Increasing Recognition of the Immorality of Lying?

A Washington Post article, Impeachment is over. But other efforts to reckon with Trump’s post-election chaos have just begun, commented about the real world consequences of deceiving people:

“There has to be some consequence for telling these lies — because when you lie to people, they take action based on what they think is true,” said Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, a Republican who received threats after false allegations of fraud in the counting of the city’s votes. “Because it’s such a dangerous new thing that occurred, there has to be some reconciliation. Moving on isn’t enough. .... Meanwhile, a variety of groups and individuals who say they were harmed by lies told about the election are pursuing lawsuits.”

That is the first time I can recall any politician publicly saying something like that. Maybe the consequences of lies in politics are starting to dawn on some politicians and voters. Maybe lawsuits will help drive the moral message home. Maybe.

One politician the message has not fazed in the slightest is you-know-who:

On Tuesday, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, sued Trump, Giuliani and members of two extremist groups, arguing that their rhetoric caused the Jan. 6 riot in violation of an 1871 law that bars violent interference in the performance of Congress’s duties. Thompson is being represented by the NAACP, which said other members of Congress are expected to join.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller has rejected the effort, saying in a statement that “the facts are irrefutable” that Trump “did not incite or conspire to incite any violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6th.”

It's not just about lying and truth: “We should have burned it all.”

America is in the midst of a ferocious political and social war over facts, true truths, sound reasoning, tolerance and social comity. For millions of conservatives, the ex-president has normalized lies, falsehoods, crackpot motivated reasoning, intolerance and racism as acceptable means to achieve sacred goals. For clear headed conservative leaders, the goals are concentrated power and wealth via anti-democratic fascism and white supremacy. For deluded rank and file conservative voters the goals are defense of democracy, truth and the American way, roughly white Christian Nationalism for some or most.

Racist doctor in Miami, Jennifer Susan Wright, outraged at 

being asked to socially distance in a store by a hispanic 

man so she attacked him;

she is being charged with a hate crime;

“This is not going to be Biden’s America, this is my America.

We should have burned it all.”

Mission accomplished: Racism normalized