[From article]
Americans are queer for liars. We just love them. If that were not so, then we wouldn’t constantly be electing the most mendacious candidates to the highest political offices. And when we discover that we’ve been lied to by some squalid politician, we’d be a whole helluva lot less forgiving. But to understand “our thing” for liars, we must first understand what a lie is.
[. . .]
For the political class, lying to the public is no big deal, as they’re rarely held accountable. The political class has their apologists in the media who tell us that “everybody lies about sex,” and that “they all do it.” The media seems to be trying to condition the American people into accepting lying by politicians in high places.
[. . .]
The media can’t resist a bravura performance by a master liar.[. . .]
During the Anthony Weiner scandal, MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell expressed incredulity (video) that an elected official would have to resign because of lying. Given his position on lying, why believe O’Donnell about anything?
As for who is the more accomplished liar, Clinton or Obama, I’d have to give the gold medal to Obama.
[. . .]
For the political class, lying to the public is no big deal, as they’re rarely held accountable. The political class has their apologists in the media who tell us that “everybody lies about sex,” and that “they all do it.” The media seems to be trying to condition the American people into accepting lying by politicians in high places.
[. . .]
The media can’t resist a bravura performance by a master liar.[. . .]
During the Anthony Weiner scandal, MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell expressed incredulity (video) that an elected official would have to resign because of lying. Given his position on lying, why believe O’Donnell about anything?
As for who is the more accomplished liar, Clinton or Obama, I’d have to give the gold medal to Obama.
[. . .]
Of course, neither one of them has any shame, but lying seems to come more naturally to Obama. Lying is Obama’s default position, his first refuge; it’s his go-to response:
[. . .]
The problem for serial liars is that eventually they run out of an essential capital -- credibility. Once the liar’s credibility is used up, he’s done. The question for those who still support Barack Hussein Obama is why do they believe anything he says? If he lied about that, he’ll lie about this. Is it rational to believe Obama when he says Iran will not get nukes?
[. . .]
Americans are “queer for liars” only in high places. (Even the boorish Lawrence O’Donnell can get quite worked up about lying when the person he accuses isn’t an elected official.) Although they may give politicians a pass on lying, in their dealings with everybody else, Americans despise lying. In business, commerce, and with family and friends, Americans demand the truth. When you discover that your spouse or business partner has lied to you, it’s a big deal, a betrayal, nothing is the same thereafter. But when some scoundrel in D.C. lies to you, you let it pass.
Americans have it exactly wrong on liars in high places. We should hold government officials to (at least) the same standards regarding the truth as we do everyone else. What can one say about a people, a nation, who tolerates abject lying in their leaders?
Of course, neither one of them has any shame, but lying seems to come more naturally to Obama. Lying is Obama’s default position, his first refuge; it’s his go-to response:
[. . .]
The problem for serial liars is that eventually they run out of an essential capital -- credibility. Once the liar’s credibility is used up, he’s done. The question for those who still support Barack Hussein Obama is why do they believe anything he says? If he lied about that, he’ll lie about this. Is it rational to believe Obama when he says Iran will not get nukes?
[. . .]
Americans are “queer for liars” only in high places. (Even the boorish Lawrence O’Donnell can get quite worked up about lying when the person he accuses isn’t an elected official.) Although they may give politicians a pass on lying, in their dealings with everybody else, Americans despise lying. In business, commerce, and with family and friends, Americans demand the truth. When you discover that your spouse or business partner has lied to you, it’s a big deal, a betrayal, nothing is the same thereafter. But when some scoundrel in D.C. lies to you, you let it pass.
Americans have it exactly wrong on liars in high places. We should hold government officials to (at least) the same standards regarding the truth as we do everyone else. What can one say about a people, a nation, who tolerates abject lying in their leaders?
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/04/liars_in_high_places.html
April 10, 2015
Liars in High Places
By Jon N. Hall
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