August 14, 2025 • 35 mins
This episode explores the iconic motto “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” through the lens of Superman, blending cultural history with moral philosophy. It examines how Superman’s understanding of each pillar—truth, justice, and national ideals—can shape his decisions in complex scenarios. Drawing on Kantian ethics, Aristotelian virtue theory, Rawlsian fairness, Stoic rationalism, Confucian moral leadership, and even Nietzsche’s Übermensch, the document offers rich context and guided prompts for critical debate. It addresses the historical origins of the motto, its Cold War significance, and modern reinterpretations like “Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow.” Scenarios and model answers help listeners explore tensions between universal principles and cultural identity, as well as the moral trade-offs heroes face. This episode encourages deep thinking about ethics, civic responsibility, and how timeless ideals can adapt to contemporary challenges while maintaining their moral integrity.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:32):
Hello America, and good day to our friends around the world.
This is a political talk show. My name is Dennis N. R. Green.
You're listening on maybe the AM dial fourteen ten for WRMN.
Maybe you're listening over on the WRMN radio YouTube page.
(00:53):
You could be watching as well, jumping in on the
conversation over there, or you could be visiting WRMN four
teen ten dot com. Perhaps you've asked a smart snak
speaker about us. Yeah, they know about us too. Again,
thanks for being here. My name is Dennis ONN. R. Green.
I am your host, your proctor, the moderator, whatever you
(01:14):
want to call me based off of I don't know
whatever we're discussing with whom, and I appreciate you being here.
I always do those of you that listen to the
podcast afterwards. I also appreciate you. Apple seems to be
the one that everybody likes, so that's the one I'll
push for everybody. Your smart speaker also knows a political
(01:35):
talk show, I believe as well. If not go over
to Apple you can listen to a couple of different
episodes that are there. One of the biggest ones that
everybody seems to keep going back to is the one
where we talk about hyperbole and what does it mean
and why do we use it? And is it just
in our regular discussion. So go ahead and check that out.
(01:58):
I think today's going to be another fantastic one as well.
We've got another topic that we're going to talk about
that is universal. Now, one of the three pillars that
we are going to talk about may not necessarily be universal,
maybe you know, contingent on us specifically here in the
(02:19):
United States. But we're going to talk about a universal character,
one that spans generations, Ones that we all look up to,
Ones that if when we were in trouble we would
turn to we would ask ourselves, what would Superman do? Yes, yes,
(02:41):
what would Superman do? In this situation? Seem to ask
myself that often what would Superman do? Now? I understand
those who have other beliefs or other things that drive
you towards doing good, or or rather tenants that keep
(03:06):
you steady along that path of good righteousness, and so
I want to talk about one that's more universal. Right,
we all have pop culture that we follow. We all
know about Midichlorians and the light side and the dark side.
We all know about the rules of being a camp
(03:30):
counselor we all know that Mario fights the monarchy, the czar,
if you will. And so what I want to focus
on is what would Superman do in the line of truth, justice,
(03:53):
and the American Way. Now this is a political talk show,
so might as well get a little with it. But
under the framing of the American Way and so just
as ambiguous is that phrase American Way, most philosophers will
tell you the first two are also ambiguous. Truth, justice,
(04:19):
What does justice look like? How long does justice have
to take before it is justice? Truth? White lies? Are
they truth? Embellishments? Are they truth? Or embellishments? So even
us when we put our almost infallible people in front
(04:39):
of us, that say their propaganda and by all means truth, justice,
the American Way, that Superman's propaganda, that's his tagline, just
like Nike has, just do it. It's Pavlovian into finishing
that sentence, truth, Justice, and the American Way. We can
recite this triad almost as if we can recite the
(05:02):
Pledge of Allegiance. As soon as somebody says the Pledge
of Allegiance, you immediately say, of the United States of
America to the United States of America. And so yes,
do we forget about to the republic in which it
stands one nation? Absolutely? But truth, justice, the American Way.
(05:24):
This triad that's here, that's formed, guides us even if
we don't necessarily have a Superman that told us to
do so. And so today we're going to explore the
question what would Superman do? Not just through one or
two moral lenses, but through three, Truth, Justice, and the
(05:49):
American Way. This triad's not just a random slogan, it's
a moral structure for Superman. Each term has its own
philosophical history and moral demands. The three together work with
each other, both vision and tension. Benjamin Franklin worked on
(06:10):
his tenants of being a good person, and he always
realized that even if you had all of the tenants done,
humility would pop up and you would have eventually broken it.
So again, perfection is not a destination. Perfection is a heading.
It's a direction, it's a horizon. And so Superman is
(06:34):
often imagined as their embodiment of truth justice in the
American Way. I mean, have you seen his underwear on
the outside, But really, both in his fictional world and
in hours, truth can conflict with justice, and both can
clash with the American way. And our aim today is
(06:57):
going to be exploring these inner actions, and of course
using Superman as our lens, our straw man, our our
action figure, and we'll think about moral action. What is truth?
