Comments on: The State! http://benfrumin.com/2009/kudos/the-state Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:09:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Ben http://benfrumin.com/2009/kudos/the-state/comment-page-1#comment-18 Ben Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:34:00 +0000 http://benfrumin.com/?p=344#comment-18 You're right, mostly. We know for sure that Sanford's staff said several things that weren't true. We don't know whether staff members knew at the time that what they were saying was false. Maybe they'd just been duped by the boss. There's a language-parsing argument, however, that they lied either way, regardless of whether they knew their statements were bogus. According to <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%5B4%5D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Merriam-Webster</a>: lie: 1 a: an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive b: an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker Still, I think you're right. Generally the word "lie" implies an intent to deceive -- something that hasn't been proven yet, and may never be. So I apologize, Sanford staffers. For now. You’re right, mostly. We know for sure that Sanford’s staff said several things that weren’t true. We don’t know whether staff members knew at the time that what they were saying was false. Maybe they’d just been duped by the boss.

There’s a language-parsing argument, however, that they lied either way, regardless of whether they knew their statements were bogus. According to Merriam-Webster:

lie: 1 a: an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive b: an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker

Still, I think you’re right. Generally the word “lie” implies an intent to deceive — something that hasn’t been proven yet, and may never be. So I apologize, Sanford staffers. For now.

]]> By: Stephen Lehtonen http://benfrumin.com/2009/kudos/the-state/comment-page-1#comment-16 Stephen Lehtonen Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:11:42 +0000 http://benfrumin.com/?p=344#comment-16 Hold on there, boy wizard. We still don't know if the staff was lying about his whereabouts or if he lied to the staff. You feel me? Unless, The State has uncovered some more dirt... The bright side to this sordid tale is that we can all stop thinking about Iran for a second. Hold on there, boy wizard. We still don’t know if the staff was lying about his whereabouts or if he lied to the staff. You feel me? Unless, The State has uncovered some more dirt…

The bright side to this sordid tale is that we can all stop thinking about Iran for a second.

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