Leaders dissemble for political survival

The public who consume untruths are mostly ignorant. They acquire information on a catastrophe and causes for that from media.

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People in public life, political persons in particular, are not expected to speak the truth all the time. Even the great king Yudhisthira had to tell a lie, though a guarded one, to his Guru Dronacharya during the battle of Kurukshetra resulting in death of the Guru. Yudhisthira was hesitant but compared to him the present day political leaders suffer less scruples. They do not hesitate to lie as and when they feel it is necessary. Well known political science professor John Mearsheimer categorised two types of lies used by leaders-strategic and selfish. Strategic lies are necessary to protect the nation they lead. Selfish lies help them carry on with their personal agenda of leadership. The lie that Yudhisthira told Guru Dronacharya falls in the selfish categoryit helped him to eventually win the battle. Most leaders resort to lies primarily for selfish reason, Yudhisthira is not the only one. One glaring recent example is Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lying loudly on certain murder committed in his country in order to pass on the blame to New Delhi.

Clearly Trudeau wants to catch at that straw and save his sinking political fortune.

Come back from Canada to Kolkata, a reservoir of distorted messages. The quantum and frequency of the lies pedlled in the state of West Bengal at present is an interesting case to study.