Are we looking at the truth of the correspondence theory
where truth matches reality, pragmatic theory where truth is what
(07:20):
works in practice? And so we will break down these
three things because for me, words matter, and the way
that we convey words, the way that we exchange them
help with the exchanging of ideas. You and I don't
(07:40):
have vulcan mind melds where I can fully understand what
you mean. And even then, anybody who doesn't know what
a vulcan mind meld is, you know what a vulcan
mind meld is reaching out. I can feel you and
understands you directly. I don't need words. I don't need
(08:00):
to vibrate organs, push air through sinuses. Yeah, there's a
lot of things that can go wrong just mechanically yet
alone putting the right vibrations out. So today we're going
to talk about that truth, justice, the American way. What
would Superman do have even got some scenarios if you
(08:26):
want to jump in on the chat. We see some
people already showing up over there. We appreciate that jump
in over there. We got Brennan and Jeff. I think
Pat's floating around over there too. But we're going to
take a look at this lens of what is truth?
What is justice? But talk about the American Way all
(08:46):
the time. You can tune into any station tell you
about the American Way. But it's what do these words
mean to us? Wise philosophers before us have told us
that we should stumble over laning these virtues. They should
be complicated, which is why they're complicated. And because they're complicated,
(09:09):
people can use them against us soonar how can they
use words against us? Well? Propaganda in general. We want
the truth, we're seeking justice. We will fight for the
American Way. That sounds fantastic. I'd vote for that, But
how what what is your understanding of truth? What's justice
(09:33):
to you? And so, like most of the episodes here
on a political talk show, I'm not here to tell
you what these things are. I'm just here to lay
out your options. Welcome to the buffet of ideas here today,
ladies and gentlemen, here on a political talk show, Stick
around w RMAN. Welcome back to a political talk show
(10:25):
here on WRMN. My name is Dennis nar Green, and
we are talking about Superman, not just Superman, but his
moral code, truth, justice, and the American way. Superman debuted
(10:47):
Action comics number one. Like I tell people all the time,
if it wasn't the best, it would not be number one. Right, Hey,
I'm going out to get lunch. What do you want?
I'll just get me the number one. We don't know where,
necessarily where I'm going, Well, wherever you go, it'll be
the best. Otherwise they wouldn't put it number one on
(11:08):
the menu. But Superman debuted Action comics number one in
nineteen thirty eight, created by Jerry Siegel Joe Schuster, two
young Jewish American men in the midst of the Great Depression.
His original motto did not include the phrase truth, justice
in the American Way. That addition came later, particularly during
(11:33):
the nineteen forties radio serial The Adventures of Superman. By
World War Two, the motto had become a moral boosting
expression of American identity. Truth as factual honesty and moral integrity,
Justice as fairness and protection of the innocence and the
(11:56):
American Way as the promise of liberty and opportunity. The
Cold War solidified this triad as a cultural weapon against authoritarianism,
contrasting American democratic ideals with perceived deceptions and injustices of
(12:18):
rival systems. But over time, each part of the triad
has been debated, contested, and of course reinterpreted. The truth, justice,
the American Way. My question to you in this part
of it is do you think that Superman's motto should
change the society changes or should remain fixed. We should
(12:42):
keep truth justice in the American Way. Later on Superman
changed it to I believe a better tomorrow. Twenty twenty one,
Superman changed it to that truth, justice and a better tomorrow.
When we talk about the pillars of somebody's virtue, we
(13:03):
use words like truth and even then, let's let's use
different words on this one. The best example support the troops.
How how are you supporting the troops by putting that
sign up? I appreciate that. I appreciate your support of
the of the sign support the troops. I absolutely appreciate
(13:25):
the one on one thank you from people. Every single
time I like to hand out my own because there
are people that have done way, way more in the
military than me and deserve much more than what I receive.
True heroes, right of truth, justice in the American way.
(13:46):
Let's start with truth, coming around almost twenty six after
the hour. Sorry for those of you on the podcast
that don't understand that truth. What is truth? It's truth
the absence of life, ey Well. Correspondence theory tells us
that truth is what matches reality. Statements are true when
(14:07):
they accurately describe the world. For example, if Superman reports
that a bridge is unsafe because it supports our failing,
and it matches the actual condition of the bridge, then
that statement is true under the correspondence theory, I set
a thing a permanent side. I am sitting right. We
(14:29):
always use the uh uh pregnant one, right, you aren't
type of side. Coherence theory of truth. This is where
truth fits consistently within a set of beliefs or a
logical system. Now this is the one that gets a
little bit trickier in Superman's case. If he believes in
(14:51):
the inherent dignity of all people, then the truth he
affirms should align with that broader moral framework. Essentially, if
you believe there are good. There is good in all people,
then you will see that good in all people, and
then therefore you will have that coherence of I see
(15:12):
the good. It is my truth. Pragmatic theory of truth
is when truth is what works in practice. Ideas are
true if they reliably produce beneficial and expected results. For Superman,
revealing the location of an evacuation route is true in
(15:37):
a pragmatic sense if it helps people escape danger successfully.
For Superman, truth often means honesty in action, transparency in motives,
and a refusal to manipulate others, even for a good cause.
But this commitment can create conflict. Telling the truth might
(15:58):
put people in danger, while withholding it might protect them.
