Polygraph Hypocrisy

Washington Post ^ | Friday, August 9, 2002 | Alan P. Zelicoff

[woofie]

Last month Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, ranking Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, set about investigating an apparent congressional leak. It involved a National Security Agency intercept of a telephone conversation in Arabic conducted on Sept. 10, 2001, and proclaiming that the following day was to be "zero hour."

Unable to find the source of the leak themselves, the chairmen of the House and Senate intelligence committees, Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.) and Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.), asked the FBI for assistance, pledging the full cooperation of committee members and their staffs.

And that is what the FBI was getting -- until the FBI took a step that is pretty much routine in investigations of this kind: It requested that certain key figures take polygraph examination -- in this case members of Congress. They refused.

[woofie]

late night bump

[Libertarianize the GOP]

bump

[Fishing-guy]

Polygraph results are interpreted by human beings, hence they are subject to manipulation.

The hypocrisy is that while forcing others to do polygraphs (potentially ruining their careers), the senators refused to be subjected to polygraphs themselves.

[BlackbirdSST]

the senators refused to be subjected to polygraphs themselves.Or random piss test!!! Blackbird.

[dcwusmc]

Hey, don't jump on the Congress. Why they aren't subject to the same laws we are, remember? They exempt themselves from the laws they pass for the rest of us. So don't be so mean-spirited to them... the morons!

[metesky]

Polygraph results are interpreted by human beings, hence they are subject to manipulation.

Let's face it, it must be pretty easy to manipulate results that are essentially meaningless anyway.

[George Maschke]

Let's face it, it must be pretty easy to manipulate results that are essentially meaningless anyway.

Polygraph "tests" are easily manipulated -- by either the examiner or the examinee. You'll find a detailed expose of the chicanery that's involved, as well as a thorough explanation of how to pass -- or beat -- the polygraph, in AntiPolygraph.org's e-book, The Lie Behind the Lie Detector (738 kb PDF):

http://antipolygraph.org/lie-behind-the-lie-detector.pdf

[mewzilla]

The point I'd like to make doesn't involve the accuracy of polygraphy. It's that the Senators thought that it was okay to polygraph everyone else, but not them. Not to mention the fact that the Senators' attitude pretty much tells us who the leaker/s is/are.

[metesky]

Thanks, George, I've had that site bookmarked for quite a while now, but I'll give a bump for others that don't realize the falsity of this "science".

Getting stuff like this out into the atmosphere is what's important.

[Sonny M]

I remember when there was talk about FBI spys and Robert Hansen,, the media kept pushing for lie detector tests for the agents among other things. One former FBI agent on some news network laughed about it. These guys can teach and train you in how to lie on these tests and get away with it.I have no doubt that any politician, if given time, can easily lie and manipulate a lie detector test, just look at Gary Condit.

[Wolfie]

Wanna really see them blow a gasket? Ask them to submit to random drug testing.

[George Maschke]

Getting stuff like this out into the atmosphere is what's important.

Agreed. The polygraph is one of the most successful quack devices of all times and has become quite entrenched in popular mythology. Most people quickly outgrow their belief in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, and leprechauns, but belief in the "lie detector" persists.

[George Maschke]

I concur. Dr. Zelicoff's point about the hypocrisy of these senators is very well taken. Polygraphs are for the ruled, not for the rulers.

[George Maschke]

To learn how to beat a lie detector "test," see Chapters 3 & 4 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector. It's a quick read. Within an hour, you'll know how to beat the polygraph. This information is spreading rapidly among those in the federal government who (unlike the Lords and Ladies of Congress) are required to submit to these asinine tests.

[gunnedah]

This is SOP for government and thier organizations.I requested that South Carolinas DPS afford me the right to defend myself from a lie,charade and a cover up.I requested to take a polygraph and be allowed to defend my name and reputation.They refused and used their power,influence and court system to turn me down and keep me quite.To say the least after 8 years of following their rules,regulations and policies they still are intent on keeping me quite and covering for their director and his botched or covered up investigation.An ordinary citizen no longer has the right to defend himself in South Carolina.
So says the South Carolina Supreme Court at the behest of The South Carolina Association of Broadcasters and the South Carolin Press Association. They can overpower me and may could have me killed but I am not going to give up until my name is cleared or I die,whichever comes first.

[gaspar]

If you die, don't go quitely.

[woofie]

This is on Drudge

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Many innocent people have had their lives and careers ruined by thoughtless interrogation initiated during randomized or otherwise misused polygraphy: David King, a 20-year Navy veteran, was held in prison for nearly a year and a half and subjected to multiple polygraphs, some lasting as long as 19 hours. Mark Mullah, a career FBI agent, was the subject of a massive nighttime surprise search of his home, followed by a review of every financial record, appointment book, personal calendar, daily "to-do" list, personal diary and piece of correspondence that he had -- all as a result of a "positive" polygraph test. Nothing was ever proved, and his FBI badge was restored, but his career was destroyed, and he was never again above suspicion -- all because a polygrapher with 10 weeks of training asserted that he lied. In most states, barbers must have 26 weeks of training before earning a license to cut hair.

"I am from the gub'mint, and I am here to he'p you."