“Like money, lies are subject to an inflationary rule: The more there are in official circulation, the less each one matters.“

The most telling thing about The Post’s count of Trump’s untruths is how un-shocking it becomes as the number grows larger.

Like money, lies are subject to an inflationary rule: The more there are in official circulation, the less each one matters.

All this is unfolding without the assistance of the K.G.B. or some other instrument of a repressive state to enforce a line and dissolve the distinction between fact and fiction. But the effect is no less damaging. A president who will say anything speaks to a base that will believe anything. Meanwhile, the rest of the country doesn’t believe a word.

Bret Stephens, journalist

Source:

What ‘Chernobyl’ Teaches About Trump
A country’s survival during a crisis depends on the credibility of its government. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/opinion/chernobyl-hbo-lies-trump.html