If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it,

people will eventually come to believe it.

 

That statement has been attributed to Nazi Propagandist Joseph Goebbels, and to others. None verified, to my knowledge. But it seems to be true.

 

Certainly we see everyday evidence that few people are fact-checkers, and will accept the validity of any statement that sounds plausible. Hollywood has found such joy in portraying business people in a bad light, the public generally accepts that business owners are greedy, stupid, or both.

 

Just today I heard a comment about the GOP being "useful idiots" for Corporate America. (Those evil corporations which have given us aircraft, automobiles, computers, and thousands of products in between; hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs with generous benefits; an opportunity for everyday people to invest.) 

 

Corporations, they argue, are interested in profits. Yes, they are, and must be. Without profits we would be denied innovative products, people would lose their jobs; investors would lose their investments.

Organized labor has steadfastly maintained a hostile relationship with management. No surprise that many union employees hate their job and their employer. Some years ago, a friend of mine who worked for Ford Motor Company, and who was deeply involved in union activities, spoke of his employer in this way: "Just wait until our next contract negotiation, we'll get those S.O.B.s." Those S.O.B.s!

 

During the prelude to The Great Depression, my father made a poor career choice and found himself with four young children, no job, no money and no place to live. When he did regain stable employment, he was so appreciative, I often heard him say things like, "If you work for a man; if he gives you the opportunity to put a roof over your family's heads, clothing on their backs and food on their table, then, work for that man!" Meaning, of course, to give him all the skill and the energy you agreed to swap for his paycheck.

 

In my father's way of thinking, taking a job - accepting employment - even without written contractual terms, is a promise to do something in return for something. Heaven forbid that a man should break his promise.

 

It goes on. Many in government have promoted big lies. Way back in the early part of the last century, President Woodrow Wilson said the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were written for a different time, and were irrelevant to his day. Yeah, Mr. President, I guess "all men are created equal" is outdated. As is the concept of three, co-equal branches of government.

 

Sadly, our public education system has failed to prepare students to refute the big lies foisted upon them. Too many Americans are bereft of knowledge of how government should work, how business must work. Few people are familiar with the word sophistry, which refers to plausible but fallacious argumentation.

 

And we have failed in our families, failed to ingrain in our children the importance of honesty, integrity. I recently discovered that a merchant had failed to charge me for a service performed. When I pointed out the mistake, he was shocked and proceeded to tell me how rare it was for someone to point out a mistake that was in their favor. How sad.

 

The Ten Commandments have been written out in various ways, but number nine is generally accepted to mean "Do No Lie". But then, to many, those ancient rules are also considered irrelevant.