It's The Lying, Stupid

Last night, Ol' Doc Maddow did some out-loud worrying about 45*'s constant lying, saying she didn't know how to keep reporting on it without contributing to a level of Trump Fatigue that pushes us all towards a state of political catalepsy.

Luckily, we still have a few people who can help us understand these things.

Here's Lee McIntyre, a Research Fellow at The Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University, in Newsweek, explaining the difference between Lies and Post Truth:

When a politician gets caught in a lie, there’s usually a bit of sweat, perhaps some shame and the expectation of consequences.

Not for Trump. After many commentators pointed out to him that the stock exchange was in fact closed for several days after 9/11, he merely shrugged it off, never bothering to acknowledge—let alone correct—his error.

Why would he do this?

The point of a lie is to convince someone that a falsehood is true. But the point of post-truth is domination. In my analysis, post-truth is an assertion of power.

As journalist Masha Gessen and others have argued, when Trump lies he does so not to get someone to accept what he’s saying as true, but to show that he is powerful enough to say it.

He has asserted, “I’m the President and you’re not,” as if such high political office comes with the prerogative of creating his own reality. This would explain why Trump doesn’t seem to care much if there is videotape or other evidence that contradicts him. When you’re the boss, what does that matter?

So, a coupla things:

1. Don't ever stop pointing out Cult45's lies. It must always be news when anybody in a position of power tries to bullshit us.
2. Take McIntyre's thesis to heart. Never forget - it's about power. Identify it, and call it out for what it is.