On Deception in Politics: Insights from Arendt & Benen

As I’ve passively followed political discourse and news around the globe over the past year, I’ve found myself asking the question — with a growing sense of disgust and frustration — ‘how did we get here?’ In my search for answers, I came across two compelling books: On Lying and Politics by Hannah Arendt and The Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past by Steve Benen. Together, I believe they offer perspectives that are not only thought-provoking but essential for all of us to consider deeply.

In her book, Arendt makes an important distinction between different types of statements and (mis)truths. My personal interpretation is that these exist together in a sort of pyramid. At the top are logical truths—indisputable facts like 2+2=4. These are difficult to obscure as individuals can verify them independently with little more than a pencil, notebook, and a bit of brainpower. In the middle lie factual truths—statements about real events or phenomenon. Some factual truths – such as those in the distant past or with few first-hand observers – are relatively easy to obsure. Others – such as those in the recent past with a large number of observers – less so. Finally, at the pyramid’s base are statements of intention—the murky domain of campaign promises and policy position statements, often shaped to secure votes rather than to guarantee follow-through.

In The Ministry of Truth, Benen details the brazen and troubling shift in political deception wielded by the MAGA movement. He argues that over the past 9 years, we have observed the Republican Party move beyond simply reneging on statements of intention, taking instead to questioning the validity of shared facts and recent, observable truths. And his words are unsettling: “Republicans have … taken on the bold challenge of convincing people that their eyes have deceived them; their memories are wrong; independent sources of information are not to be trusted; and partisan changes to the recent past deserve to be embraced without question.”

This shift raises important questions: How high can political actors climb on Arendt’s “pyramid” of deception before the public notices? And, as we witness this trend emerging worldwide, at what point does society demand accountability? Are we observing an era where deception has become more sophisticated or simply more audacious?