The Ignoble Lie

Townhall.com ^ | October 28, 2021 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Kaslin]

In a controversial passage in Plato's "Republic," Socrates introduced the idea of the "noble lie" ("gennaios pseudos").

A majestic fiction, he says, could sometimes serve society by persuading uninformed citizens of something good for them.

Ever since, many prevaricators have used the excuse that they lied for the common good.

Take Dr. Anthony Fauci, our point man on the COVID-19 epidemic.

Fauci misled the country about mask-wearing during the pandemic by claiming they were of little use. But he argued that he lied so the public would not make a run on masks, deplete the supply, and thus rob medical professionals of protective equipment.

Fauci also told "noble" lies about the likely percentage of the public needing to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. He kept raising the bar -- from 60 percent to 70 percent to 75 percent to 80 percent, to 85 percent.

Apparently, Fauci feared a lower figure, even if accurate, might lull people into complacency about getting inoculated.

Fauci also lied about his own role in routing U.S. aid money to subsidize gain-of-function viral research at the Wuhan virology lab -- the likely birthplace of COVID-19.

Either Fauci was hiding his own culpability, or he believed the American people might not be able to fully accept that some of their own health officials were promoting the sort of research that was partially responsible for more than 700,000 American deaths.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has serially lied about the number of undocumented immigrants who have crossed into the United States. He falsely claimed mounted agents were whipping migrants. He fibbed about the purported lack of federal data of apprehensions, detentions, and deportations. His assertion that the border is secure was a joke.

[nathanbedford]

We have laws against perjury to protect the rule of law in courts.

We have laws against fraudulent misrepresentation to protect the laws of business dealings.

We have laws against misrepresentation on tax returns to protect the national balance sheet, such as it is.

We have laws against lying to the government, for example to the FBI or to Congress to protect our ability to govern.

But we have no laws against government lying to the public, why, to protect the careers of the elite?

When the government lies it is nothing less than a coup by power elites to undermine democracy, to render the public incapable of self-government.

There is your real insurrection.

[SaveFerris]

“Two weeks to flatten the curve”

18+ months ago....................

[Lurker]

“But we have no laws against government lying to the public,”

If we lie to them it’s a Felony. If they lie to us it’s politics.

Seems fair.

L

[ridesthemiles]

When Fauci is hanging from a public post & left there to rot, I will celebrate.

[Texas Fossil]

Bump

Restore the Constitution!⇓Size _DC!