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Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (1889)	9/27/2006 2:29:06 PM
From: Jim S	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10087

"You look good in that dress." HAR!! Or, the answer to the question, "Honey, do these slacks make my butt look big..." Few men have never been terrified by that question.

To: TimF who wrote (1889)	9/27/2006 2:44:02 PM
From: one_less	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10087

I can't really argue with you about the merits of this lie or that lie per se. However, I am totally convinced that the practice of deceit is insidious. People may begin with little white lies and get desensitized to the discomfort of violating conscience. I remember my role models commenting that the best thing that could happen to a small child who steals a stick of gum would be getting caught and punished for it. Once the practice of deceit is sophisticated enough to be undetectable (in some cases by one's own conscience) we face serious personal and societal risk. A simple lie to avoid embarrassment can result in general distrust in the community. Let's say you forgot to do some duty at your civics club but you don't own up to it. The other members may begin suspecting each other or even secretly blaming some poor sap for your oversight, which spurs other unrelated problems. I could ramble on this subject all day but you get the picture. The main thing that I can't help but notice about the whole issue is how pervasive of a problem deceit is to the human condition and how unlikely it is to be punished by the system. "As for retaliation against a lie from the legal system? You can be charged with perjury, filing a false report, slander, libel, fraud... These things commonly occur in almost every court case and are rarely punished and then only in highly sensationalized cases.