Monday, December 21, 2009

spalinns and demagogues

Are spalinns essential to demagogues and demagogy?

The issue is not likely resolved by definitions alone. The interplay between lies, exageration and misplaced emphasis have to be understood in terms of the intentions of the speaker, the presumed opportunities and the presumed audience.

It is possible that a hopeful demagogue spouts "canards" and "howlers" with the intent of elicitiing an over-reaction by the outraged.

I am open to suggestions, clarification, rebuttals and alternatives: the aim is to understand the relationship between knowledge, science, falsehoods, the polis and power.

spalinns would not matter if demagogy were not a real risk in even a constitutional federal democracy. Recent events in Iran under Iranian theocracy would seem to prove that spalinns present as much a risk to welfare of the people in that context as they do in the context of liberal democracy.

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