It was an interesting discussion during dinner among like-minded friends. The issue was — Lying — a deadly sin parents begin harping on the instant Junior learns the art of covering up his wicked deeds. But this discussion had nothing to do with two-year-old Tommy putting Tabby in the oven and blaming it on his four-year-old brother and role model. No, this pow-wow had everything to do with lying on a much grander scale — specifically, the Biden-Ryan debate. One school of thought suggested there’s no place for using the L word with people of high standing — people who occupy the highest offices in the land. Somehow, uttering the L word isn’t seemly, somehow in bad taste. Besmirching the integrity of elected leaders somehow casts an uneasy shadow over the fruited plain. The other school of thought? Lying is epidemic. The former Arkansas Governor and U.S. President lied repeatedly and he still strolls across the national landscape like a rock star to his adoring fans. The current U.S. Attorney General, under oath, lied to Congress repeatedly and he remains untouchable on his lofty perch, the alleged guardian of U. S. justice. And most recently, the Vice President, his pearly whites glistening under theatrical lighting, lied repeatedly as if lying were a skill that would make him a first round draft choice. Meanwhile, the vaunted Fourth Estate, guardian of Liberty, lost interest in facts, preferring to engage in the practice of political prejudice than in the advancement of ethics, honor, principle and truth. Face it, you won’t hear the L word as opponents square off. Instead, you’ll hear terms like “inaccurate, misleading, exaggeration, dishonest,” etc. — because, as one school of thought suggests — you just can’t call a lie a lie. Within the bounds of political decorum, you may assert, “That’s not true.” Or, as Biden so cleverly proclaimed, “What a bunch of “malarkey.” Malarkey — does anyone under the age of 65 know the word? You appreciate the idea of civil discourse, respect and etiquette, but you appreciate something else more —  the lives of Americans who gave everything to uphold the tenets of our founding freedom — the lives of Americans who gave everything to preserve an exceptional system that celebrates a moral value, like Truth. No, your school of thought can’t stomach a politician who tramples on the nation’s trust. If good people fail to expose lies at the very moment they’re spoken, they become willing accomplices to those very lies. And that failure leads to decline and dishonor. In 1642, Hester Prynne wore a scarlet A to symbolize her shame as an adulteress. Now, 370 years later, you think this concept should be put to good use. Substitute the red letter A with the red letter L and tattoo it on the forehead of Mr. Biden or any other lying pol, regardless of party or persuasion. You guessed it — there’s a marketing idea here — hand signs with the a big letter L for debate audiences to flash — billboards, yard signs, internet traffic, etc. If the L word fits, wear it.

When the United States Ryder Cup team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, a gratified sigh fell onto the hallowed walls of the Oval Office. “Yes,” the Occupant breathed in triumph. No way to prove that reaction, of course; but you have the weight of evidence on your side. The overt acrimony toward American exceptionalism. The outright denial of American exceptionalism. The unfairness of American prosperity. The strategy to reduce American hegemony among nations. The allegations of American guilt. The accusations of American bellicosity. The apologies to foreign leaders. Etc. September 30 was a good day in the Oval Office for the Occupant who harbors a deep resentment spawned in childhood, forged in his teens and constantly honed thereafter. If asked about his reaction to the Ryder Cup, the person in the Oval Office naturally would follow his first instinct quite automatically — he would lie — and then orate something about the ideals of good sportsmanship among nations. Ironically, professional golf (and the Ryder Cup) represents the very thing the Occupant repudiates — absolute capitalism. TW aside, you have this bunch of privileged white guys, traveling to the most beautiful venues with their beautiful wives, to play a game — a game that, with few exceptions, is inaccessible to all but a privileged (white) minority who have the physical gifts and skills that others have been unfairly denied.  And while the American golfing audience (mistakenly) mourns another loss to the combined talents of an entire continent, this affluent minority retires to posh sanctuaries in Florida, Arizona, Texas or Nevada to live the good life and avoid State taxes. No doubt that dodging taxes irks the Occupant; but what truly must rankle him is that 10 of these residents are the very same European players who shellacked America’s finest. There you have it. The Ryder Cup is billed as this emotional patriotic clash between the USA and a dozen (so-called underdog) European countries, when in reality it’s all about bragging rights among neighborhoods and friends in Florida. Despite Ian Poulter’s maniacal histrionics, the media hype, the tears and all the pomp and circumstance, the Ryder Cup is simply golf theater on steroids, testing individual performance and egos, while supporting several charities and inflating TV advertising revenues. In the final analysis, then, the Occupant’s satisfaction at America’s defeat is severely dampened by several realizations:(1) The USA and PGA are responsible for the explosive growth of golf worldwide; (2) The PGA is the powerful engine that drives and enriches the European players; and (3) Europeans have embraced America on a personal level by choosing to live here. That, Mr. Occupant, is American exceptionalism at work. Live with it.

