Lessons on Lying

Though endless...

Here are a few lessons on lying... pertinent for our time...

Lessons on Lying

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Zealots are as likely to believe lies - as stupids.

As a condition characterized by - blind following, blind believing, blind championship - zealotry is a condition no more likely to be characterized by truths - than the condition of stupidity.

Verily - zealotry and stupidity - both - elevate blind loyalties above truths - including the propagation and dissemination of 'actualities' as real as leprechauns sitting atop cauldrons of gold.

- for example - zealots who champion one candidate for political office - are no more likely to believe the truth - as stupids who follow an other candidate for political office -

- such that - both zealots and stupids are blindly loyal to lies - regardless of which candidate for political office either rally -

*

Peddlers of lies - invariably appear otherwise.

The gift of lying - is - the gift of appearing to truth.

That is - lying - is - seeming to truth while lying. 

Such that - peddlers of lies are invariably deceivers who seem 'sincere', 'genuine', 'authentic', etc. - while being anything but 'sincere', 'genuine', 'authentic', etc.

Such that - differentiating between deceivers who pretend to truth and truthers who truth - is less about appearances, including testimonies, that are as easily scripted to seem believable and convincing as scripts of rehearsed fictions that keenly titillate on stages grand and miser - than about:

- what lies within - and - what lies without.

- for example - scripts of authenticity as easily appear to issue forth, from within candidates for political office as without - with respect to inner characters of candidates for political office and public characters of candidates for political office - as well as - with respect to private beliefs of the economy, governance, international relations, etc. and public beliefs of the economy, governance, international relations, etc. -

- regardless of truths - within and without -

*

Insofar as lies cohere societies - lies rampantly thrive with impunity.

Often - lies big and lies small - are compared - 

- as if - size matters.

However - it's not the size of lies that matter - but lies themselves.

- for example - lies of companionship - are roundly reviled as big lies, as well as roundly dismissed as small lies - depending on contexts, nuances, perspectives, etc.

- likewise - lies of accountability.

Moreover - when lies fuel 'actualities' as real as rehearsed fictions - such lies are rewarded 'free passes' to advance 'actualities' as real as Babe the Blue Ox and the Cave of Wonders that flourish unfettered within imaginations of abandon.

- for example - voting matters is a lie propagated and disseminated by stakeholders and profiteers because stakeholders and profiteers gain by lies, including the lie that voting is the exercisement of agency -

- verily selecting candidates for political office - means as little today - as ever -

- (for a multitude of reasons beyond the scope of this post) -

- not least of which - for the following -

The vast majority of laws are inherently arbitrary - (including those laws endorsed and authorized by lawmakers of political office that are no less arbitrary by mere virtue of endorsement and authorization by 'lawmakers' than by endorsement and authorization vis a vis oft vaunted 'precedent' of 'jurisprudence') - for a multitude of reasons -

- verily many laws enacted by lawmakers - inordinately and recklessly - rely - on 'beliefs' of behavior and liability that are not only flagrantly arbitrary (insofar as in so doing the vast majority of laws eschew truths of behavior and liability for 'beliefs') - they are also shamelessly exploitable by accountability avoiders (insofar as such laws leave much to be desired with respect to justness per mutuus et aequum) - regardless of which candidate for political office promises or intends to endorse and authorize whichsoever laws of the land - as elected lawmakers -

- for the fact that the following is true- indicates that no matter which stakeholders and profiteers and candidates for political offices are decision makers and law makers - stakeholders and profiteers and candidates for political office - predictably and indisputably - endorse and authorize laws that serve accountability evasion (inevitably per self interest, as well as per paid interest) (among other 'institutional' interests) - rather than justness -

- case in point -

- one set of laws for those who pay to avoid accountability - and - another set of laws to discourage the 'masses' from 'embracing lawlessness' via public punishment, certain -

- one set of laws for 'the vulnerable' who 'warrant protection' (deemed 'necessary' by patently overt paternalism) who thereby avoid accountability - and - another set of laws to discourage 'advantage taking' by 'brutes' via public punishment, unequivocal -

- one set of laws for 'the compromised' of 'unsound constitution' ('qualified' by 'conditions' that fulfill with artifice what is wanting of verity) who thereby avoid accountability - and - another set of laws to discourage 'deliberate lawlessness' via public punishment, unassailable -

- etc.

