Monday, 18 October 2021
Because he was fond of lying
His talent for improvising useful falsehoods is innate; later on, at maturity, he is proud of this; he makes it the index and measure of "political superiority," and "delights in calling to mind one of his uncles who, in his infancy, prognosticated to him that he would govern the world because he was fond of lying."
Hippolyte Taine on Napoleon - The Modern Regime (1890-93)
Have we always been lied to by elites and their minions? I think we have in that they always claim to mediate on our behalf. Essentially they always claim directly or indirectly to mediate between some kind of higher necessity and the lower classes. Even when the lower classes have no power to change anything they still do it and they still lie about what they are doing.
Are some people fond of lying as Taine said of Napoleon? Clearly some people are fond of lying in that they do it and seemingly build a parallel world of some kind via their lies. I’ve known of ordinary people who are said to lie as a matter of course. Something I suspect many people have come across. It isn’t wildly unusual, especially if we include dishonest exaggeration and elaboration.
Lies commonly seem designed to establish some kind of socially superior position from petty one-upmanship to large scale political lying designed to establish and maintain political power.
Is COP26 an elaborate festival of lies? Of course it is, that’s how power games are played. It isn't a game of croquet. We have always been lied to by elites and their minions and it isn’t likely to stop now. Neither is it likely to be thwarted by scientific integrity. Again - integrity is not how the game is played.
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3 comments:
Yes, it's the "higher necessity" aspect which is always involved. "Unless we do this, we'll all be in big trouble".
Now that we've beaten the Germans, the Soviets, poverty, diseases, hunger, and even boredom, we have to be menaced by something which necessitates immediate action and mobilisation.
I just don't seem to be able to recycle enough yogurt pots. They keep wanting more and more.
Some people lie instinctively even when it's hard to see that they can gain by it. The Clintons are often cited as an example. I offer Blair as another.
Some pols are unhappy about lying. I can remember a time early in the Blair government when Gordon Brown felt impelled to lie on the telly - his evident discomfort with it was quite entertaining. They all mislead, of course, all omit things relevant to the subject at hand, but bare-faced lying isn't - or wasn't - all that common. Apart from anything else, you famously need a good memory if you are to get off with lying.
This tale of conspiracy and lying is rather good - the monster in question was LBJ.
https://www.unz.com/runz/american-pravda-remembering-the-liberty/
Sam - I may give up on the yogurt pots and see if global warming suddenly kicks in.
dearieme - I always had the impression that Brown would be a better man with the politics removed while Blair would have nothing left. The Unz link is certainly chilling.
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