The Ignoble Lie

Victor Davis Hanson | Oct 28, 2021

In a controversial passage in Plato's "Republic," Socrates introduced the idea of the "noble lie" ("gennaios pseudos"). A majestic fiction, he says, could sometimes serve society by persuading uninformed citizens of something good for them. Ever since, many prevaricators have used the excuse that they lied for the common good.

Take Dr. Anthony Fauci, our point man on the COVID-19 epidemic.

Fauci misled the country about mask-wearing during the pandemic by claiming they were of little use. But he argued that he lied so the public would not make a run on masks, deplete the supply, and thus rob medical professionals of protective equipment.

Fauci also told "noble" lies about the likely percentage of the public needing to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. He kept raising the bar -- from 60 percent to 70 percent to 75 percent to 80 percent, to 85 percent.  Apparently, Fauci feared a lower figure, even if accurate, might lull people into complacency about getting inoculated..............

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has serially lied about the number of undocumented immigrants who have crossed into the United States. He falsely claimed mounted agents were whipping migrants. He fibbed about the purported lack of federal data of apprehensions, detentions, and deportations. His assertion that the border is secure was a joke...............

Former FBI directors Andrew McCabe and James Comey likely misled the nation. McCabe admittedly lied that he did not leak FBI information to the media.......Clapper reverted to the noble lie ........Ditto John Brennan, the former head of the CIA.........Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley lied for day............Lois Lerner.............Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch...........Special counsel Robert Mueller told a whopper under oath............In truth, in most cases there was nothing noble at all in their lying. They simply spread untruths to protect their own endangered careers by masking their own wrongdoing or fobbing it onto others.

In other words, "noble lies" are rarely spun for anyone's interests other than those of the liars themselves.............To Read More...