It’s What They Do

by Don Boudreaux on August 19, 2011

in Politics, Reality Is Not Optional, Self-deception

Here’s a letter to the Washington Post:

Charles Krauthammer criticizes Pres. Obama for serving Americans nearly three years of lies, half-truths, ruses, and excuses (“Bad luck? Bad faith?” Aug. 19).  These criticisms are justified.  But Mr. Obama is not unique.  Expertise at fraud and passing-the-buck is part of the job description.  As Will Durant noted, “it is a lesson of history that men lie most when they govern states.”

We are destined to suffer the insults and ill-consequences of such deception and excuse-making as long as holding high political office is attractive – which is to say, as long we continue to give such frauds power over our purses and our lives, and to regard the exercise of such power as an honorable occupation.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux

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