Noble Lies

Col Nathan R. Jessep: You want answers?
Lt Daniel Kaffey: I want the truth!
Col Nathan R. Jessep: You can't handle the truth!
--A Few Good Men

Victor Davis Hanson discusses Plato's notion of the 'noble lie', i.e., belief that it is acceptable for public officials to lie to citizens when it is for the common good, in the context of the myriad examples we have witnessed recently.

We know that, to politicians, honesty is rarely considered best policy. But it is a folly of rationalization to believe that lying is in the public interest.