There is no accountability. In all other professions, those that lie are fired. In politics it appears you are often rewarded. (And this cuts across both parties). We have a broken system. The covenant between voters and their elected officials is permanently fractured. A key ingredient missing is Trust. This must be restored.
Politicians and Lying
- Thread starter toastedbread
- Start date
Not exactly. Journalists have a constitutional right to lie about people and events. They just can’t do it with malice toward an individual. But if a journalist wants to lie about whether tax reform helps the rich, or whether immigration doesn’t cost some people their jobs, or whether polar bears are going extinct, they are free to do so. They might even receive a Pulitzer.
The few journalists who are disciplined for this only receive discipline if their employer has another interest to protect besides the truth—like advertising revenue, ratings, and clicks.
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Fair. I was attempting to refer to jobs where you clock in and out each day. The typical job where lying about something pertinent to the job gets you fired. Not where lying is part of the job description.
I remember some people that "couldn't" vote for Hillary saying it was because they would have been fired if they had done with their emails what she had. I can't imagine a single job that Trump wouldn't have been fired from months ago, except for the one he had. The fact that he paid to cover up sex with a porn star is barely a blip on the radar for him. Yet how many politicians have been taken down by sex scandals?
I’d say the ratio of those politicians who were taken down compared to those who engaged in scandalous behavior is in the single digits.
The following describes a pathological liar. Can we think of a national figure who fits this description?
Some pathological liars may enjoy the attention that they get from others by telling extravagant stories about themselves. In order to keep up appearances, they may spin larger and more complicated lies.
When journalists and others report information with which we disagree are they liars, or just people seeing things from a different perspective?
Some pathological liars may enjoy the attention that they get from others by telling extravagant stories about themselves. In order to keep up appearances, they may spin larger and more complicated lies.
When journalists and others report information with which we disagree are they liars, or just people seeing things from a different perspective?
I don’t think a lying pathology is bragging. Hell, every young man who talks about sex, or every old man who talks about fishing is a pathological liar in that sense. Nor do I think a pathological liar is one whose memory is lie. They might think their memory is accurate.
A pathological liar is one who routinely lies and misrepresents things for a distinct advantage. Bernie Madoff is an example. I think Hillary is an example but reasonable minds can differ about her.
Agreed, but once it is reported , they usually are forced to resign. Except for Teflon Trump. Paid to quiet 3 porn stars now, right before the election , no big deal. Double digit women accusing him of sexual harassment, everyone else in politics forced out, no big deal. Because he "prays " with "Christian" leaders it's all ok according to the evangelicals that didn't approve of Michelle wearing a sleeveless dress.
Also Teflon John Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, FDR, for sure none of whom were forced to resign and many more subject to rumors. To be sure, there are a few smaller fish taken down.
