Posted on 07.23.2018

Trust: A Disappearing Virtue

The dictionary defines trust as, assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something in which confidence is placed.

The pollsters tell us that trust in Congress is close to an all-time low, as is trust in media.

As one who came from a day when all we knew about a president was the voice, we heard on the radio or the pictures we saw in the newspapers. I speak as one whose formative years were during World War II, and remember FDR as the voice of confidence and reassurance.

He was the father figure, encouraging a nation whose sons were being dispatched to fight in places with names they couldn’t even pronounce. His regular addresses added legitimacy to the war and Inspired a heated patriotism and trust amongst the masses.

Although, in retrospect and maturity, I realize that FDR had his faults and made some repercussive political mistakes, but it’s hard to imagine anybody else at the helm during the Second World War.

His deep, steady voice never wavered, confident, assured and, no matter how catastrophic the casualty lists or how far the retreat of troops, when he spoke, all America was firmly convinced that no Swastika or Rising Sun would ever fly over our beloved United States of America.

His tenacity and unyielding optimism saw our nation through some very dark days.

The media was viewed as a true source of news and always couched their war coverage with an unabashed patriotism, never fearful of criticizing the Germans and Japanese who we were fighting on both sides of the world.

The voices of H. V. Kaltenborn and Gabriel Heatter reported on the war over the airwaves. Ernie Pyle was embedded with the troops in action and gave a firsthand view in print and America lived the battles from afar, hanging on the accounts of how the fighting was going, never doubting the honesty of the correspondent nor the accuracy of their reports.

How far we have fallen.

In this day of spin, parsing, plausible deniability and partisan media, it’s hard to, not only separate truth from lies, but it’s hard to separate precision from hyperbole, some talking heads and television personalities are so vicious and hateful, that practically every statement is over the top, not meant to inform but incite.

Many of our politicians of today are little more than human tape loops, repeating the same tired rhetoric, as predictable as the sunrise and as informative as experiencing somebody having a gas attack.

This is a sorry state of affairs.

It seems that, over the years, as I have watched, and even voted for, fresh-faced politicians who were going to go to Washington, be their own person, stand against the things I stand against and for the things I stand for, that after a few months, exposed to the leaders of whatever party they belong to, they go into their political chameleon act and become the same color as the shot callers and power brokers, just another hack who follows the party line, no matter how far away from the convictions of the people who put them in office it may lead them.

So, I have learned that to place trust in mortal man is futile, and although there are still a few politicians I have hope for and a few media personalities I respect, I put my trust and my eternal future in the hands of my Creator. He has never told a lie, he does not spin or parse and He never needs plausible deniability.

His predictions pan out 100% and we live in a time His word foretold thousands of years ago.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” - 2 Timothy 3:1-5 The Holy Bible

Stay tuned, things are just starting to heat up.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

