[ExI] Justifiable Lies

[spike]

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of John Clark
Subject: [ExI] Justifiable Lies

 

>…In 1996 a novel came out called "Primary Colors" … "Joe Klein". He was asked if he had written it and he flat out said "No, I did not write Primary Colors"…

 

{8^D  I loooooove Primary Colors, both the movie and the book.  So dark, yet so funny, and so insightful.  

 

John, Klein’s comment was a classic “is-is.”  Joe Klein wrote that book under a different title.  The publisher, in a half-hearted attempt to conceal his identity (or perhaps as a little joke) changed the title to “Primary Colors” but Klein himself never wrote those two words.  Klein could have further is-ised us by saying “Random House wrote Primary Colors” for we know Joe Klein’s sense of humor.  He really is a funny writer; I have enjoyed all his stuff.  He is an equal-opportunity political critic, ridiculing all of them.  Sure, Joe Klein lied, he knows that is-is was misleading, even if technically true.  Recall that at the moment Bill Clinton made the now-infamous comment “…there is not a sexual relationship…” etc, the statement was technically true, for he was not at that moment in the process of copulating with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.  This we know, for someone in the room would surely have noticed.

 

Everyone knew it is easy enough to figure out who wrote Primary Colors.  There was enough insider stuff in there, the list of suspects had to be short, and he was the one with the sense of humor and sufficient writing talent to pull it off.  

 

Joe Klein pulled an is-is.  Joe Klein is not running for high office, has no clearance, has no command of the military.  He is a talented novelist.  He can is-is us all he wants.  His writings are populist pretend-nonfiction, as rassling is populist pretend fighting.  We treat all his writings as fiction, even with an entertaining grain of truth, such as we do with Trudeau’s Doonesbury.  See Doonesbury’s Donald Trump strips.  Uncle Duke gets in on the action.  That’s how I learned about Trump’s eminent domain treachery, and made me realize how much trouble we are in.  Doonesbury and Klein are funny, and they serve their purpose.

 

But thanks for reminding me, for now I hafta wonder if Klein had a secret hand in writing the similar but more darkly hilarious “Wag the Dog.”  Recall that when that movie hit the theatres, it was a few weeks before anyone heard of a blue dress, but well after Monica was bragging to her friends.  Klein works quickly, there was time to hear rumors, get the story as told by the intern, write the script, make a movie.  That would be fun to figure out if his fingerprints are on that anywhere. 

 

>…Another example: A fireman hears a baby crying inside a burning building and runs inside gets the terrified child and runs out just in time… of course I feel like a goddamn hero!... "Ah shucks Ma'am I ain't no hero, I'm just a lowly fireman doing his job".  John K Clark

 

The sports world has handed us the solution: “Well…I just did what I had to do…”  If you have the patience, you can find hundreds of examples of the MVP on the winning team, a reporter fishing for a feels-good story, the athlete will utter that comment most of the time.  It is really amazing, they even somehow adopt the same cadence and accent, regardless of where they are from.  We could probably google YouTube “I just did what I had to do…” and find hundreds of examples all of which might as well have been uttered by the same person.  Sure we know that athlete is flying high, is in awe of himself.  But someone somewhere discovered the magic words. 

 

{8^D

 

Oh I love it.  I looove living the 21st century, I really do.  I am really enjoying myself in these times, enjoying the power of finding stuff out.  I am old enough to remember not having that power.  Don’t want to go back.  The internet is our friend; it is enormously empowering.  

 

Lying is legal.  Lying under oath is not.  If there is enough evidence to force one to testify under oath, one must tell the truth, regardless of rank, regardless of the subject.  Questions should be asked.  Truth should be spoken to power.  And power must be held strictly accountable.  That keeps power honest.  That’s the only force keeping power honest.  

 

spike

 

 

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