For example, exposing a villain's plan too early might give
them a chance to adapt, while concealing certain facts could
prevent harm until the threat is neutralized. I told you
(16:20):
this was a political show, so that truth. Holding on
to the truth is truth more than just the actual truth?
Is it? Also? Timing the truth is a sticky situation.
(16:41):
We think it's cut and dry. What do they say?
There's three three stories, my story, your story, and the truth.
This is where the ambiguity of things come and where
point out the propaganda of things helps us put up
(17:06):
our guard from being manipulated by our own values. So
think about the truth. Should Superman ever lie to protect someone?
If so, when would he do it? You're listening to
a political talk show here on WRMN, and we're asking
(17:29):
the real important questions what would Superman do? Welcome back
(18:09):
to a political talk show on WRMN. Thanks for listening.
On the YouTube side of things, I see people over there,
especially Brandon number one. Dean's already over there as well.
Hey Jeff, welcome back. You can also find the podcast.
(18:32):
Just look for a political talk show in your favorite
podcasting platform. There's lots of them out there, but only
one a political talk show. Thank you very much again
for not only listening but also humoring me. I like
to go off on some of these odd theories in
(18:54):
different vehicles. If you're one of those people that appreciate that,
send me a message. You can send me that through
the text line five zero five nine two six fourteen ten.
Chat for YouTube's open as well, or send me an
email like some of you do. Free speech Friday's coming up.
They gave me some great ideas for a game. Every
(19:16):
once in a while I'll read a letter, So send
that over to Sonar at WRMN fourteen ten dot com.
If you got some news, you send it to news
at WRMIN fourteen ten dot com. I read that too.
I love reading the news. So we're talking about Superman.
And when you think about Superman, you think about truth, justice,
the American Way. But those things all mean something different
(19:40):
to all of us. Now, they're valuable to all of us.
We hold them in high regard, not just for the
nostalgia side of it, but it's a real easy way
to recognize Americans. The Superman has gone global, He's changed
it to a better tomorrow. I mean, he is an
(20:02):
alien here on Earth. I could see his global approach
to everything. Thomas Paine was a citizen of the earth.
Why can't Superman be a citizen of the earth. But
the three pillars of the triad here, truth, justice, the
American Way, even those things aren't one hundred percent set
(20:26):
in stone. They may be for you. You understand justice, you
understand your side of justice, how you understand it. There
may be similar people that understand justice for you as well.
Here in America's justice for all. So if you don't,
if you don't have that view. You're out two out
of three. So let's talk about justice. Justice essentially concerns
(20:52):
the fair distribution of burdens, benefits, the rectification of wrongs,
and the moral treatment of individuals. We can at least
understand of what justice would concern How do we dish
it out? What does justice mean? Ey? Okay, let's go deeper.
But after we understand what justice really concerns, fairness, Right,
(21:16):
who does more dishes? Who got more cupcakes? Who stepped
on my toe? He hit me first? Now I got
to take it down to that low level because when
we talk about justice on a global scale, that gets depressing.
So let's talk about cupcakes. Let's talk about who's washed
(21:37):
the dishes? The dishes three times this week. So they're
not static conditions, but active process of ensuring that people
are treated with fairness and dignity. Philosophical approaches to justice
include a manual kant so you have contient ethics, where
(21:59):
justice means acting according to universal moral rules that all
rational beings could will for themselves. That right, there is
just a fancier way of saying the golden rule me
as a conscious being should treat all other conscious beings
(22:19):
the same way I would want another conscious being treating me.
The Golden rule if you will. Kant puts it as
do everything as if it were universal law. If you
would want any other person in the situation that you
are in right now, what would you want that person
to do? Not necessarily what would Superman do? But what
(22:44):
would you think all people, all beings with a will?
What would you want them to will? The framework of
the Kantean side values consistency, duty, respect for persons. For Superman,
this might mean never harming and innocent, even if it
(23:05):
would achieve a greater goal. It's very nice of you, Superman.
Utilitarianism justice is measured by consequences, the morality and the
right action is the one that produces the greatest overall good.
(23:26):
Superman and a utilitarian mode might interfere in the way
that saves the most lives, even if it means making
a morally uncomfortable trade off. Have you ever talked about
the trolley decisions? A there's a track with a train
(23:50):
on it. You have control of the switch on one
side that the track is going down to has two
people on it. If you pull the lever, it will
move over to another track that has one person on it. Justice,
even in hypotheticals, can get messy. But the utilitarian justice
(24:14):
would that tell you to throw the switch? What would
Superman do? And Rawlsian justice is from John Rawl's political
and ethical philosopher born in the nineteen twenties. For him,
justice requires structuring society so that inequalities work to the
(24:38):
benefit of the least advantaged. Under this lens, Superman would
prioritize defending the vulnerable and ensuring that power and resources
are not concentrated in ways that harm them. Who is
Superman's number one rival? I mean other than a green rock?
