In Chapter Six of Don't Think of an Elephant, Lakoff says:
If the real rationale for the Iraq War has been self-interested control … if it was not self-defense and not selfless liberation, then President Bush betrayed the trust of our soldiers, the Congress, and the American people. Mere lying is a minor matter when betrayal is the issue (78).
For the moment let's assume that Lakoff's charge against Bush is valid. Then how do you explain his distinction between betrayal and lying? In what sense is betrayal the more grievous crime? Can you think of any instances where you have been betrayed by someone you trusted? Was that worse than lying?
As a way of starting to think about some of the issues that we will take up in the Popper book, consider the function of trust in a free and open society such as the United States. If we, the people, do not have faith and trust in the institutions of government, finance, religion, and society, then can our nation continue? What can we do to keep our institutions faithful to their obligations? What can we do to keep our trust in our institutions?
