INTENTIONAL LYING

“They were lying, and they knew it!”

Have you heard anyone say something like, “They were lying, and they knew it?”

Sure you have, and the most recent time was probably not that long ago. I hear it constantly, but why?

In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson on the Glenn Beck show, Tucker talked about how so many Democrats and Republicans have lied to us about what happened at the Capital on January 6th, 2021. He stressed that they knew they were lying.

Is it because Tucker doesn’t know the definition of a lie?

Lie: to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive. Merriam Webster

The definition of a lie includes the condition that there is, "intent to deceive.” It would be impossible not to know it was untrue. That’s what makes it a lie.

How did we get to the point that people think they need to point out that liars know that their lies are untrue?

I remember when many were claiming that George Bush lied when he said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

At the time it was common knowledge that US intelligence agencies had briefed the President that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and foreign allies had briefed the President that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Pretty much everyone that was supposed to know anything about it was certain that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, so how is it that we are to believe that Bush was lying? How could he be lying, (according to the definition of the word,) if all evidence pointed to what he was alleging?

I believe that this may have been the beginning of the deconstruction of the concept of a “lie.” Since everyone has been convinced that Bush lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, yet everyone believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction at the time, surely if we want everyone to know what we mean when we accuse someone of lying, we must make sure that they knew that it was a lie when they said it.

In truth, it is not a lie to say something that is incorrect, unless you know that it is incorrect, and are seeking to deceive.

What might be the danger in this situation? Is it not the ambiguity that is introduced into the use of plain language? How can we be expected to communicate effectively when we are uncertain about the meaning of the words that we use, or that others use in their communications?

Are we going to continue letting the enemies of liberty destroy everything, including the American language?

I think that this is dangerous. We can keep “being nice” while they undermine, and destroy everything that we depend on, or we can become courageous, and recognize the forces of darkness as they attack the pillars of our society.

We don’t have to be mean about it, but we must begin being intentional about it. They will likely accuse us of being mean, but can’t we just confidently reject their criticisms, honestly, and forcefully?

Failing to do so will cede victory to those that hope to destroy our nation’s foundation.

“No lie,” “I’m not kidding,” “not a joke, “for real.”

Some lies are self-evident.

God bless you, Dave

“Duty is ours, results are God’s” John Quincy Adams