Needless to say - believing the lie that stakeholders and profiteers have protected, are protecting, will protect any interests but their own (as accountability avoiders, etc.) - with respect to laws of the land - 

Needless to say - believing the lie that any candidate for political office has instituted, is instituting, will institute (as defenders of accountability evasion, etc.) - just laws that effect mutuus et aequum for all - 

- out of goodness -

- out of sincerity, genuity, authenticity -

- (much less generosity, magnanimity, altruism, patriotism) -

- defies belief - among all - but zealots and stupids.

*

Sadly - that distrust of lies and liars amounts to treason, sedition - irrationality, insanity - etc. - in the minds and hearts of many -

- results in the blind dismissal of care full scrutiny of that which is peddled for blind consumption -

- without rhyme, reason, or whyfor -

- other than blind adherence to lies pretending to truth.

More

It seems of little point to me, to state the obvious -

Nevertheless -

That the obvious is abundantly absent elsewhere -

The obvious is here.

- M.

*

Note

Notwithstanding above -

Let this be crystal clear -

Those who minimize the truths of lessons on lying -

Those who discredit the truths of lessons on lying -

In order to propel agendas of side choosing -

In order to propagandize agendas of side choosing - to the detriment of the truth -

Invariably see not their blind adherence to lies pretending to truth -

For blind loyalty to lies - is endemic and virulent among side choosers - of every side -

- regardless of side - purloined permission, credential, authority - partisan patrony, superiority, condescension - self conceit, righteousness, sanctimony - much less, self ascribed infallibility, unassailable and overweeningly self important - etc.

PERIOD.

*

To the extent that myopia is a necessary condition of side choosing -

- any and all side choosers - who advance side choosing -

- are no less likely to be afflicted by that zealotry and stupidity characterized by aphotic determinism - than zealots and stupids afflicted by the same -

Such that - side choosers -

- of all strides -

- of all stripes -

- of all bells and whistles and lecterns and platforms -

- scaffold the very fictions that buttress the very stages upon which lies are peddled as easily as cures for blindness that cure nothing but that wantonly frivolous condition of riches desperate for lies pretending to truth extolled as ardently from props trotted as token testimonials as from zealots and stupids.

- M.

Honor Built This House

It is my honor to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

... as a creator dedicated to vivo et liber.

It is my privilege to illuminate the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

... as a creator dedicated to mutuus et aequum.

It is my duty to expose the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

... as a creator dedicated to mercy and justice.

Will you join me...

... as a creator too...?

Will you build this house of truth... with me... for all?

Honor Built This House

What honor built...

... dishonor destroyed.

What nobility built...

... greed destroyed.

What truth built...

... lies destroyed.

What we built...

... we destroyed...

... before.

*

The house...

... honor built...

... rested on...

A bedrock of honor and integrity.

A bedrock of caring and kindness.

A bedrock of mercy and understanding.

A bedrock of goodwill and goodwork.

A bedrock of vivo et liber and mutuus et aequum.

*

But I ask you:

Is this bedrock of honor and integrity...

worthless

that you would cast it aside?

Is this bedrock of caring and kindness...

meaningless

that you would abolish it?

Is this bedrock of mercy and understanding...

inconvenient

that you would nullify it?

Is this bedrock of goodwill and goodwork

cowardly

that you would repudiate it?

Is this bedrock of vivo et liber and mutuus et aequum

ignoble

that you would crucify it?

*

Until what would stand...

But a house...

... sans caring and kindness and mercy and understanding and goodwill and goodwork and vivo et liber and mutuus et aequum?

*

A house of dishonor.

A house of greed.

A house of lies.

A house of us.

*

What honor builds...

... dishonor destroys.

What nobility builds...

... greed destroys.

What truth builds...

... lies destroy.

What we build...

... we destroy...

... now.

*

But I ask you:

Will you... as we destroy what honor built...

Will you... as we destroy what nobility built...

Will you... as we destroy what truth built...

Will you... as we destroy what we built with honor, nobility, truth...

... speak no honor...?

... illuminate no nobility...?

... expose no truth...?

*

As creators, one and all, dedicated to vivo et liber and mutuus et aequum and mercy and justice...

... are not all of us...

... who speak no honor, illuminate no nobility, expose no truth...

... building indeed...

