'Everything is burning': Battles rage outside Kharkiv as Ukraine tries to hold back Russian advance

[Igel]

5. That's the Russian PR.

It's what Putin says.

Some think Putin speaks only the truth.

Some think Putin speaks only the opposite of the truth.

I think neither of the two "somes" can actually think. This is distressing to me.

Here's my view. Putin says what's expedient at the time to suit him and his goals as then perceived--maybe the truth, maybe the opposite of the truth, maybe an ad hoc mix. For him, the truth is irrelevant. Speech acts are a means to manipulate others towards his goal(s), as he, at the time of speaking, thinks will be most advantageous. Now what he says is the unvarnished truth, now what is says is the unvarnished truth flipped pi radians, now it's a mix and tomorrow it's the same mix + pi radians. It's all equally convincing given his mien, intonation, and reception.

Years ago I told a kid playing a game on his cell phone to put his phone away. "I don't have a cell phone." He answered sincerely, given my decades of listening to liars and truthtellers. Not a hint of falsity. I held out my hand. "I told you," he said, "I don't have a cell phone." I took it out of his hands--a violation of policy. "Give me back my cell phone." "I thought you said you didn't have one." "I don't. Never have. Give it back."

I'm told 1% of the population is sociopath or psychopath. I had 160 students that year, and even accounting for some being removed from the student population, odds are I have at least one in my classroom per year.