely,
Epi Phron