When a man says a thing is a fact that is provably not a fact, one is left to wonder the source of this "mistake"; has he been misinformed, or, is he stupid or incompetent, or maybe he's just lying? He could also be self-delusional, which points to an even deeper and more troubling pathology.
     In short, why do politicians lie?
     Yes, I know others lie as well, but inasmuch as those same politicians write laws that will put us in jail for lying to them, one is left to wonder if maybe Lewis Carroll didn't just about say it all about modern politics.

     The theme of today's Group of 8 conference in Italy, sans China, who conveniently voted "absent" then went home to avoid having to lie a "type of lie" their sense of honor and face will not permit, is over global warming and the need for even greater emission reductions to stop the progress of this creeping global climate change.
     1) The main issue that there is now global warming has been laid to rest: It has been getting cooler for nearly ten years now.
     2) As to the issue whether global warming ever existed has also been laid to rest: It might have, with a full 65% or so of scientists in that area of expertise stating that it probably did exist at one time.
     3) As to the issue whether Man caused global warming (if it existed at all) by his activities has also been laid to rest: He probably contributed to it, but at no time was ever the majority contributor. Most scientists range our contributions at 15% or so. The rest is due to natural occurrences in nature, from sunspots to cow flatulence in Africa to termites in the rain forests.
     4) As to the issue whether the eight "industrialized nations" (which includes neither India nor China, who collectively account for almost as many emissions as the G8 themselves...and are steadily moving upward in that category) can reduce GLOBAL temperatures is also laid to rest: Not a chance. The world's biggest polluters are outside the orbit of internationally enforceable agreements (as if even one agreement ever was enforceable against any of the more powerful UN members anyway), so do the math. The G8 accounts for roughly 8% of all the pollution in the world, so if those eight nations returned to an aboriginal state tomorrow they could only reduce world pollution by 8%.
     Well, in truth it probably would get worse, because, considering the number of trees standing in the United States alone, not even Barack Obama could muster an army of cops that could go around giving tickets and generally making people stop cutting them down and burning them for firewood. It would be Pittsburgh 1900 all over again, although I'm told some people like even less the acrid smell of wood than coal. Wood lung, anyone?

     So why do politicians persist in this sort of lying?
     This is indeed a difficult and complex question to answer. Imagine if Angela Merkel stood before the German people today and stated that global warming was a lie, or better, finished, ended, so now we can all go back to sleeping on top of our beds instead of under it. We can stop being afraid...or feeling guilty. We have done all we can but must continue to try to work with poorer countries by convincing them it is better to stay poor, but in cleaner air, than in building (read competitive) industrial systems in their own nations that could bring the world once again, to the brink of global catastrophe, as it once was in 1969. (This sounds remarkably like what Michelle Obama told college graduates during the campaign..."give up trying to make money".)
     If Angela Merkel, or any other G8 head of state made that speech, they would be dealing with riots in the street that would make Tehran look like a Baptist picnic.
     Politicians lie either to keep a consituency or to get a new one to come on board. Global warming was a lie that just kept on giving, and after twenty years, has touched every sector of society. In the hands of the more-practiced Democrats, (Republicans, not being as good at it, usually stumble and get caught early on in a lie, thus ending it) lies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, well, sort got out of hand. The really good liar can clean out an entire factory before being caught, and often can get away scot free.
     Politicians only lie if they can blame someone else for having misinformed them. That's their default position. They will never plead guilty to Lying-Aforethought, and even more than that, never, never, never to being stupid.
     The global warming lie carries its own proetction, Al Gore and a few bought-off members of the science community. But that protection is coming unravelled.
      All the politicians have left is the anger of the Voting majority. I said the voting MAJORITY, and not that minority of screeming-mimis in the street, turning over cars, throwing bricks through windows and taking pot shots at the next available constable.
      We have said for the longest time that politicians must fear the people, up to and including, if need be, having to sneak to work each day through a side entrance so no one can throw rocks at their limousine.
      All that stands between the politicains and the people is that final big lie, and that is that the politicians fear the wrath of the people any longer.
Bernard Chumm