Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Veracity in Politics

There is the truth and then there are versions of the truth. When our elected officials speak, do you sense they are being truthful? Are they saying what they think we, the people, want to hear?

In conversations with others about government in the United States, someone sooner or later will say, "But what do we really know?" I could put it down to cynicism if it was only the occasional person who voiced a distrust in politicians or heads of governmental agencies. But I think the skepticism has been a hard-learned lesson by the American public.

A line from one of Billy Joel's songs says, "Honesty is hardly ever heard and mostly what I need from you." The American people want that from their elected officials in all levels of government. It isn't a complicated request.

Politicians have been spinning stories for so long, it might be difficult for many of them to be truthful. Maybe each one is just waiting for the other guy to start being truthful before jumping on the train him/herself. Can a government felt to be dishonest such as ours is last long? How do we turn the tide?

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