You’ve posed the same question repeatedly, (foolishly) expecting that a dazzling answer would appear magically across the sky like a biplane dragging a glitzy banner over N. Myrtle Beach, reading “Eat At Hamburger Joe’s.” The question: Why are human beings the most defective of all God’s creatures? Predictably, to find a silver lining, you will offer a mountain of evidence proving that the question itself is defective. You will offer proof of Mankind’s virtue, nobility, achievement, generosity,  faithfulness and courage. You will present an irrefutable case that validates the inexorable march of Mankind toward a more enlightened, lofty world. But wait up. While you’re marching, please explain Mankind’s virtues to Chris Stevens who was brutally murdered on American soil in Benghazi on 9/11/12. Tell it to the thousands incinerated on 9/11/01. And while you sit confidently on your mountaintop of human accomplishment, explain the utter dementia of countless Americans who gleefully pranced to voting booths on November 4, 2008, to select an empty suit to lead the most powerful nation on earth. This was not an original act, by the way. You don’t need to be an historical scholar to know that mass psychosis is a routine condition. In the rise of the Third Reich, the German people were not ignorant by any stretch. People’s Temple  founder Jim Jones mesmerized thousands of followers across many states for decades until the ill-fated massacre at Guyana. They were not brainless.  Known for his charisma, Benito Mussolini manipulated the Italian people who were not morons. You would be eternally grateful if you could blame the presence of blind devotion and obedience on simple stupidity. But centuries of recorded history prove something more sinister has perpetually corrupted human behavior. Absent any other explanation, this affliction must have something to do with a kind of genetic flaw — an intrinsic psychopathy. That disorder is on display in America, ostensibly a civilized, at least marginally educated, society. Americans looked at the scantiest of resumes, devoid of accomplishment, devoid of productive work, devoid of executive experience — and summarily ignored it — preferring to trust in the persuasive power of soaring rhetoric. Now, after nearly four years of utter failure, the suit is still empty. After four years, the seat of government comes closer to resembling the headquarters of organized crime. Abroad, America languishes like a listing ship waiting for the kill shot. At home, the greatest economic engine in mankind’s history groans under the weight of a fathomless debt, as massive unemployment ruins lives and creates a crippling dependency. Yet, despite his appalling performance, half the American people remain kneeling before the empty suit, forever hungry to hear his silky words of wisdom, and the confident cadence of his authority. And once again, willingly and with deliberation, they will reject a performance-packed resume for the murkiest resume in American history. They will choose a pathological liar. They will select a person, who by his own written admissions and actions, holds in his heart a bitterness for the very country you love and that he diminishes day by day. Who can figure? No one. Not the brightest light on the planet. Putting a probe on Mars is child’s play compared to analyzing or influencing human behavior. Knowledge has nothing to do with underlying human conduct. Technology can not and will not alter the genetic flaw that enslaves Mankind to repeat and repeat and repeat the lunacy from age to age. In Lawrence Of Arabia, one Sherif Ali (fictional character) said in summarizing a tragic event, “It is written.” Enough said, sadly.