(24:58):
Virtue ethics of justice. Justice is a moral habit cultivated
through character and practice, looking at the stoics on this
one and giving others their due part of a balanced
life aimed at human flourishing, where Superman's consistent compassion, courage,
(25:22):
and fairness exemplify justice not as an abstract rule, but
as a lived virtue. For Superman, justice often involves protecting
the powerless, but it also demands moral courage, sometimes requiring
him to break unjust laws, confronting powerful authorities, or reveal
(25:47):
truths that others would prefer to hide. We've done truth,
We've done justice, and now let's talk about the American
way when we come back here on a political talk show.
But I'm going to leave you with a thought. Can
justice be served without truth? Or can truth be told
(26:10):
without justice? Where do we get that due process? Do
we need the tools of truth to carry out justice?
And we come back, maybe the American way is a
way that we can accomplish that. Here on WRMN, listening
(27:00):
to a political talk show on w rm N WRMN
fourteen ten on the AM dial. Those of you that
are driving, please please ten and two. Not just those
I say that over the airwaves. It just picture people
driving live while I say that. But then I realized
(27:23):
that the age that we live in, there's a few
of you that are listening to this, not live but
on the podcast, and I'm still reminding you to do
the same thing. Might as well throw out another on
drinkwater please, Summer's not over yet, Team hydrate. We're talking
about Superman. We all want to be a superman, something
(27:47):
better than MANNIETZSCHEE at least thought so how the regular
man would go extinct? The dumb dumbs that don't believe
in truth, justice in the American way, but truly stand it,
Superman surpasses man. That's why it's super Man. And here
we go when we talk about excellence, well, American excellence,
(28:12):
and people talk about American excellence and in a lot
of hyperbolic way, and they jump into that with this
notion of America being number one. We're number one, and
a lot of things, not the things that you necessarily like.
And I don't need to point it out, but where
I find American exceptionalism is of course in the culture
(28:36):
of let's get it done, the Great Depression and the
hardships that formed the good times of the let's say,
before the two thousands, that American exceptionalism is what got
us through that hard time. It would have absolutely crippled
(28:57):
another nation. We've seen them. We've nations fall, especially in
a global market now cannibalistic capitalism. My goodness, I'm surprised
more countries don't fall. But the American way, truth, justice,
in the American way, of course, I love when people
(29:17):
put the things in the correct order. Truth, of course,
is the most important because without the truth, without being
able to speak the truth, see the truth, recognize the truth,
and agree to the truth, there is no justice. Without
truth and without justice, there is no American way, political liberty, rights, freedoms,
(29:39):
economic opportunity, advancement through effort here in the United States
right the American dream, not just the American way and
the rule of law, where equal legal protection is promised,
and from my point of view, from the civic republican perspective,
(29:59):
these not merely static entitlements, their goods maintained through active,
virtuous participation in public life. Civic republicanism emphasizes freedom as
non domination. Citizens must be free from arbitrary power, whether
from the state or private interests, and this freedom is
(30:21):
sustained only through collective vigilance and engagement. Madison told us
an educated citizenry will always be a free citizenry. I'm
obviously paraphrasing. It's been a while since I've read it.
In this view, the American Way demands that citizens, and
(30:43):
by extension, superman he's a naturalized citizen, arguably DACA, we
all must work to preserve the common good, protect the
republic from corruption, and foster civic virtue in themselves and others.
Economic opportunity and political liberty are valuable not only for
(31:08):
personal gain. I shouldn't be free just so that I
can get as much out of the system as possible.
But we have these liberties because they enable individuals to
contribute and to safeguard the safe governing community. And again
the ideal is complicated all with historical injustices, ongoing injustices,
(31:34):
system injustices. A civic republican requires confronting these injustices head on,
because domination and systemic inequality erode true liberty, they weaken
civic fabric and for Superman, the American Way thus means
(31:56):
upholding democratic values and freedoms while actively resisting corruption, promoting
civic responsibility, and inspiring others to engage in the life
of the republic. And so I ask you this question,
team listener, friend, American is the American Way a fixed
(32:20):
set of values or it is something that evolves with America.
The civic republic is what we put together. We don't
say democracy for which it stands. We don't say authoritarian
for which it stands. We don't say mister president, for
(32:40):
which it stands republic. And so this is where I
want to take some of these things and ask a question.
Let's put Superman in some situations let's maybe play the
villain for a second. A journalist uncovers classified documents proving
a secret government program is illegally spying on citizens. A
(33:06):
criminal group wants to kill the journalists and stop the publication.
What would Superman do well? A truth first, Superman the
truth as absolute transparency. He sees the truth as a
moral duty to reveal the facts in full, and he
ensures that the documents are released publicly, even if that
(33:28):
erodes the government credibility or as a responsible disclosure. He
interrupts or interprets truth as accuracy balanced with prudence. He
might release the information selectively to avoid dangering lives, believing
omission for safety doesn't betray truth, says Superman. Catastrophic election tampering.
(33:58):
Superman uncovers evidence that a major political candidate is using
illegal tactics to suppress voter turnout. If he took truth
as factual integrity, of course, he believes voters must have
complete and immediate access to facts, so he publishes the
evidence before the election, and truth as sustaining trust in institutions,
(34:23):
maybe the American way. He waits until the evidence can
be verified and released through official channels, believing prematurely. The
release could damage faith in democracy. What would Superman do
with alien technology? If he was justice as a benefit
(34:45):
to the least advantage, he would prioritize sharing the tech
quickly with those who need it most. But if he
was justice, as a safeguard against harm, he keeps the
technology secret until all of the safeguards exist. What is truth?
