Moral Anarchopathology of Lies (3/3):

 Moral Anarchopathology of Lies (3/3):

Politicians’ Lies, a Sword Against Truth and Freedom

Mahmoud Sadeghi Janbehan

Translated by ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Lies and the Escape from Human Responsibility

Within the framework of moral anarchopathology, the deepest harm inflicted by lies lies in their capacity to generate irresponsibility—both toward oneself and toward the external world. At the same time, irresponsibility itself becomes a fertile ground for the proliferation of lies on a broader scale. In many situations, lying functions as an instrument for evading accountability and shirking moral and human responsibilities. This evasion cannot be reduced to an individual-centered interpretation; rather, it constitutes a destructive and highly complex process that simultaneously erodes individual morality and diverts collective mechanisms from their ethical trajectory.

The individual who flees from truth is, in fact, fleeing from the natural consequences of their actions or mistakes. Such flight not only corrodes personal conscience but also transmits a behavioral pattern in which honesty is replaced by expediency and self-interest. This pattern sterilizes the collective capacity for emancipatory action, for a society in which individuals refuse responsibility inevitably loses its ability to resist domination and injustice.

For example, an employee or executive who conceals their mismanagement not only denies personal responsibility but also contaminates the entire decision-making system by injecting distorted or incomplete information. Gradually, this contamination transforms the organizational culture into one dominated by fear, distrust, and rationalization.

Structural Lies in Capital-Oriented Liberalism and Contemporary Cases

With the advent of modernity, the outward form of power has changed, yet the logic of lying persists. In liberal democracies, media apparatuses and public relations strategies have largely replaced the overt lies of classical despotism. Unfounded electoral promises, selective presentation of statistics, and economic secrecy are all manifestations of structural lies in the modern era.

As Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman (1988) demonstrate in Manufacturing Consent, even in societies that claim freedom of speech, media and economic structures can stabilize certain narratives as truth while erasing others. Modern lies are more complex and more invisible; they often appear under the guise of “statistical truth” or “expert analysis,” thereby acquiring a veneer of legitimacy.

Historical and contemporary examples include:

• The Watergate Scandal (USA, 1972–1974): Systematic use of lies to conceal illegal surveillance and manage crisis, later exposed as evidence that even advanced democracies remain vulnerable.
• The Iraq War (2003): The fabricated claim of “weapons of mass destruction,” later discredited, functioned as a structural lie legitimizing a devastating war while deepening public distrust.
• Environmental and health crises: The concealment or distortion of data on industrial disasters (e.g., Bhopal 1984) and pandemics (e.g., COVID-19) to protect economic or political interests illustrates the nexus of power and structural deception.
• The Ukrainian Airlines Flight PS752 (Iran, 2020): Initial denial of a missile strike, followed by reluctant acknowledgment three days later, epitomizes the manipulation and suppression of critical information.
• Unfulfilled electoral promises: Repeated pledges of social justice or the lifting of sanctions without practical implementation erode collective trust over time.

Anarchopathological Analysis:

The common denominator across these examples is the nexus between authoritarian tendencies and the distortion of truth. Structural lies diminish moral courage and collective trust, thereby reproducing the cycle of domination and obstructing emancipatory politics.

Lies and the Miserable Life of Archy Instead of Anarchy

On the individual level, accepting or producing lies is not only a betrayal of truth but also a deliberate diminishment of dignity and personal freedom. Lying generates a form of “petty dominative and submissive behavior”—an inner disorder founded not on courage and freedom but on fear, opportunism, and submission to internalized domination.

The subject who turns away from truth gradually loses the capacity for moral resistance. This erosion of conscience limits their potential for solidarity with others and ultimately blocks the path to both personal and collective emancipation. Lies imprison the individual within a cage of self-deception, where choices are increasingly guided by fear and expediency rather than conscience and courage.

The individual who consciously lies in personal or professional relationships—whether for short-term gain or to avoid honest confrontation—squanders the capital of trust others have placed in them. At the same time, they undermine their ability to participate in any relationship or network founded upon respect and transparency. Even in the absence of external domination, such a person becomes a prisoner of their own inner subjugation.

Impact on Moral Courage, Collective Trust, and the Reproduction of Lies

The institutionalization of structural lies has major consequences in both ethical and social domains.

Erosion of moral courage (individual and collective):

Constant exposure to distorted narratives and unaccountable power weakens citizens’ motivation to stand against injustice. Moral anarchopathology describes this condition as “collective moral surrender,” a state in which individuals lose both the capacity and the willingness to confront truth or resist domination.

Erosion of collective trust:

The persistent normalization of lies diminishes trust among citizens and between society and its institutions. Without trust, dialogue, cooperation, and collective action aimed at structural reform become restricted, thereby undermining social cohesion.

Together, these consequences generate a self-reinforcing cycle:

• The pursuit of power or interests demands the production of lies.
• Lies are disseminated strategically through media and networks, shaping public perception.
• Repetition and institutionalization transform lies into accepted truths.
• Moral courage and collective trust decline, thereby facilitating the next cycle of deception.

In this way, structural lies, by reinforcing domination and suppressing ethical action, perpetuate themselves. With every repetition of this cycle, citizens become further exposed to distrust and collective moral surrender.

Reference

Sadeghi Janbehan, M. (2025). Moral Anarchopathology of Lies (3/3): Politicians’ Lies, a Sword Against Truth and Freedom.

https://anarchology.blogfa.com