Poe’s take on Politics and Honesty

Poe’s back, with blunt force honesty that will make you stop and think- which is why we need writers like Poe in the first place. So hang on-

There’s been a good deal of commentary on TAH lately regarding politics and whether it’s an appropriate topic for the site. For those of you who didn’t see it, I wrote a comment the other day with this quote from Jonn found in the ABOUT THISAINTHELL section on the main page. It’s likely that he wrote it as he was preparing TAH for launch so it should serve as a guideline to us.

We write about issues that matter to combat veterans. We’re known for our work in the Stolen Valor arena, but sometimes we talk about politics, most of us are supporters of Second Amendment rights and we talk about that.

Political discussion here, by necessity, involves politicians and by extension their unfortunate tendency to lie, inspiring comments that we citizens, by implication, are at fault for simply accepting such blatant dishonesty. Other comments advocate a strict observance of a code of brutal honesty; both provoked me to research the topic. Unsurprisingly I found that all societies and cultures lie as a matter of course for a multitude of reasons, some quite honorable such as to spare feelings or to comfort people. For example, even in the military where our academies’ honor codes demand a rigid adherence to honesty, combat commanders groomed by those institutions will write to the spouses or parents of a fallen member of their command that, “Your loved one died instantly and painlessly,” when in fact that young warrior may have died a long and agonizing death. If your homely teenage granddaughter asks, “Grandpa, am I pretty?” are you going to tell her no? Of course not; you’ll lie through your dentures telling her how pretty she is and you’ll feel rightfully proud for doing so. How many of us lie to the doctor about the true number of adult beverages we consume? How many have ever said, “But, but, I’ve only had a couple of beers, officer.” Never puffed up a résumé just a little? I’d wager that’s almost a 100% reality among folks who’ve had to write résumés to gain employment to support their families–a better résumé means a better job and groceries, nicer clothes and perhaps a bigger roof overhead, justifying such minor enhancements.

So lies are considered justifiable in all cultures if their potential for good outweighs the harm that hard, cold truth might bring. In the case of wars and armed conflict, we lie not only to our enemies but frequently to our own people and forces if it is to our tactical or strategic advantage to misinform and misdirect. We start our kids out in life lying to them about Santa Claus and flying reindeer, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy–all done for a good reason, to shelter them from reality and give their young lives pleasure, right? Such well-intentioned fibbing may not be without consequences. My own parents encouraged me in such beliefs beyond when my schoolmates had embraced the reality that parents are the source of all the lucre. When I realized how my folks had been misleading me, it frankly made me wonder what else they, my grandparents and other adults had been telling me that wasn’t so. It engendered a certain youthful skepticism that soon had me questioning that pulpit-pounding preacher who claimed to know intimate details of what occurred following death when he obviously hadn’t been there yet, as had no other supposed authorities on the topic. That suspicion has had lifelong consequences.

Getting back to politicians, they lie in different ways, some relatively harmless, others that can be devastating to their constituents. Exaggerated campaign promises are to be expected because, as others here have observed, pols have to appeal to more than just their core constituents to get elected. If they fail to keep such promises, it’s no surprise, with more disappointment than harm that results. Just as when politicians tell you they have your best interests at heart, it’s a relatively harmless untruth because you’d have to be weapons-grade stupid to believe them.

But when your president looks into a TV camera and tells you can keep your doctor and your health care premiums are going down by $2500 annually when he knows damned well the exact opposite is true, that is truly evil, political lying writ large, affecting personal relationships and imposing financial loss. And if that cool liar and his prevaricating party try to hide behind the “Done for the greater good” argument, the lie becomes even more pernicious because they well knew the harm their actions would cause the existing system, the very outcome they sought in their quest to first financially undermine and destabilize, then socialize our medical industry.

So I find myself in a quandary here, not agreeing with the hardened cynics who steadfastly believe that all politicians are evil, lying jerks but also finding fault with those hardcore advocates of absolute, “Damn the torpedoes” honesty at any cost. Tell you what–how about in the comments all of you tell me you absolutely agree with everything I’ve said here and that you definitely like this piece. You may be lying through your teeth but it sure will make poor Ol’ Poe feel ever so much better about his soapboxing.

Now there’s another example of justifiable lying…

Thanks, Poe. Some things to ponder over morning coffee.

Category: Politics