On Truth, Diplomacy, and The Future of Internet Journalism.

Outline:

1. What’s Going on in the world today? And Why Should You Be Concerned?
2. Lost Perspective.
3. Who Can You Trust?
4. Safety or Freedom?
5. On Bullies.
6. Conclusion.

What is Going on In The World Today? And Why Should (you) Be Concerned?

The past few decades have been filled with ghastly emotions, emerging from various factions of the divides that shape society. From socialism to liberalism, nihilism, and even anarchy. Several groups, however small, have sought to advance their interests at the expense of the common man.

In a time of relative ease ushered in by technological advancement, we as humans have come to dread the feeling of living together, opting instead for secluded spaces, away from people with differing beliefs and ideas, echo chambers if you call it that.

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We wish to hear what is pleasurable and speak only that which is favorable, and as such, the question of leadership rears its ugly head in light of this all-too-human predicament.

Leadership.

History’s greatest leaders have in the past, recognized the problem that plagued their times and stepped up to proffer solutions for its resolution. From Abraham Lincoln to Winston Churchill, Napoleon, Theodore Roosevelt, and Mahatma Gandhi; tact, wit, diplomacy, and sometimes violent force, have been deployed readily to combat the deadly forces of intolerance, hate, and bigotry that plague several parts of the world.

Their bold and often sacrificial acts of leadership have brought peace in times of crisis, transformation in times of hopelessness, a turnaround when all seemed lost, and a vision when the future seemed bleak. Their leadership could be said to have been strong, kind, or revolutionary, but one thing is certain: their leadership didn’t exist in a vacuum.

Courage.

In the United States where I live, I am often bogged by several questions about how my values, impact the lives of those around me, and the answer I have found to be most consistent in its application is courage.

As an outside spectator of events, courage to me doesn’t mean jumping into the court of judgment and becoming the grand jury regardless of moral imperative. Rather, it means taking responsibility for the happenings of my daily life, small or large to make practical judgments on what is right and what works in every moment; personal responsibility.

Lost Perspective.

Although I cannot claim to identify as a centrist (one who is neither of left-leaning politics nor progressive ideology), I would attest to having lost perspective of how the world “really” works, owing to my largely animated thinking which has made me blind to several biases and their origin stories.

In art school, you’re taught that perspective is defined as the point where two lines meet. Although they both have varying origins, the meeting point brings life to a whole new dimension of meaning and purpose, what was before; unseen and unheard now becomes known and recognized. Although once believed to continue into perpetuity, their meeting ground brings light to the existence of a final destination. A light at the end of a tunnel. A possibility, but also an end.

World Politics, World Economy, Neither and Both.

As an immigrant and as an outsider looking in, regaining perspective is one task I hold dear to myself. Despite being both morally and economically conscious, I believe political consciousness is important to everyone, the reason being that we do not exist in a vacuum.

We are each formed by the stories we tell both of ourselves, the places we come from, and the people we interact with; and the beautiful thing is that these stories matter. Whether you are the 9th draft pick in your NBA class, the runner-up in your Olympic weight class, or the best-graduating student from your Ivy League institution, your story is unique; needs to be told, and needs to be heard.

You don’t need to be President to share your story. But you do need an outlet.

Broken Media.

If you have a smartphone, I am sure you can attest to the discomfort that comes from having a broken screen, a missing button, or worse; a dysfunctional microphone. Over the last few decades, the smartphone has become the single most important invention, for its ability to transmit information at speeds only reachable by newspapers in the decades that preceded its invention.

Like newspapers, the smartphone has served as a means by which leaders and common people air their thoughts and heartfelt opinions to the world to garner support, galvanize crowds, and antagonize dissenting opposition.

From capturing the attempted assassination of the president-elect; Donald Trump, to live-streaming the congressional debates and interviews, the smartphone has become the single most important source of truth to the masses.

But despite its obvious importance, one element ranks even higher on the scale; trust.

Who Can You Trust?

