Composite Lies

Fighting Lies.

It is an old but true observation that: “The most destructive lie is the one which is mostly true, but just false at a vital point.”

For this type of lie a careful attack is required. Of course the object, and indeed the usual effect of this “composite lie” is to create a totally false impression. And often a very powerful impression at that. So one's initial reaction is to fight against this false impression. Then one wants to attack the whole composite lie because one can see that the impression it is creating is false, but fail to see that it is not all false..

But you see the trap one then falls into: most of the composite lie is in fact true! So one ends up trying to disprove true facts – and that is always going to end badly! Into the bargain you are likely to lose your credibility as a truth teller and find the real liar's credibility enhanced!

In warfare tactic terminology one has just made the fatal error of attacking the centre of gravity – which is that the composite lie is mostly true: big mistake! In this case the centre of gravity is that most of the composite lie is true and only a small but vital part is false.

The Critical Vulnerability is the false part. If it is shown to be false the whole lie collapses.

So one's task is to resist the first surge of anger and the temptation cleverly laid out to “storm the battlements”. One must step back and think: I know the overall impression is false, but it is such an effective lie that I must suspect that there is just a fly in the ointment so to speak. Then one sets about looking for the one or few things that would have the power to turn true facts into a false impression. One can also start ruling out things that you know or suspect are true.

Once you have found the lies – which may be well camouflaged then one can set about destroying these. And the whole thing comes down.

I think this will prove important in tackling parts of the progressive narrative. Yes it is pernicious propaganda, yes it is leading people up the garden path, but it comprises a whole series of these composite lies.

We have already seen on issue after issue over the past fifty years that people who have known intuitively that the progressive arguments were wrong and have taken them head on have been steamrollered. Worse the progressives have managed to make them look like bigots and fanatics. I think they have managed to do it with these composite lies, and well intentioned people have fallen into the trap I have outlined.

So we need to do the hard slog and find the lies at the heart of things. Fortunately there are people working on it who we can learn from. I mentioned PragerU videos last time, there are also people like Jordan Peterson, Dave Rubin, and others you can see on Youtube.