why is lying acceptable from both politicians and our government?

[reddread]

would you expect or offer the same exoneration for yourself or your family members?
This is much more than the subtext of what ardent unquestioning supporters of all things
official imply.

Even if peace of mind for disengaged citizens hinged upon it,
why would anyone allow that sort of falsely pacified apathy to
impact others?

to me, that is raping the social contract.
but then that bull left the barn a while back.

[Dont call me Shirley]

1. K & R x 1,000,000

When a child is caught lying and experiences the consequences that is supposed to teach them not to tell lies.

Sociopaths, on the other hand, when caught lying use this as a lesson in how to lie even more so they do not get caught. And if they do get caught they lie even more to get out of paying the consequences. This is what has happened to our politicians, our government and our business leaders.

[darkangel218]

3. +1

[Autumn]

2. Because we teach our politicians it's acceptable to lie. There are no consequences.

As long as we reward the for their lies they will lie. It doesn't matter if they lie, they know we will vote for them anyway.

[think]

5. Yep. The only consequences for lying are rewards like corporate lobbying jobs

Lying is very profitable....

[malthaussen]

4. I asked that question a while back...

... still waiting for a satisfactory response. Why did and do so many supporters of the President think he is "playing 11-dimension chess," suggesting things he has no desire to enact, and, in short, lying to the Congress and the people -- and this is a good, even clever thing?

-- Mal

[seabeyond]

13. no more so than to believe really, sanders is above politics. illusions we create, for our wants. nt

[Orsino]

6. Lying is how we get along with people in everyday life.

Money skews our agendas in unfriendly directions, though, and the lies have to get waaaaay bigger.

[reddread]

7. like hell

but then I always say, nobody ever made any money telling the truth.

[Orsino]

8. +1 n/t

[jeff47]

10. There's some lightweight lying in much of our everyday life.

When a clerk at the grocery store asks you "How are you doing today?", are you really going to go into what's happening in your personal life, or are you going to say "Fine"?

If you say "Fine, and you?", are you really expecting that clerk to talk about how she's exhausted and hates her job and her boss is always hitting on her in a really creepy way but she needs the paycheck to pay her rent and feed her kid who's just not doing that well at school but she doesn't have enough time to help with his homework because of working two jobs? Or are you going to get "I'm doing OK."?

We do a little lying every day to smooth out social interactions. But those lies are also inconsequential - neither you nor the clerk really want the gory details about the other person's life.

Now, lying in politics is a different beast, since it is much more consequential.

[jeff47]

9. Because it faces no consequences.

Lie to get elected, and you will still get reelected.

[The2ndWheel]

11. Because it's impossible to represent the amount of people they both represent

Whether it's over 300 million, or a few million, or a few hundred thousand, there's no one person, or one entity that can actually represent everyone's interests.

[reddread]

18. people?

they represent money. or "people" with money.

[seabeyond]

12. "to me, that is raping the social contract." there was intent in this statement. it was to offend

who is the honest one? who walks the high road? do tell!

[reddread]

14. wtf?

tipping over the precipice of my ignore list.
theeeeerrree she goooooes!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. "History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians

"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians. Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn't be wise." Mark Twain

"The government of my country snubs honest simplicity, but fondles artistic villainy, and I think I might have developed into a very capable pickpocket if I had remained in the public service a year or two."

Mark Twain

[JEB]

21. Excellent quotes from an American truth teller.

Thanks.

[bigwillq]

16. Little accountability, high rate of incumbents being re-elected

even when they are corrupt, the system is rigged through greed and poor campaign finance laws. Campaigns are owed and operated by the 1% and elite to guarantee their guy or gal is elected.

[reddread]

17. if only RICO applied to the real racketeers

we have so many great things on paper,
and nothing in practice.

[jwirr]

19. First I need to say that I think it should not be acceptable. But we have been building up to this

for many years. I remember seeing letters sent from WWII soldiers that were almost totally redacted so that information about the war would not get out. Likewise in the Korean war my uncle would outright tell us that he could not talk about what he was doing. These type of "lies" were meant to protect the troops and they were accepted.

In the 70s I was riding on a bus - setting in front of two MBA students who were talking about a business class about "when it was okay to lie". Their whole discussion was absolutely pro-lying. So in the business world lying was already being accepted for profit.

And then along comes raygun. There was so much lying in his administration that it is now okay for politicians to lie.

In the 1980s what was once our moral code was totally turned upside down. And the corruption we see in a great deal of areas is the result.

[Binkie The Clown]

20. One reason: The media refuses to call a lie a lie. n/t