Bush a liar?

[Captain Dan]

Ok, I keep hearing the Left say that Bush is a liar. So far, I can say that he was mistaken in some data (WMD), but I have seen no proof that he lied about anything. Comments??

[Teiwaz]

On WMD, if he was lying, then so was Blair (UK Prime Minister) and Howard (Australian Prime Minister). I just don't see them lying on a really big one like that. Spin control on peripherals, sure. And intelligence organisations, I think, would not try to falsify data when there is such a high level of scrutiny from all over the world. Too easy to get caught, with massive consequences. I think they genuinely thought there were WMD's in existence or under development. Remember who you are dealing with here - Saddam is not exactly a boy scout, and his threats and invective and other statements I think were designed to provoke the US and it's allies. He wanted to appear more dangerous than he was because he thought that would deter interference with his regime. Silly bugger overstepped the mark because he was a psychotic meglomaniac with an immortality complex. Just my 02.

And I have also not seen any credible evidence Bush has lied on issues, but if it's out there - step up. I'm sure any politician is more than capable of lying. Many have. ("I did not have sex with that woman.")

[Ais Sedai]

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State." Joseph Goebbels



"See in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." George Bush

[Teiwaz]

Interesting quotes. What Goebbels was doing, and the manifestations of the time he was doing it in, is a little different though don't you think? How is the US government repressing dissent? Seems Bush is copping it from all over the place. The BIG LIE as written about by Hitler in Mein Kampf and Goebbels was also applied in reference to Churchill and his "lie machine". I don't attach a lot of credibility to blokes like Hitler and Goebbels, and the thing about big lies seems to be that you can't cover them up for that long really. There is far greater scrutiny and transparency these days, thanks largely to the press and mass global communications. Bertrand Russel commented that there is no nonsense so errant that it can't be made the creed of the vast majority by adequate govermental action - but once again, I think some of these sorts of quotes need to be taken in historical context.

[The_Man]

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

This seems to be the constant marching orders of the Democratic strategist, at least against the present administration. I think it is magnified and amplified by the by the fact that we live in a world with instant global communications. The main ones are the ones that could not decide what is, is not too long ago and could not recognize a lie if it bit them on the butt. The facts just don’t bear it out, sure mistakes have been made but with all that been accomplished over the past six years Bush has done a pretty good job.

[Freethinker]

Lest we forget, the decision to go to war was a unanimous, bi-partisan one. The only ones to have anything to loose are the Republicans......Republican President, Republican controlled house. When popular opinion started to waver, the Democrats jump off the bandwagon and point fingers across the aisle and say, "You liars....."

If there was no change of opinion of the war effort, then the Democrats undoubtedly would be standing at the podium pledging their war was an astounding success.

There are no winners in war, there are only survivors. I guess the same can be said of politics.

[BBD]

I think in the absence of proof it is unfair to call someone a liar. However, it is perfectly ok to say "based on the evidence available, I believe George Bush lied".

Or you might believe that he was acting honestly and in good faith according to the information presented to him at the time.

But then I would want to ask; what responsibility do the most powerful man in the world and his allies have to make sure of their facts before taking such drastic action as invading another country?

And was it with great reluctance that they felt compelled to act on the (mis)information or was it the excuse they were looking for?

[Ais Sedai]

And was it with great reluctance that they felt compelled to act on the (mis)information or was it the excuse they were looking for?

Interesting series related to this question:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/news/postseries/tendaysinseptember/

["shazbat"]

He's been elected to political office and thus a politician. Party affiliation matters not.
Need say no more.

[nelson]

I think George Bush is one of the more straight-forward presidents we've had in a while... and I think that is the very thing about him that his enemies detest.