... no house of honor, no house of nobility, no house of truth...?

Moreover...

... are not all of us...

... who will destroy what honor built, who will destroy what nobility built, who will destroy what truth built...

... who will cast aside honor and integrity, who will abolish caring and kindness, who will nullify mercy and understanding, who will repudiate goodwill and goodwork, who will crucify vivo et liber and mutuus et aequum... 

... building instead...

... a house of dishonor and greed and lies...

... where once stood a house of truth...?

*

It is my honor, my privilege, my duty...

... to speak, to illuminate, to expose... the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

... to stand... on a bedrock of honor and integrity, caring and kindness, mercy and understanding, goodwill and goodwork, vivo et liber and mutuus et aequum...

... to build this house of truth... in the face of lies, greed, and dishonor.

Will you...

... join me... for all?

Or...

Will you...

... choose sides...

... choose war...

... choose you, you, you...

... until the house honor built...

... is irrevocably destroyed...

... by you, you, you... for you, you, you?

More

Make no mistake...

... there is no side that is the side of honor.

That sides lie... 

That sides proclaim theirs as the side of honor...

... no more makes lies truths than liars truthers by virtue of proclamation and nothing more.

No more than the drip drop of crocodile tears and the tick tock of crocodile hearts...

... make surrogates any more sincere and genuine than stakeholders by virtue of drip drop and tick tock and nothing more.

- M

See also Choosing Sides Is Choosing War (tvfs)

etc.

Translating Pretzel Land

Let's troll Pretzel Land to unravel some scripts that are obfuscating realities for lies, lies, lies.

Shall we?

Translating Pretzel Land

In Pretzel Land there are some terms that are widely bantered. 

These terms assume realities that generate unwarranted conclusions that ultimately fuel scripts that obfuscate realities, if not also truths, for fictions, lies, masques, etc., verily fabrications.

Insofar as these fabrications further agendas to advance interests, these fabrications remain largely unchallenged and predominately believed, despite indiscriminate reliance on assumptions, conclusions, scripts, and realities that may be

in part if not in whole

lies, lies, lies.

*

Caveat

I am not fluent in aggressively asinine.

Nor am I fluent in contemptuous duplicity.

Insofar as dialects of aggressively asinine and contemptuous duplicity dominate Pretzel Land... I recognize that there are limitations to the following endeavor...

Nevertheless... to the extent that that which is lost in translation is offset by the utility of that which is gained... here goes...

*  

undecideds ~

True undecideds ostensibly describe undecideds.

But even among true undecideds, there are decideds.

Including decideds who have decided none of the above.

Needless to say.

Such undecideds are decidedly not undecided.

Moreover.

Among undecideds are untrue undecideds.

Who, for lack of a better word, are deceivers who demonstrate swaying hither and thither.

As if, by virtue of pretensions of undecidedness, such sways legitimize deceptions for the purposes of demonstrating conversions from undecidedness to decidedness.

(Or, more banally, for the purposes of dramatic effect or for the purposes of concocted import of that which is inherently unimportant, etc.)

Notwithstanding that all registered voters are inherently undecideds

Until decisions are officially decided.

Because decisions affirmed no more determine decisions decided, than any of us can predict the future with conclusive certainty.

Because anything can happen between affirming and decided.

Including, changing minds and gasp

changing ballots.

*

polls ~

While there are hundreds of millions of citizens in Pretzel Land

Polls reflect infinitesimally small representations of citizens

As well as infinitesimally small representations of registered voters.

(A number smaller than citizenship per ruthless disenfranchisement.)

Which is to say.

Any assumed mandate of citizens cannot be assumed

Simply per voters.

Because voters are a fraction of citizens.

Moreover.

To the extent that there are untrue undecideds and deceptive undecideds and undecideds that are decided and undecideds that are fickle (a condition that is wholeheartedly fine, despite condemnation otherwise), etc.

Poll respondents are also correspondingly diverse.

Such that polls that polarize responses, for example

That arbitrarily limit respondents to two responses, for example

Achieve polarization

Regardless of whether or not polarization exists.

Often.

Polls that polarize responses that arbitrarily limit respondents to two responses, polarize respondents in order to fabricate scripts.

As if, by virtue of ostensibly 'scientific processes' of 'data collection', such scripts are laundered from illegitimate fabrications to legitimate 'facts' with respect to 'extant polarization'.

