Can a political candidate be truthful? Try this exercise.

Imagine a politician being truthful to his constituents. He's speaking to a room full of retirees, maybe AARP, who all want to receive social security sooner rather than later and more bang for their buck.


He tells them the truth:

The Social Security Trust Fund is empty, full of IOUs from the Treasury. Current benefits are paid for with current contributions -- a type of Ponzi scheme. There are more people receiving or who will receive benefits in the near future than there are contributors, so the math just doesn't add up. The retirement age will continue to go up, the benefits will continue to go down and there's nothing I can do about it.

VOTE FOR ME!

Now pick any issue and do the same exercise. Let me know when you find a scenario where a politician being honest about issues that matter to their constituents will help him get elected.

The very nature of the state -- fraud, waste, scandal, abuse -- precludes politicians from being honest. The truth is detrimental to their political capital, it's self-incriminating. 

It would be like Al Capone being honest about his criminal activity.

All government activity is criminal.


Posted on Don Cooper's facebook timeline. Don is the author of Ninety-Nine Percent: of what you were taught is wrong - a short book that addresses false beliefs that have held the world back.