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His denial of the obvious so people will like him has nothing to do with truth

Probably he doesn’t. Any more than he cares that, as has again been repeatedly noted, the Charter does protect freedom of expression including freedom to criticize the Charter, the courts and government policy. And of course he’s trying to silence religious groups. His denial of the obvious so people will like him has nothing to do with truth.

Even on fiscal policy, he spouts the kind of brazen untruths Princeton philosopher Harry Frankfurt analyzed in “On Baloney.” (OK, not “baloney” but being old-fashioned I won’t quote his actual title.) And Trudeau told the Post, “Obviously we recognize the role church groups and faith groups of all different types have in promoting strong communities and running day camps for kids.”

To portray churches as daycares into which the odd weirdo drags God talk about the sanctity of life is as contrary to reality as his claim that, “On the actual mechanism for this, we’re happy to work with organizations that have concerns.” Both lack the crucial attribute of real lies, namely plausibility. They’re a different, postmodern kind of untruth.

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The core belief of postmoderns, including “deconstructionist” literary critics, is that there is no truth, only “hegemonic narratives.” Which looks like, but is worlds away from, the notion that “the Establishment” lies, or Napoleon’s cynical claim that history is a set of lies agreed upon by the winners.

The postmodern thesis is closer to meaning everybody lies so the only question is whose lie will prevail. But if there is no truth, there is also no lie. Only a triumph of the will by “them” or “us.” Hence Oliver Stone’s admission that his film JFK did not aim to get history right but to defeat the Establishment myth with a “counter-myth.” Or Democrats recoiling piously from Trump’s untruthfulness while backing Hillary and idolizing Bill Clinton.