The Art of the Lie

During trump’s first run as president, most people of reason called it what it was. This man was a big liar, telling whoppers at the drop of a hat. The media tried to maintain decorum and deference afforded to presidents by using all kinds of euphemisms. After 45 told over 30,000 lies, most of the media got comfortable with calling trump the liar that he is.

A U.S. president telling lies is not a new phenomenon. They all lie. They’ve all told atrocious lies, deadly lies. The man in the White House has taken the art of lying to new depths. His pathological lying is contagious and has infected his cabinet and other key advisors. They all have learned the art of looking into the television camera and telling a bold-face lie. They can tell another lie that contradicts the previous lie without blinking an eye.

Pathological lying is a condition. Some psychologists say this compulsive behavior is inherent with no known cure until one gets to the root of the lying. In trump’s case, it plays into his deviant plan to confuse and dominate.

This is a trait of dictators. The dizzying rapid fire of lies creates a vacuum of original thoughts. When these lies are delivered in an echo chamber, they persist and replicate in clownish ways. Told long and convincing enough, people will soon believe that diversity is harmful, that global warming is a hoax, and that history must be rewritten through the eyes of white colonizers.

Authoritarian governments not only keep people wed to a parallel reality, they also make truth the enemy. Anyone countering the narrative will be discredited and criminalized. Hiding the truth and creating a new reality allows these extremists to carry out all kinds of evil with the blessings of their constituents.

Adolf Hitler was a master of deception and manipulation. His success with Nazism in Germany was due to a winning formula. He created chaos and exploited mass dissatisfaction, particularly with the economy. Hitler carried out a sophisticated grassroots campaign of racist propaganda. He persuaded Germans that the previous administration did not have their interests at heart and that a new kind of government was necessary. He promised to make Germany great again by asserting its economic, political and military powers. He cultivated the nationalistic sentiments of Germans and captivated their loyalty. Sounding familiar?

The Fuhrer targeted different sectors of society with customized promises. He promised workers full employment. To secure the support of the business sector, Hitler promised them lucrative contracts with the state. The majority of Germans embraced the bankrupt ideology, not even aware of the genocide of Jews taking place right under their noses.

Since trump has a deep fascination with dictators, we should not be surprised that he is taking several pages from Hitler’s manifesto, Mein Kampf. The 34-count felon was able to persuade over 77 million people to vote for him in 2024. It was an impressive coup for a man who lacks knowledge about government, history, geography, culture, science and just any relevant subject except greed and power.

Two things can stop the authoritarian rise in this country. One is disseminating a powerful narrative of truth-telling to counter the disinformation and lies. Truth to a dictator is like sunlight to a vampire. That is why it must be crushed, twisted, and demonized until it is unrecognizable. Critical thinking is perceived as dangerous to the empire and must be stopped. A free and independent press must be protected, along with the rights of free speech.

The other thing is organized opposition that promotes the truth narrative and empowers the people to be fearless defenders of liberty and democracy. People must not be reduced to scratching out their daily survival while the MAGA minions loot the treasury and destroy civil society.

The bullying tactics of trump is pushing any opposition out of electoral politics. His threats of retribution have university leaders bowing down to his demands. He is able to release physical and political pain on the Democrats on a frequent basis. This delusional man has the courts and military at his bidding. He is the U.S. Fuhrer. Until we who believe in freedom say he is not.