Meanwhile.

Voting as a private and solemn affair has devolved into public spectacles vigorously endorsed by stakeholders and surrogates and pop up soap box hucksters from here to Oz.

Likewise.

From polls to focus groups to analyses bloated by the thin air of desperation, the attempt to divine the future, though unrestrained in fervor, remains as futile as ever. 

*

sides ~

Ostensibly sides are sides.

However sides are no more certainly sides than undecideds are certainly undecideds

Without qualifications.

Verily.

Among sides are unsides

That are decidedly not sides

Regardless of side.

That is.

Among every side is any side but and any option but and if these are the only options and if I must choose one side and if my only choice is death or one side and since meteor isn't an option, etc.

Indeed.

That spectacles abound

That polarize us

There are assumptions disseminated by many of us

As to sides being sides or unsides that fuel foundations of sand upon which houses of cards are scaffolded by conclusions of mandates and buttressed by scripts of realities.

As if assumptions of sides being sides or unsides

Are always true and sacrosanct and indisputably inviolable

By virtue of nothing more our say so that assumptions are 'facts'

Whereupon such 'facts' validate agendas that advance interests

That are hardly likely to advance interests of citizens

Much less the truth

So much as the interests of sides playing fast and loose with mutuus et aequum for all.

*

Needless to say, there are far more terms that proliferate the landscape of Pretzel Land than above...

Likewise, there are far more realities that are assumed that generate unwarranted conclusions that ultimately fuel scripts that obfuscate realities, if not also truths, for fictions, lies, masques, etc., verily fabrications that further agendas to advance interests that remain largely unchallenged and predominately believed, despite blatant reliance on assumptions, conclusions, scripts, and realities that may be, in part if not in whole, lies, lies, lies, than above...

Nevertheless, to the extent that the terms above illuminate that scripts can be manipulated and furthermore are fabricated to further agendas to advance interests...

Here's to unraveling obfuscation and exposing transparency in Pretzel Land and beyond.

Addendum

Aside from terms widely bantered, Pretzel Land is also rife with strategems and tactics that obfuscate realities as certainly as terms

Including mischaracterizations and demonizations

By which characterizations of sides, for example

For ballots, for example

Are reduced to caricatures that legitimize distortions for the purposes of mischaracterization and demonization

As well as for the purposes of bloating the import of that which is inherently unimportant, and for the purposes of convenience, generalizations to enhance the dramatic appeal of that which is inherently banal, etc.

That are as utilized by one side as by all sides

For effect beyond the obvious.

Including.

Assumptions of mischaracterizations and demonizations propagated by one side

Disseminated by other sides

In order to legitimize conversions of sides

Without which conversions are less compellingly zealous sans emotional leverage.

In other words.

Defenses of distortions, including mischaracterizations and demonizations, indefensibly rely on fanatical justifications of winning at all costs.

Even at the cost of truths.

Such that honesty and integrity are expendable when sides play to win by repudiating that which is fundamental to fair and just competitions:

Honesty and Integrity.

Needless to say.

The use of emotional leverage to sway decisions hither and thither

Invariably circumvent categorical recognition of truths in plain sight

Often with relentless pressure to succumb to the illogic of extremism and the intolerance of absolutism

In order for one side to win over other sides.

Even as competing so

Elevates dishonor for the sake of sides at the expense of mutuus et aequum for all.

*

Note to Addendum

There is as much to be gained by assuming that sides mischaracterize and demonize others

Even if such assumption is nothing more than assumption.

Likewise.

There is as much to be gained by concluding that such mischaracterization and demonization means realities and actualities

Even if such conclusion is in part or in whole unwarranted.

Moreover.

There is as much to be gained by disseminating scripts that mischaracterize and demonize sides as mischaracterizing and demonizing

Even if such scripts blatantly further agendas that advance interests of sides.

Such that.

Insofar as all sides are profoundly incented to distort realities in order to further agendas that advance interests of sides

Insofar as no tangible reality meaningfully deprives sides of the wherewithal to flagrantly distort realities in order to further agendas that advance interests of sides

It is unlikely that any side

Legitimately embodies honesty and integrity

Much less to a degree deserving of honor

Including honors high and especially honors noble

Of Pretzel Land and beyond.

- M.