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Torah Reading: Be'halot'cha

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Published: November 1, 2008

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Visitor Comments: 11

(11) Chaimss, December 17, 2008 11:59 AM

Remember who sees it

While the government should never lie, I think we should remember that whatever news we see, the terrorists see, so maybe they should be a little more... selective in what they report.

(10) A.L., November 12, 2008 10:04 PM

was it ever any different?

looking back in history, it was always the few who actually wanted the truth over the many who wanted no part in the responsibility, and it is still the same way this week I learned the 6th constant mitzvah: don't let your eyes and your heart lead you astray it's the basis for integrity, otherwise any philosophy we have can be corrupted, oops! this is not the liberal's way

(9) Bonnee Caplan, November 11, 2008 10:53 AM

Facts is facts folks

That was a line in a Laurel and Hardy piece that I still remember. Should the govt. lie to the public? No, but then again shouldn't the public act like they have a brain and not go off the deep end when there is bad news to report? Perhaps both the citizens and the government need to learn the lesson that we are stronger when we stand together than if we stand separately -- and that can only be manifested with truth on both sides.

(8) Anonymous, November 7, 2008 3:03 PM

absolutely not

There will never be a time that I feel the government has any right to lie to us. All US citizens have the absolute priviledge of expecting the truth from our government

(7) JJ, November 6, 2008 9:29 AM

yikes

no the government should never lie to the people! When things like that start to happen we the people never know till it's to late. just like that movie where the world freezes over. It says somewhere in the bible that rulers should be completely honest with the people. So come one,and be the one to stand up if something is wrong. You never know you just might be the one to save the world.

(6) Dvirah, November 5, 2008 1:45 PM

Reply to Rosen

I would guess that people prefer the lie for one or both of two reasons: (1)it tells them what they want to hear and (2)it relieves them of responsibility. Truth tends to require some kind of effort on our part, either to cope with ourselves or to extend help to others.

(5) Anonymous, November 4, 2008 9:16 PM

Pravda and Izvestia

Reminds me of the golden oldie from the days of the Soviet Empire, I mean, Soviet Union. Two major newspapers: Izvestia (The News) and Pravda(The Truth). Problem was, there was no izvestia in Pravda, and no pravda in Izvestia....

(4) DD, November 4, 2008 2:52 PM

never a good idea

I used to think, a couple of decades ago, that there was a place for keeping some of a nation's negative truths out of the public eye - specifically in Israel, where I found out that the news was basically controlled and that due to the constant conditions of war it would often be decided not to reveal news about Israeli casualties or other weakness. I was raised in the USA and trained to be wary of the effects of covering up reality from the public (such as misleading generations of citizens to think the conquest of america did not harm millions of Indians, or that there were never tortured slaves and linchings in the SOuth, Japanese concentration camps in the U.S., etc.) --But I ignored my better judgement , accepting the apparent necessity about controlled Israeli news. I realize now the mistake in it, as this originally well-intended plan has snowballed into a horrifying misuse of the media for what we really need to know and have a right to know about the internal goings-on... in the Govt and Army and Police as relates to treatments of terrorism, settlers and demonstrators, the Israeli supreme ct., negotiations with the enemy about Yesha and Jerusalem, etc!! This has no bearing on the obvious need for military strategies never to be revealed. THe point is, if you analyze patterns, any nations that heavily restricted information or created lies for the public were always either slave states or in the proces of evolving into one. We don't need that...to quote the sage Dr. Suess: "Never have and never will!"

(3) Anonymous, November 4, 2008 7:54 AM

"it can't happen here"

It happened in New Orleans after the flood. It happens everywhere when the government can't -or won't- protect you. Learn to protect yourself. Make friends with Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson.

(2) Flo, November 3, 2008 12:12 PM

Like the line from the movie...

You can't handle the truth! This is how some politicians treat the "rabble" whom they rule (not lead). True leaders will be honest with people and not deceive in order to manipulate their people. There is no good excuse to intentionally MISLEAD (pun intended).

(1) Rosen, November 2, 2008 7:37 AM

governments lying brings out the worst in nations as failed states

The problem with many national governments is that they lie and scare people, which results in them being failed states. There is a lot of mixed messages that politicians send when everything is fine, there is really a serious conflict, and when they say there is a conflict, particularly with non-issues, everything is really normal or not as bad as it is said...Well-informed citizenries are a must for a functioning, transparent government. Otherwise, there is polorization with the notion one is right and everyone else is wrong. It's generally easier to be honest and straight-fwd to the people a government is serving than it is to conjure up false intuition and lies in order to pursue a political agenda. Unfortunately, many can be too intimidated to spread the truth faster than the lies spread, because of fear of persecution. I just don't quite understand why people conform to a lie than they do with the truth. If such conformity works thru lies and oppression, why doesn't the other way around happen for good and making society a better place?

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