(35:07):
What is justice? What is the American Way? We can
all believe in it, we can all recite it, we
can all follow what Superman would do. But what do
the values tell us to do? Thanks for listening to
a political talk show. Stick around, There's always more
Hello America, and good day to our friends around the world.
This is a political talk show. My name is Dennis N. R. Green.
You're listening on maybe the AM dial fourteen ten for WRMN.
Maybe you're listening over on the WRMN radio YouTube page.
(00:53):
You could be watching as well, jumping in on the
conversation over there, or you could be visiting WRMN four
teen ten dot com. Perhaps you've asked a smart snak
speaker about us. Yeah, they know about us too. Again,
thanks for being here. My name is Dennis ONN. R. Green.
I am your host, your proctor, the moderator, whatever you
(01:14):
want to call me based off of I don't know
whatever we're discussing with whom, and I appreciate you being here.
I always do those of you that listen to the
podcast afterwards. I also appreciate you. Apple seems to be
the one that everybody likes, so that's the one I'll
push for everybody. Your smart speaker also knows a political
(01:35):
talk show, I believe as well. If not go over
to Apple you can listen to a couple of different
episodes that are there. One of the biggest ones that
everybody seems to keep going back to is the one
where we talk about hyperbole and what does it mean
and why do we use it? And is it just
in our regular discussion. So go ahead and check that out.
(01:58):
I think today's going to be another fantastic one as well.
We've got another topic that we're going to talk about
that is universal. Now, one of the three pillars that
we are going to talk about may not necessarily be universal,
maybe you know, contingent on us specifically here in the
(02:19):
United States. But we're going to talk about a universal character,
one that spans generations, Ones that we all look up to,
Ones that if when we were in trouble we would
turn to we would ask ourselves, what would Superman do? Yes, yes,
(02:41):
what would Superman do? In this situation? Seem to ask
myself that often what would Superman do? Now? I understand
those who have other beliefs or other things that drive
you towards doing good, or or rather tenants that keep
(03:06):
you steady along that path of good righteousness, and so
I want to talk about one that's more universal. Right,
we all have pop culture that we follow. We all
know about Midichlorians and the light side and the dark side.
We all know about the rules of being a camp
(03:30):
counselor we all know that Mario fights the monarchy, the czar,
if you will. And so what I want to focus
on is what would Superman do in the line of truth, justice,
(03:53):
and the American Way. Now this is a political talk show,
so might as well get a little with it. But
under the framing of the American Way and so just
as ambiguous is that phrase American Way, most philosophers will
tell you the first two are also ambiguous. Truth, justice,
(04:19):
What does justice look like? How long does justice have
to take before it is justice? Truth? White lies? Are
they truth? Embellishments? Are they truth? Or embellishments? So even
us when we put our almost infallible people in front
(04:39):
of us, that say their propaganda and by all means truth, justice,
the American Way, that Superman's propaganda, that's his tagline, just
like Nike has, just do it. It's Pavlovian into finishing
that sentence, truth, Justice, and the American Way. We can
recite this triad almost as if we can recite the
(05:02):
Pledge of Allegiance. As soon as somebody says the Pledge
of Allegiance, you immediately say, of the United States of
America to the United States of America. And so yes,
do we forget about to the republic in which it
stands one nation? Absolutely? But truth, justice, the American Way.
(05:24):
This triad that's here, that's formed, guides us even if
we don't necessarily have a Superman that told us to
do so. And so today we're going to explore the
question what would Superman do? Not just through one or
two moral lenses, but through three, Truth, Justice, and the
(05:49):
American Way. This triad's not just a random slogan, it's
a moral structure for Superman. Each term has its own
philosophical history and moral demands. The three together work with
each other, both vision and tension. Benjamin Franklin worked on
(06:10):
his tenants of being a good person, and he always
realized that even if you had all of the tenants done,
humility would pop up and you would have eventually broken it.
So again, perfection is not a destination. Perfection is a heading.
It's a direction, it's a horizon. And so Superman is
(06:34):
often imagined as their embodiment of truth justice in the
American Way. I mean, have you seen his underwear on
the outside, But really, both in his fictional world and
in hours, truth can conflict with justice, and both can
clash with the American way. And our aim today is
(06:57):
going to be exploring these inner actions, and of course
using Superman as our lens, our straw man, our our
action figure, and we'll think about moral action. What is truth?
Are we looking at the truth of the correspondence theory
where truth matches reality, pragmatic theory where truth is what
(07:20):
works in practice? And so we will break down these
three things because for me, words matter, and the way
that we convey words, the way that we exchange them
help with the exchanging of ideas. You and I don't
(07:40):
have vulcan mind melds where I can fully understand what
you mean. And even then, anybody who doesn't know what
a vulcan mind meld is, you know what a vulcan
mind meld is reaching out. I can feel you and
understands you directly. I don't need words. I don't need
(08:00):
to vibrate organs, push air through sinuses. Yeah, there's a
lot of things that can go wrong just mechanically yet
alone putting the right vibrations out. So today we're going
to talk about that truth, justice, the American way. What
would Superman do have even got some scenarios if you
(08:26):
want to jump in on the chat. We see some
people already showing up over there. We appreciate that jump
in over there. We got Brennan and Jeff. I think
Pat's floating around over there too. But we're going to
take a look at this lens of what is truth?
