If an elected official is proven to be a liar and a fraud, should that be enough to be fired?

Question

Think hard now!

Answer 1

Of course! We would fire an employee acting that way. It should go double for someone who is suppose to serving the public interests.

Answer 2

Plato quotes Socrates as declaring that a wise leader must resort to "the noble lie" in order to lead his people. Machieveli also proposed that a wise leader must lie shrewdly to govern, broadly on the basis that the masses were not capable of confronting reality. But both envisaged an authoritarian system of government. I believe that in a democracy any elected official (e.g. politician) who is a proven liar should be booted out of office as soon as possible. Sadly, however, they seem to get re-elected (see USA and Australia for instance) - perhaps proving the point that the masses cannot confront reality, and simply want some scapegoat to take responsibility for the lives the masses complain about!

Answer 3

No. That is a requirement of being an elected official. If we raised the bar that high, we would be without government. I'm not entirely joking. Lying is an essential part of the electoral process. If a candidate spoke nothing but the truth (and avoided all forms of fraud and deceit) they would not win. If all the candidates did the same, the people couldn't understand the issues. In our society an issue has to be broken down into its most basic forms (abortion - bad, patriotism - good, etc.) in order to be covered by the media and digested by the public. Making the issues this simple inevitably involves lies and fraud - at least in mass-media, democratic societies like our own. Getting in to office democratically requires the support of the people, the support of the people requires that they understand your stance (at least somewhat), them understanding your stance relies, usually, on your presentation of the issue as simple, and if your presentation is simple, it is nearly always fraudulent - it masks reality. Mass-media democracy requires deceiving the people. Sad but usually true, i think.

Answer 4

Wow, I thought I was a political cynic, but student_of_life has me beat.

If lying and deceit are necessary to politics, then maybe, just maybe, politics just might NOT be a good thing? There's a reason why most politicians have approval ratings below that of telemarketers and used-car salesmen.

Politicians dumb down every issue for us, on the assumption that most voters are cretins. I would argue that it is this "we're better than the masses" belief that is one of the main reasons politicians are so successful at screwing up EVERYTHING their grimy paws touch. We the voters must content ourselves with hollow, information-free soundbites and the politicians who win are not those with the best ideas, but those best skilled at telling the people what they want to hear. Demagogues win; real statesmen and the voters, lose.

Personally, I used to regard politics and government as a necessary evil. The older and wiser I get, and the more I learn about politics, the more I question the "necessary" part. But, I do my part: I vote Libertarian. People tell me I shouldn't waste my vote on a 3rd party just because it's what my conscience tells me to, that I should just hold my nose and vote Democrat or Republican. My response to that is, that voting for the lesser of two evils, is still voting for evil.

Answer 5

The voting public should be fired!

When the voting public is prepared to leave these people in power, it is the citizens who have given up their rights and responsibilities. But, so many make excuses for officials when it comes to bad and illegal behaviours that nothing surprises me anymore.

Anyone who votes for an official who has been found to be engaged in fraud loses my respect as a citizen.

Answer 6

haven't you noticed that many of the elected officials are liars and frauds?

they're not fired...nobody has impeached the president yet...

so...to answer your question, yes it should be enough to get them fired, but it isn't because bribery overcomes that

Answer 7

We want to be lied to. Knowing the whole truth would blow our minds and frighten us to the point where we would never come out from under our beds. Should elected officials be punished for a leak in their office? I think not.

Answer 8

damn few of them have ever been fired...and they are ALL liars and frauds, at least near as i can tell. maybe a few of them are actually honest and forthright, but those critters are few and far between and fodder for the crooks to drag through the mud in some way shape or form..

Answer 9

Most elected officials are liars already. Yeah, they should be fired but cmon, we live in America!!!!!

Answer 10

most diffnately. but some ppl take into consideration how long theyve been in their position and how much influence they have on other ppl in power. lyk the guy in louisiana or wherever it was after Katrina hit. he had been stealing money from the ppl and they still re-elected him b/c he had been in dc for a whil and could get things done if he wanted to. but i personally would want them impeached and removed.