The New York Times' news analysis piece titled "The Art of the Lie? The Bigger the Better" puts the blame for January 6 riots, as can be guessed from the title, squarely on lies. While I don't disagree with this diagnosis, I think the source and nature of lies that led to the riots were rather different from those articulated by the paper. By promoting a colossal untruth of his own — that he won a "sacred landslide election victory" — and sticking to it despite scores of court rulings establishing otherwise, Mr. Trump has outraged his political opponents and left even some of his longtime supporters shaking their heads at his mendacity.  In embracing this big lie, however, the president has taken a path that often works — at least in countries without robustly independent legal systems and news media along with other reality checks. Put simply, the lies are Trump's, and on January 6, the gullible...(Read Full Post)