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The key factor for me about lying is whether the lying party owed a duty to those whom he was speaking. I'm not fond of dishonesty, but I don't have a right to expect it from all persons on all subjects. Everyone has a right to their privacy, and certain things like family, sex, religion, etc., are quite personal. The decision rests with the individual doing the talking, not with those doing the listening...Of course, you owe certain duties to certain people. For example, if you know someone will invest in a stock on your information, you have an implied duty of honesty to that person. If you're married, I believe you owe a duty to your spouse. With respect to Bill Clinton, the only duties of honesty he has would be to Hillary and Lewinsky, but not to the general public. I believe he has an obligation to the public to be honest in all public affairs, though....but I would draw a distinction between the public and the private. Like Dave, I wish our money would not be wasted on comparatively trivial matters. |
