Paul Ryan's middling mendacity leaves media flummoxed
Ryan's
RNC speech was less a tissue of lies, more a big blanket – but
politicians now weave a reality out of fact checkers' reach
Big Lies are hard to get going, requiring as they do obvious falsity, almost unimaginable ruthlessness and a premise so enticing to masses of bigots and fools that they eagerly suspend reason and disbelief. Many conspiracy theories aspire to the Big Lie, but they can't get traction – because when you start alleging that Bush blew up the twin towers, even morons think you're a nut job.
And vice versa.
So, no, Paul Ryan told no Big Lies. What he told, in quick succession, was an astonishing number of Medium Lies.
The Medium Lie has all the characteristics of the Big Lie – a shocking allegation, inherent pandering to bigotry and self-evident untruth – but lacks the high stakes and therefore tends to be more ephemeral. The Medium Lies of 2012 will be mainly forgotten in 2013.
Read it at The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/05/paul-ryan-middling-mendacity-media
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