Gorky Pies
We all tell our kids not to lie. Small lies become big lies. Eventually you believe your own lies and you end up hanging out with other liars and believing their propaganda.
Because of all the bluster and provoking, and because we were benefiting from the mendacity we felt that it was best to just see how things panned out. After all, our guy was now in charge. But then the nepotism and injustice increased and now we’re in a situation where the lies are global and the lives and livelihoods of millions are blighted and the exit ramp is a faint hope for the next generation…. So says Alexei Navalny in his posthumously published memoir regarding his support of Yeltsin’s regime in Russia in the 90s and his own corrupt path through law school (my paraphrase).
My morning reading this morning was from 2 Chronicles 19 and 20. Jehoshaphat was the king in Jerusalem from 869-848BC. He was one of the gooduns. He own life was marked by integrity and faithfulness. Dealing with domestic issues under his control, he appointed judges and told them they were accountable to God for just rulings in disputes between citizens. Then, when it came to international events far beyond his control he appealed to God for justice. God, it seems, felt that Jehoshaphat had a case and ruled in his favour. Personal integrity led to national integrity, led to international integrity.
When we roll our eyes knowingly at philandering and look away from tax evasion and hush money payments among our leaders, we get fresh, bold, barefaced domestic lies. And when we allow these leaders to vacation with dictators, we get a twisted regurgitation of agitprop. It doesn’t matter whether the leaders in question are Russian or American on British or Chinese. When the fact checkers are off and leaders get away with small lies, they are emboldened to tell big ones to the detriment of us all.
There is some corruption in Ukraine. It is a former Soviet state, what did you expect? There are (a comparatively small number of) Nazis there. It is an emerging democracy, what did you expect? But Ukraine is free and its electoral facts and bravery in the face of gross injustice are plain enough to make the lies of Putin mouthed by Trump obvious to all. I find myself appealing for justice in the highest court again this morning. And I will continue to tell my kids that unchecked small lies embolden liars to tell big lies which spiral out of control.
For more of Tom and Matt’s thoughts on US politics, have a listen in to episode 42 of Two Pastors in a Pub