In a world where lies are bought and sold,
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Truth commands the highest price.
The urgency of today’s crises have swelled to a fever pitch - American education is shipwrecked, geopolitical tensions cross red lines, and existential questions about technology threaten humanity with either paradise or purgatory. Yet despite all the hand-wringing over ‘polarization,’ little headway has been made in improving the discourse surrounding these issues.
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That’s why we started the Austin Union.
​​The great images of the past have recognized the vital importance of debate; whether it is Jacob wrestling with the angels of God, the heroes of Homer defying divine decree, or the American legacy of critical change through fearless speech - the spirit of adversarial dialogue has been etched into the foundations of our civilization.
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But it is precisely this spirit which is missing in our decisive moment. Today, debate has been relegated to the Twitter warriors, or the comment sections of YouTube videos. Presidential debates are spliced into distorted 15-second clips, allowing politicians to continue talking past each other on platforms abandoned by their detractors. The alternative, long-form podcasting, has left us drowning in a sea of noise and slog. Guests never face down their opposition, and listeners don’t have the bandwidth to digest four hours of meandering conversation.
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Our moment demands something better.
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The Austin Union Society offers just that - a new forum, fortified in the old ways. We believe the truth is out there, that it is vital and urgent. But the way we reach it is not through slow speech and distorted dialogue.
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We believe in truth through debate.
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Entirely student run, we are charged with the ambition and frustration of a generation which cannot accept the conditions of contemporary conversation. The pillars of democracy stand upon the foundation of good debate. Ferocity, conviction, and a ruthless commitment to the truth are the basis of our western civilization. We don’t have to agree on the solutions to our many crises - but we do have to agree they are worth fighting over. The Austin Union Society is the platform for that good fight.
If it is crucial - bring it to the Union. If it counts for something - debate it with us. If the time to act is now - -
Fight with us. Join the Austin Union.