Steady, reliable, truthful, and non-biased sources of information are crucial to the modern-day decision-maker, be it in his/her family or place of work. Although there are just as many sources of information as smartphones, there are even fewer sources of trust, owing largely to the infrequency and relative anonymity of news sources.

Some readers may know me as NERØ, from Screwface Letters on Twitter, and others may know me from LinkedIn, many more may remember me from the BowTiedJungle, I still have some articles on dev.to based on my previous tech background. But after all is said and done, you don’t just trust someone because of their name, professional background, or awards, you trust them because of the consistency of their ideas over time and their willingness to defend those ideas in the light of public scrutiny.

I know I can trust myself to continue writing, come rain or sunshine, I also trust myself to defend the ideas I have previously stated, should they be drawn from decades prior, or till-date; take my smart-but-horny article for instance. Although it has since been removed from its originating domain, the ideas in the article are consistent with my existing beliefs, save for a few alterations.

But in light of the recently concluded elections and the political sentiments that may be drawn from it, several changes had to be made to both the style and delivery of my content, changes I was not too happy to make, but had to out of necessity. Happiness is essential but without accurate knowledge of the facts of events, one is always at risk of jeopardizing future happiness for present comfort. This is why “Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Knowledge” has come to be our mantra here at Screwface Media.

Safety Or Freedom.

I saw a quote on a passing bus as I rode to work on another bus that said, and I paraphrase rather poorly:

Those who choose safety over freedom, will get neither.

Although this quote is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, at the point of its meeting my eyes from where I sat, all I could do was remember the one time I chose safety, over the freedom that came from personal responsibility and boy did that memory strike me in the back like lightning.

As a sovereign nation, the United States provides numerous opportunities for individual advancement for the average individual, and since the inception of the internet, the term “Sovereign Individual” has become a household name for individuals who seek to secure their livelihoods and that of their families by means of the internet.

From internet forums to tech and finance communities, several spaces have been created by individuals to share knowledge on the means of creation and distribution of wealth. From as little as how to get an online job to how to start your first internet company (a dot com). While this will continue to happen, there is only one country where this is made possible with as little friction as is humanly possible; The United States of America.

But despite all its essential freedoms; freedom of speech, freedom of enterprise, and freedom for self-determination; the safety of its citizens remains an essential component on which these freedoms are built. And such safety is provided by the selfless service of courageous military and infantrymen who lay down their lives for the common man.

From World Wars to domestic acts of terror, several individuals choose to be at the forefront of crises so that the lives and property of their friends and family at home may be secured. If given the choice between safety and freedom, I believe any free-thinking person would choose the freedom that allows them to safeguard their own lives and property.

On Bullies and Exceeding Expectations.

To bully the bullies is to become a bully, and no matter how big of a bully you are (or might be) there is always a bigger bully. But to stand and watch as you or your neighbor is being bullied is not only cowardly but harmful to one’s spirit.

It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed
-Theodore Roosevelt.

In our lives and our work, exceeding expectations means winning more awards, bringing home more championships, making more acquaintances, and bringing in more accounts than the next best salesperson, but it also means having higher standards than the next best person, standards which even in the face of defeat, scream victor to the most vanquished competitor, moving him to try one more time, to choose practicality over what is expedient, because what is right is ultimately what works.

As young and enterprising citizens of the free world, we can choose to remain timid and stay in the tight enclaves of our comfortable apartments or we can choose the risk and uncertainty that come from courageous acts.

Conclusion.

As a nation based on community and familial values, the United States radiates a vibrant energy that pulls all those interested in furthering those values and extending its ideals to the extent of their abilities, since its inception as an independent state following the American Revolution, America has not lost that pull.

She may have stumbled on occasion and replaced its values with arcane ones, but I believe it is on the course to regain its foothold on society as the foremost nation in pursuit of freedom and individual liberty.

As a media enterprise, Screwface Media hopes to be at the forefront of this century-long journey of America, to reclaim her spot as the nation that dares to go first where no other country is bold enough to venture. In areas like science and technology, music, finance, fashion, and sports, name it.

She may not be first, but she is the best.