What is justice? But talk about the American Way all
(08:46):
the time. You can tune into any station tell you
about the American Way. But it's what do these words
mean to us? Wise philosophers before us have told us
that we should stumble over laning these virtues. They should
be complicated, which is why they're complicated. And because they're complicated,
(09:09):
people can use them against us soonar how can they
use words against us? Well? Propaganda in general. We want
the truth, we're seeking justice. We will fight for the
American Way. That sounds fantastic. I'd vote for that, But
how what what is your understanding of truth? What's justice
(09:33):
to you? And so, like most of the episodes here
on a political talk show, I'm not here to tell
you what these things are. I'm just here to lay
out your options. Welcome to the buffet of ideas here today,
ladies and gentlemen, here on a political talk show, Stick
around w RMAN. Welcome back to a political talk show
(10:25):
here on WRMN. My name is Dennis nar Green, and
we are talking about Superman, not just Superman, but his
moral code, truth, justice, and the American way. Superman debuted
(10:47):
Action comics number one. Like I tell people all the time,
if it wasn't the best, it would not be number one. Right, Hey,
I'm going out to get lunch. What do you want?
I'll just get me the number one. We don't know where,
necessarily where I'm going, Well, wherever you go, it'll be
the best. Otherwise they wouldn't put it number one on
(11:08):
the menu. But Superman debuted Action comics number one in
nineteen thirty eight, created by Jerry Siegel Joe Schuster, two
young Jewish American men in the midst of the Great Depression.
His original motto did not include the phrase truth, justice
in the American Way. That addition came later, particularly during
(11:33):
the nineteen forties radio serial The Adventures of Superman. By
World War Two, the motto had become a moral boosting
expression of American identity. Truth as factual honesty and moral integrity,
Justice as fairness and protection of the innocence and the
(11:56):
American Way as the promise of liberty and opportunity. The
Cold War solidified this triad as a cultural weapon against authoritarianism,
contrasting American democratic ideals with perceived deceptions and injustices of
(12:18):
rival systems. But over time, each part of the triad
has been debated, contested, and of course reinterpreted. The truth, justice,
the American Way. My question to you in this part
of it is do you think that Superman's motto should
change the society changes or should remain fixed. We should
(12:42):
keep truth justice in the American Way. Later on Superman
changed it to I believe a better tomorrow. Twenty twenty one,
Superman changed it to that truth, justice and a better tomorrow.
When we talk about the pillars of somebody's virtue, we
(13:03):
use words like truth and even then, let's let's use
different words on this one. The best example support the troops.
How how are you supporting the troops by putting that
sign up? I appreciate that. I appreciate your support of
the of the sign support the troops. I absolutely appreciate
(13:25):
the one on one thank you from people. Every single
time I like to hand out my own because there
are people that have done way, way more in the
military than me and deserve much more than what I receive.
True heroes, right of truth, justice in the American way.
(13:46):
Let's start with truth, coming around almost twenty six after
the hour. Sorry for those of you on the podcast
that don't understand that truth. What is truth? It's truth
the absence of life, ey Well. Correspondence theory tells us
that truth is what matches reality. Statements are true when
(14:07):
they accurately describe the world. For example, if Superman reports
that a bridge is unsafe because it supports our failing,
and it matches the actual condition of the bridge, then
that statement is true under the correspondence theory, I set
a thing a permanent side. I am sitting right. We
(14:29):
always use the uh uh pregnant one, right, you aren't
type of side. Coherence theory of truth. This is where
truth fits consistently within a set of beliefs or a
logical system. Now this is the one that gets a
little bit trickier in Superman's case. If he believes in
(14:51):
the inherent dignity of all people, then the truth he
affirms should align with that broader moral framework. Essentially, if
you believe there are good. There is good in all people,
then you will see that good in all people, and
then therefore you will have that coherence of I see
(15:12):
the good. It is my truth. Pragmatic theory of truth
is when truth is what works in practice. Ideas are
true if they reliably produce beneficial and expected results. For Superman,
revealing the location of an evacuation route is true in
(15:37):
a pragmatic sense if it helps people escape danger successfully.
For Superman, truth often means honesty in action, transparency in motives,
and a refusal to manipulate others, even for a good cause.
But this commitment can create conflict. Telling the truth might
(15:58):
put people in danger, while withholding it might protect them.
For example, exposing a villain's plan too early might give
them a chance to adapt, while concealing certain facts could
prevent harm until the threat is neutralized. I told you
(16:20):
this was a political show, so that truth. Holding on
to the truth is truth more than just the actual truth?
Is it? Also? Timing the truth is a sticky situation.
(16:41):
We think it's cut and dry. What do they say?
There's three three stories, my story, your story, and the truth.