— Charlie Daniels

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Comments

Heating Up
Amen, Amen & Amen Charlie, we read in Luke 21:26 King James Version 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Hearts failing from fear, now that's what I call heating er up a notch or two. nuff said God Bless Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy
Trust
FDR was much admired by many but was hated by conservatives. Their solution to FDR was the 22nd Amendment establishing term limits for the presidency. Funny to find ourselves now hearing the same tune as regards the House and the Senate from the same side of the aisle. It is not always easy to spot the truth but it does not seem like people try too hard. Someone said that when the World Trade Center collapsed thousands of people stood on the Jersey shore of the Hudson and cheered. This person said it was broadcast on TV but people do not talk about it because it is not politically correct. Is it hard to figure out if that is true or false? Not to me. I watched the news that day. I had friends who worked there. But lots of other folks twist themselves into knots trying to figure it out. Is the truth less clear now? No. We just seem more predisposed to follow lies.
Posted by Dana
Trust..A disappearing virtue
Response to Dana.......most people don't want to hear truth!
Posted by Phyllis
Trust
Trust in the Lord! The Bible is the truth that the world cannot stand against. We all know how this ends. Come Lord Jesus come! Charlie I think you would like Bill Lee. He will be in Mt. Juliet on the 25th. Just go listen to him. Please
Posted by Paul
Trust
I love your posts/comments. My hope and trust is in our Lord and Savior. I pray for guidance from only him. I pray that those in power will accept Jesus in their hearts and stand up for what is right. God bless us all and our nation. Thank you Mr Daniels.
Posted by Martha
Today's message
Thank you my friend, you're always spot on. I'm very proud to call you my friend. God Bless you & yours !!!!
Posted by Dale
Your post on trust and to say hi
YOU are very profound and your right on the money. I TOO believe thing are heating up.. not coming to the apochyolyps yet. WOULD love to gig with you someday.
Posted by Donald
Trust
Just a little note: trust is not a virtue. Nor is it disappearing, just misplaced.
Posted by dana
About the News Media
In spite of its flaws, I think the mainstream media is GENERALLY trustworthy as long as it's taken with a grain of salt. I feel the same way with more biased sources like Fox News and Huffington Post. But I'm careful not to put TOO MUCH trust in them. But some sources, like Breitbart and Info Wars, I don't trust at all. They go too far with their bias. -- Tru Cola
Posted by Tru
Times are telling
True that, Charlie. Almost that the times testify to the coming Lord. We have always had our flaws but He never will. Romans 1: 25 "for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." There is no mask on the mainstream media now. I also see the widening of anti-trust in the media. Interestingly, the left has cautioned people not to characterize all distrust for media as pro-Trump. Well, well. (it's a wide berth is it?)
Posted by Jeff
Dana's Trust and vilify
Rooftops of cheerleaders of 9/11 claims bother me not so much. Prof. Ward Churchill charged that “some people push back” on “the justice of roosting chickens.” And Rev Wright said America is divinely damned. There were those who rationalized what 9/11 terrorists did. So many blamed the military. Conspiracies beget conspiracies. And some, yes, cheering came even from in our country for the attack. Many decided to blame Bush for allowing it to happen, or gasp, not stopping it. But never mind Bill Clinton’s controversial legacy. Sandy Berger burglarized Nat Archives and stole Top Secret docs on al-Qaida attacks in the 90’s. Media sighed, collectively with the Dems. Their defense of Berger: he was “sloppy”“mistakenly.” But in your illustration it pays to remember that Trump is not ever a journalist, reporter, part of the MSM or media. He’s (was) a private citizen. When media does and says what they do behind journalism and free press, as they do now, it is a different matter. Or like when an institution like a college has a tenured professor say them, . The press should have integrity. But then we were told on every echoing MSM news channel by Obama's Susan Rice that an internet video caused Benghazi. So excuse my misplaced outrage about claims of rooftops with 9/11 cheerleaders.
Posted by Jeff
To Jeff
You are right. When journalists are caught in a lie, they are fired. When Ward Churchill lies, he is fired. When Trump gets caught in his lies, he gets elected president.
Posted by Dana
Villification
Incendentally, Trump’s comments were made as he campaigned for president. He thought a lot of people would vote for a lie. He was right. Here is the quote, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down," the Republican presidential candidate said at a Nov. 21 rally in Birmingham, Ala. "And I watched in Jersey City, N.J., where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering." Here is his follow up: "It was on television. I saw it," Trump said. "It was well covered at the time, George. Now, I know they don't like to talk about it, but it was well covered at the time. There were people over in New Jersey that were watching it, a heavy Arab population, that were cheering as the buildings came down. Not good." Lies but also direct quotes. No villification, just the truth.
Posted by Dana
Lies and Dana's fixation on statements
Lies damn lies. When Susan Rice 'lied' to us about Benghazi (talking points were changed and no one knows where Obama was), Obama promised Medvedev and Putin more flexibility, telling Mitt that the 80's want their foreign policy back, with a campaign theme that al Qaeda is dead, after supporting a Muslim Brotherhood coup in Egypt, then Obama gets re-elected. All questions are supposed to cease, and then declared his administration was scandal free when he leaves office. Truth was in suspended animation. Lies, damn lies No one held them to account. Liberals and the media dog and pony show collectively sighed. Journalism gave up any ghost of integrity or objectivity. (Incidentally, many on the left distrust media too) A reason why one poll media won't talk about is their own.
Posted by Jeff
Above and beyond
Incidentally, Obama and his assortment of cohorts did all that while he was in the POTUS office. Then threw in some foreign election meddling of his own just for spice. Again, the (once) free press demurred. File that under First Amendment follies.
Posted by Jeff
To jeff
My fixation is on not changing the subject. Trump said that he saw thousands and thousands of people in Jersey City cheering the collapse of the World Trade Center. That is a lie. Is it beyond your physical abilities to acknowledge that Trump lies?
Posted by Dana
Fixation - Dana
Is it hard to believe groups of people were not angered or outraged, like other Americans, by twin planes going into towers, killing thousands? I don’t think it is, especially when religion is a central operational ingredient in the whole attack. That it is not now on tape somewhere, wow, a real surprise. I had many other major concerns I mentioned, many still relevant. But media seems to take a pass on all that. Call it changing the subject if you like. I call them priorities and critical thinking. All truth, but that should encourage people's trust?
Posted by Jeff
To jeff
Simple question. Trump said he saw thousands and thousands of people in Jersey City cheering as the WTC towers collapsed. Was he lying or telling the truth. Don’t tie yourself in knots on this one. The answer is easy.
Posted by Dana
Dana
No knots. I don't know what Trump saw or heard. I was only saying it's conceivable, to me at least, that there were plenty of non-nationalists, anti-Americans here bordering on giddy about what happened. I only know what I heard from sources closer the area than I. And I realize media wouldn't have had much incentive then to show it. People on rooftops tend to be illusive. But I see you ignore everything else I’ve said. You can call it what you want, it doesn't answer the whole problem. Was it thousands and thousands gathered? I haven’t seen it. It could be a talking point of his, and now you evidently made it your talking point. That’s how I see it.
Posted by Jeff
It is a lie
There were not thousands of thousands of people in Jersey City cheering when the WTC towers collapsed nor was it on TV nor was it widely reported nor did Trump see it. It is a bald faced lie. It is scary that you are incapable of acknowledging the truth. Is that what it takes to be a Trump supporter?
Posted by Dana
Trust is a Virtue
Charlie's column is well thought, well said, unusually insightful, and accurate. Truth is defined accurately for the context. Truth is definitely a virtue. Virtue is defined as behavior showing high moral standards; a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person; a good or useful quality of a thing. Consequently, Charlie has correctly titled the article. To those that objectively observe and analyze what is happening in this nation; particularly those possessing perspective instilled with experience and imparted with age, it is not surprising some readers do not understand the meaning expressed. Popular culture in our nation has a penchant to develop vernacular which lacks clear definition. This is prevalent in media and politics where allusion leads to individual interpretation. Leading people to think a particular way, without making clearly defined statements which cannot be denied, is the hallmark of contemporary politics. Truth is disappearing. It is being systematically eliminated culturally. Truth in political communication has been replaced by vaguity. Plausible deniability is sacred to politicians in our country. The words Charlie uses appear carefully chosen for their ability to be specific and unable to be misconstrued. We are blessed that Charlie cares enough to share the truth with us. Wisdom is revealed through time, and truth is not interpretable.
Posted by James