It is said "the first casualty of war is the truth."
Ironically, no one is really sure who first made this statement but there is evidence to suggest it dates back to the ancient Greeks.
In fighting a war, telling the truth is often a disadvantage. It reveals information to both your own populace and our opponents which can damage or diminish your efforts.
After watching the Republican National Convention last week, it would seem truth is also a casualty of political conventions. After all, the essential message of most speakers was "be afraid, be very afraid" with little justification for these fears.
Indeed, when the "liberal media" dared to bring up actual facts, Republican apologist Newt Gingrich pointed out "liberals have a whole set of statistics that theoretically may be right, but it's not where human beings are."
Essentially, his argument is feelings are more important than facts. Feelings are what matter.
According to Donald Trump, if it feels like crime is increasing then it is, despite what the numbers have to say.
In this case, Trump pointed out that murders are up and he makes a valid point. Compare three large American cities - New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In 2014, the number of murders was respectively 328, 260 and 411. In 2015, those numbers had increased to 352, 283, and 493.
But to put things in perspective, in 1990, those same three cities had 2,262, 983 and 850 homicides, respectively, dwarfing the present numbers.
Further, every single indicator would suggest the crime rate in America is on the decline and has been for the better part of the last two decades. It is not a Republican thing nor a Democrat thing.
It is a human nature thing.
Further, the number of homicides fluctuates on an annual basis. The slight increase in homicide rates in these major cities is a tragedy. There is no doubt about that. However, is it a trend?
Compare the 2015 with 2012 (419, 298 and 500, respectively) and 2015 doesn't look so bad.
It is a question of how statistics are framed. But The Donald's feelings aside, crime is down in the United States. To pick on two solitary years which support the view it is increasing is simply pandering to a feeling. Or more to the point, it is reinforcing a feeling which has little to do with reality.
It is letting the gut rule the brain - and fortunately for The Donald, most of the people at the RNC seemed to be going with their gut over their head!
Another bold face lie from the RNC is the statement the number of police officers killed this year is 50 per cent more than the same time last year. Simple fact checking on this statement shows 62 officers killed in the line of duty by July 2015 versus 67 in 2016. Not even close to 50 per cent.
But in the wake of the tragedy occurring in Dallas and Louisiana, it feels true. It is those feelings Trump is speaking to and people are unfortunately listening.
Or take his bold statement "America is one of the highest taxed nations in the world." This is one of those statements which sound right and, if you consider every country in the world, it is sort of true. But compared to other industrialized nations, the American tax burden is on the low side. In total at all levels of government, the United States collected 26 per cent of their gross domestic product in taxes. This is well below the 34.4 per cent average of the other top 30 industrial nations.
Further, most other nations provide more generous social benefits which are a burden on the American taxpayer.
Having to pay $500 per month for medical insurance is a hidden tax on the American economy and well above the costs necessary to run the system.
The whole point of the speech by Trump was to outline a country of "death, destruction, and weakness."
He has launched a war on his enemies and given up the truth in the process.
Truth is casualty in his campaign.
Indeed, trying to get Trump to articulate a platform or policy on just about anything is impossible. He keeps promising "huge" economic growth and "lower" taxes without being held to account. How is he going to manage it? When is he going reveals the facts behind his plans?
Perhaps one of the funniest analyses of Trump was provided by the July 10 edition of the comic strip Doonesbury which outlined all of the positions he has taken - both for and against.
As the final panel says, he has twice as many positions as anyone else.
In the end, though, he should remember another saying "You are entitled to your own opinion. You are not entitled to your own facts."