This is where the ambiguity of things come and where
point out the propaganda of things helps us put up
(17:06):
our guard from being manipulated by our own values. So
think about the truth. Should Superman ever lie to protect someone?
If so, when would he do it? You're listening to
a political talk show here on WRMN, and we're asking
(17:29):
the real important questions what would Superman do? Welcome back
(18:09):
to a political talk show on WRMN. Thanks for listening.
On the YouTube side of things, I see people over there,
especially Brandon number one. Dean's already over there as well.
Hey Jeff, welcome back. You can also find the podcast.
(18:32):
Just look for a political talk show in your favorite
podcasting platform. There's lots of them out there, but only
one a political talk show. Thank you very much again
for not only listening but also humoring me. I like
to go off on some of these odd theories in
(18:54):
different vehicles. If you're one of those people that appreciate that,
send me a message. You can send me that through
the text line five zero five nine two six fourteen ten.
Chat for YouTube's open as well, or send me an
email like some of you do. Free speech Friday's coming up.
They gave me some great ideas for a game. Every
(19:16):
once in a while I'll read a letter, So send
that over to Sonar at WRMN fourteen ten dot com.
If you got some news, you send it to news
at WRMIN fourteen ten dot com. I read that too.
I love reading the news. So we're talking about Superman.
And when you think about Superman, you think about truth, justice,
the American Way. But those things all mean something different
(19:40):
to all of us. Now, they're valuable to all of us.
We hold them in high regard, not just for the
nostalgia side of it, but it's a real easy way
to recognize Americans. The Superman has gone global, He's changed
it to a better tomorrow. I mean, he is an
(20:02):
alien here on Earth. I could see his global approach
to everything. Thomas Paine was a citizen of the earth.
Why can't Superman be a citizen of the earth. But
the three pillars of the triad here, truth, justice, the
American Way, even those things aren't one hundred percent set
(20:26):
in stone. They may be for you. You understand justice, you
understand your side of justice, how you understand it. There
may be similar people that understand justice for you as well.
Here in America's justice for all. So if you don't,
if you don't have that view. You're out two out
of three. So let's talk about justice. Justice essentially concerns
(20:52):
the fair distribution of burdens, benefits, the rectification of wrongs,
and the moral treatment of individuals. We can at least
understand of what justice would concern How do we dish
it out? What does justice mean? Ey? Okay, let's go deeper.
But after we understand what justice really concerns, fairness, Right,
(21:16):
who does more dishes? Who got more cupcakes? Who stepped
on my toe? He hit me first? Now I got
to take it down to that low level because when
we talk about justice on a global scale, that gets depressing.
So let's talk about cupcakes. Let's talk about who's washed
(21:37):
the dishes? The dishes three times this week. So they're
not static conditions, but active process of ensuring that people
are treated with fairness and dignity. Philosophical approaches to justice
include a manual kant so you have contient ethics, where
(21:59):
justice means acting according to universal moral rules that all
rational beings could will for themselves. That right, there is
just a fancier way of saying the golden rule me
as a conscious being should treat all other conscious beings
(22:19):
the same way I would want another conscious being treating me.
The Golden rule if you will. Kant puts it as
do everything as if it were universal law. If you
would want any other person in the situation that you
are in right now, what would you want that person
to do? Not necessarily what would Superman do? But what
(22:44):
would you think all people, all beings with a will?
What would you want them to will? The framework of
the Kantean side values consistency, duty, respect for persons. For Superman,
this might mean never harming and innocent, even if it
(23:05):
would achieve a greater goal. It's very nice of you, Superman.
Utilitarianism justice is measured by consequences, the morality and the
right action is the one that produces the greatest overall good.
(23:26):
Superman and a utilitarian mode might interfere in the way
that saves the most lives, even if it means making
a morally uncomfortable trade off. Have you ever talked about
the trolley decisions? A there's a track with a train
(23:50):
on it. You have control of the switch on one
side that the track is going down to has two
people on it. If you pull the lever, it will
move over to another track that has one person on it. Justice,
even in hypotheticals, can get messy. But the utilitarian justice
(24:14):
would that tell you to throw the switch? What would
Superman do? And Rawlsian justice is from John Rawl's political
and ethical philosopher born in the nineteen twenties. For him,
justice requires structuring society so that inequalities work to the
(24:38):
benefit of the least advantaged. Under this lens, Superman would
prioritize defending the vulnerable and ensuring that power and resources
are not concentrated in ways that harm them. Who is
Superman's number one rival? I mean other than a green rock?
(24:58):
Virtue ethics of justice. Justice is a moral habit cultivated
through character and practice, looking at the stoics on this
one and giving others their due part of a balanced
life aimed at human flourishing, where Superman's consistent compassion, courage,
(25:22):
and fairness exemplify justice not as an abstract rule, but
as a lived virtue. For Superman, justice often involves protecting
the powerless, but it also demands moral courage, sometimes requiring
him to break unjust laws, confronting powerful authorities, or reveal
(25:47):
truths that others would prefer to hide. We've done truth,
We've done justice, and now let's talk about the American
way when we come back here on a political talk show.
But I'm going to leave you with a thought. Can
justice be served without truth? Or can truth be told
(26:10):
without justice? Where do we get that due process? Do
we need the tools of truth to carry out justice?
