Politics Lying in the Digital Age

When candidates like Herschel Walker and George Santos lie, it means three things. They don’t think they will be caught, despite living in the digital age, where there’s no place to hide.

They think voters do not have a grain of intelligence. They regard them as empty vessels, like people at a rock or rap concert. There is no music. Musicians prance around the stage holding a microphone, while the D.J. plays some cuts from an album. The crowd goes wild when musicians point the mic at them and they sing along. Pure genius. They buy tickets to listen to musicians sing, but end up doing the work while musicians wave the mic like a conductor’s baton.

When candidates lie on the campaign trail, it means they have no respect for electoral road maps, that make democracy possible. They have no iota of fair play. Elections are about give and take. Candidates promise to deliver certain milestones. Voters in return expect candidates of integrity, who don’t lie or withhold information that will determine how they vote.  

On the flip side, candidates that lie are dumb themselves if they think they can get away with it, in this century that is ruled by all things digital, technical and cloud-based.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.