TST Trainer

WWB Story Mode

~ 8 minute audio walk.

Our Time:

1950 to current issues.

Story mode.

Eight key ideas and takeaways.

1. Our first story.

From History: 1903 to 1950, aged 46..
Subject: Orwellian Thought.
Orwellian Thought
George Orwell wrote about how corruption starts when language is twisted, facts are manipulated, and authority demands loyalty over reality.

So, to put it simply.

Born Eric Arthur Blair in British India, George Orwell wrote in English about how corruption starts when language is twisted, facts are manipulated, and authority demands loyalty over reality.


That Our Time Story, 

was first published on TST 1 month ago.

2. Now for our second story.

From History: 6 Dec 1865.
Subject: Constitution.
After the Civil War, the 13th Amendment ended slavery as a legal institution in the United States.

What matters here is this.

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, but it left one major exception: forced labor could still be used as punishment for a crime after conviction. That exception mattered. It ended chattel slavery, yet it also left a legal opening that shaped prison labor and later systems of coercion. Today we sill have forced prison labor including chain gangs.


That Our Time Story, 

was first published on TST 5 years ago.

3. Tidbit number three, a quote.

Subject: Social Constructs.
Five Thought Tools < TST Framework < Critical Thinking

Put simply.

A Social Construct is a shared non-natural belief; created and maintained by groups; and they shape reality.


That Our Time Quote, 

was first published on TST 1 year ago.

4. Tidbit number four, another quote.

From History: .
Subject: Authority.
Power compels by force and coercian; legitimate authority has no need for either.

Stepping back for a moment.

By distinguishing power from authority, Weber showed that modern systems govern through legitimacy rather than force. When legitimacy is no longer anchored to truth and accountability, authority does not disappear: it hardens into authoritarianism.


That Our Time Quote, 

was first published on TST 3 months ago.

 

Finally, 4 frequently asked “questions.” 

5. Now it is time a question.

Subject: Law Enforcement.
Law loses its legitimacy when enforcement exceeds the crime.

What matters here is this.

Law exists to protect human life, not override it. When enforcement becomes more violent than the crime it claims to address, law collapses into brutality. Proportionality is not a technical detail—it is the moral boundary that separates justice from cruelty, and restraint from tyranny.


That Our Time Essay, 

was first published on TST 3 months ago.

6. Tidbit FAQ number six.

Subject: Immigration.
Immigrants, including the undocumented, consistently contribute to a lower—not higher—crime rate.

So, to put it simply.

The belief that border problems drive crime collapses under evidence. Decades of data show undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit violent or property crimes than native-born citizens. The deeper lesson is ethical as much as empirical: fear-based narratives persist when anecdotes replace data—and when anxiety substitutes for understanding.


That Our Time FAQ, 

was first published on TST 2 years ago.

7. Here is another tidbit FAQ.

Subject: Appeal to Fear Fallacy.
When information causes you fear, remember, fear itself will cloud your judgement.

At its core.

Invalid fear-based arguments are effective because fear grabs your attention, and narrows your focus. It pushes you to react before you fully evaluate the evidence. When you feel threatened, you become more willing to accept weak reasoning, espeically when it promises safety. When fear sets in, slow your reaction. Ask whether the fear is real, exaggerated. It is being used to manipulate you.


That Our Time FAQ, 

was first published on TST 2 years ago.

8. Moving onto our last tidbit FAQ.

Subject: Worldview.
People do not hold political views equally. Some beliefs sit at the outer rim and can bend when events change. Others sit at the core of identity.

Put simply.

A worldview is not a flat thing. It has a core that resists and an outer rim that can bend. The struggle between the two is often where growth begins. When politics stays at the outer rim, people adjust. When it reaches the core, they pause. And sometimes, that pause says more than words ever could.


That Our Time Essay, 

was first published on TST 1 month ago.

“Done.” 
Think of tidbits as intellectual scaffolding: modest on their own, essential to the strength of the whole.
By keeping editions identifiable and research reusable, the project remains coherent even as its thinking evolves.
Refresh for another set.  
TST Trainer
(c) 2025-2026 TouchstoneTruth.
Writing and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
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