And we come back, maybe the American way is a
way that we can accomplish that. Here on WRMN, listening
(27:00):
to a political talk show on w rm N WRMN
fourteen ten on the AM dial. Those of you that
are driving, please please ten and two. Not just those
I say that over the airwaves. It just picture people
driving live while I say that. But then I realized
(27:23):
that the age that we live in, there's a few
of you that are listening to this, not live but
on the podcast, and I'm still reminding you to do
the same thing. Might as well throw out another on
drinkwater please, Summer's not over yet, Team hydrate. We're talking
about Superman. We all want to be a superman, something
(27:47):
better than MANNIETZSCHEE at least thought so how the regular
man would go extinct? The dumb dumbs that don't believe
in truth, justice in the American way, but truly stand it,
Superman surpasses man. That's why it's super Man. And here
we go when we talk about excellence, well, American excellence,
(28:12):
and people talk about American excellence and in a lot
of hyperbolic way, and they jump into that with this
notion of America being number one. We're number one, and
a lot of things, not the things that you necessarily like.
And I don't need to point it out, but where
I find American exceptionalism is of course in the culture
(28:36):
of let's get it done, the Great Depression and the
hardships that formed the good times of the let's say,
before the two thousands, that American exceptionalism is what got
us through that hard time. It would have absolutely crippled
(28:57):
another nation. We've seen them. We've nations fall, especially in
a global market now cannibalistic capitalism. My goodness, I'm surprised
more countries don't fall. But the American way, truth, justice,
in the American way, of course, I love when people
(29:17):
put the things in the correct order. Truth, of course,
is the most important because without the truth, without being
able to speak the truth, see the truth, recognize the truth,
and agree to the truth, there is no justice. Without
truth and without justice, there is no American way, political liberty, rights, freedoms,
(29:39):
economic opportunity, advancement through effort here in the United States
right the American dream, not just the American way and
the rule of law, where equal legal protection is promised,
and from my point of view, from the civic republican perspective,
(29:59):
these not merely static entitlements, their goods maintained through active,
virtuous participation in public life. Civic republicanism emphasizes freedom as
non domination. Citizens must be free from arbitrary power, whether
from the state or private interests, and this freedom is
(30:21):
sustained only through collective vigilance and engagement. Madison told us
an educated citizenry will always be a free citizenry. I'm
obviously paraphrasing. It's been a while since I've read it.
In this view, the American Way demands that citizens, and
(30:43):
by extension, superman he's a naturalized citizen, arguably DACA, we
all must work to preserve the common good, protect the
republic from corruption, and foster civic virtue in themselves and others.
Economic opportunity and political liberty are valuable not only for
(31:08):
personal gain. I shouldn't be free just so that I
can get as much out of the system as possible.
But we have these liberties because they enable individuals to
contribute and to safeguard the safe governing community. And again
the ideal is complicated all with historical injustices, ongoing injustices,
(31:34):
system injustices. A civic republican requires confronting these injustices head on,
because domination and systemic inequality erode true liberty, they weaken
civic fabric and for Superman, the American Way thus means
(31:56):
upholding democratic values and freedoms while actively resisting corruption, promoting
civic responsibility, and inspiring others to engage in the life
of the republic. And so I ask you this question,
team listener, friend, American is the American Way a fixed
(32:20):
set of values or it is something that evolves with America.
The civic republic is what we put together. We don't
say democracy for which it stands. We don't say authoritarian
for which it stands. We don't say mister president, for
(32:40):
which it stands republic. And so this is where I
want to take some of these things and ask a question.
Let's put Superman in some situations let's maybe play the
villain for a second. A journalist uncovers classified documents proving
a secret government program is illegally spying on citizens. A
(33:06):
criminal group wants to kill the journalists and stop the publication.
What would Superman do well? A truth first, Superman the
truth as absolute transparency. He sees the truth as a
moral duty to reveal the facts in full, and he
ensures that the documents are released publicly, even if that
(33:28):
erodes the government credibility or as a responsible disclosure. He
interrupts or interprets truth as accuracy balanced with prudence. He
might release the information selectively to avoid dangering lives, believing
omission for safety doesn't betray truth, says Superman. Catastrophic election tampering.
(33:58):
Superman uncovers evidence that a major political candidate is using
illegal tactics to suppress voter turnout. If he took truth
as factual integrity, of course, he believes voters must have
complete and immediate access to facts, so he publishes the
evidence before the election, and truth as sustaining trust in institutions,
(34:23):
maybe the American way. He waits until the evidence can
be verified and released through official channels, believing prematurely. The
release could damage faith in democracy. What would Superman do
with alien technology? If he was justice as a benefit
(34:45):
to the least advantage, he would prioritize sharing the tech
quickly with those who need it most. But if he
was justice, as a safeguard against harm, he keeps the
technology secret until all of the safeguards exist. What is truth?
(35:07):
What is justice? What is the American Way? We can
all believe in it, we can all recite it, we
can all follow what Superman would do. But what do
the values tell us to do? Thanks for listening to
a political talk show. Stick around, There's always more
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