“It is the state telling you that 2+2=5”
I think you nailed it vv. truth. The real problem then is corruption.
There will always be, in any state, those who adamantly believe that 2+2=5, and there is very little to be done to dissuade them of it. The real problem are those who know that 2+2 does not equal 5, but see personal political or financial advantage to agreeing that it does.
In any problem you must start at the beginning.. you must set your foundational premise.. a point of reference...your must seek a fundamental universal truth to start from
But you first must acknowledge there is such a thing as the truth and discoverable......
As in “we hold these truths to be self-evident”..originally it was written as “we hold these truths as sacred”... religion or reason ... truth is God..or God is truth.. I believe they must be the same...
my argument for atheist that contend they are rational ....then they must have truth and from it reason as their God