Saturday, December 29, 2018

Quote of the Day (Joe Koehane, on ‘The Art of the Absurd Lie’)


“The art of the absurd lie rests on the liar’s ability to issue a statement so dumb or outrageous that it cannot be countered by a thinking individual. The intended result is to get you, the deceived, so frustrated and angry that the liar looks sane and forthright in comparison.” —Joe Koehane, “The Inanity Defense,” Boston Magazine, October 2008

The source of this quote is an article from a decade ago. The current political scene, of course, surpasses anything Koehane could ever have imagined then. It’s so obvious where the pollution of truth is primarily coming from that I don’t even have to offer a name, right?

Well, okay, just a hint. It’s the same leader who told the British tabloid The Sun, “You know, a poll just came out that I am the most popular person in the history of the Republican Party. Beating Lincoln. I beat our Honest Abe.”

How fascinating, since polling didn’t even exist when Abraham Lincoln was around. Not that this individual (or--further hint!--"Individual 1") will ever be mentioned in the same breath as "Honest Abe" when it comes to integrity, let alone grace of expression, management of subordinates, or respect for those who disagree with him.

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