Sunday, August 7, 2011

Today's Question: Why Do Some Believe Known Liars?

3 comments:

  1. I think it's more a matter of "What is trust?" Everyone has lied, so I personally don't care whether a person is a "liar" (just another useless label, in my opinion). If anything, I'm more inclined to trust someone if I seem to agree with them, because I assume anyone could be lying and my trust is predicated not on whether someone would lie to me (anyone could be), but whether what they are actually saying is (in my opinion) correct or incorrect.

    So really, I think a better question is, "Why do people trust so many people who are incorrect?" Whether they're lying or they genuinely believe their bullshit, I only care what someone actually does. Lying is a component of that, but... well, I think I said what I believe.

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  2. Yeah, I guess, Bret. I think for the title I could have said "Why do people continue to believe lying politicians?" I think this question is more in a political context, where people continue to put their trust in a process that gives us "leaders" who say one thing to get elected and then betray that trust once in office (and then tell lie after lie after they're in power, as well). Obama is an obvious example of this.

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  3. The lying isn't the problem, in my opinion. Many great leaders have lied (since all of them have, and some of them are undoubtedly greater than others). I think the simple answer to the problem is to fight corruption. We can't end all collusion between government, religion, business, the rich, etc., but I see those as being the primary cause of the problem, not the politicians themselves.

    I would even go so far as to say the leaders we have might be good enough, if they weren't financially dependent on (and therefore at the beck and call of) wealthy interests which run counter to those that are best for the country.

    But that's why I support extreme campaign finance reform and a government that is openly hostile to the rich. I think the wealthy should never rest easy in a healthy democracy.

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