Trump's relationship with the truth is becoming a national embarrassment

[babylonsister]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/17/opinions/trump-falsehoods-a-national-embarrassment-ghitis/index.html

Trump's relationship with the truth is becoming a national embarrassment
Frida Ghitis

By Frida Ghitis

Updated 4:01 PM ET, Fri March 17, 2017

snip//

It's sadly ironic that after less than two months in office, Trump, who often criticized Obama for making legitimate apologies for America's historical misdeeds -- "We will stop apologizing," Trump declared -- had to send his deputies to apologize for brand new, unnecessary and deeply personal missteps.

It's easy to say why Trump plays games with the truth. By claiming that factual reports are "fake news," he undermines the credibility of his critics. By "gaslighting," the country, blurring the lines between fact and fiction, he gets to write his own version of the truth. And by putting out shocking conspiracy tales and wild allegations, he changes the subject at just the right time.

The wiretapping tweet successfully knocked out of the headlines discussion over whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions committed perjury when he falsely told a Senate committee that he had no contacts with Russians.

But maneuvers that may help Trump politically hurt America on the global stage. The lying alone has already eroded America's moral authority, which is arguably the country's most powerful, least expensive weapon and the impetus for persuading others to follow its lead. What will happen when the U.S. needs support to impose economic sanctions or perhaps an arms embargo?

Strong, credible arguments can help America avoid costly wars, just as the wrong words, ill-conceived provocations, can trigger conflicts, putting American soldiers in harm's way and US citizens in peril.
America's strength is not just its mighty military or its giant economy. The United States is strong also because it has allies that will side with it on difficult challenges. But to persuade others that the challenges are real, Washington must have credibility, and Trump is squandering America's credibility, discarding it as if it were the leftovers at a Mar-a-Lago brunch buffet.

Trump may not care about the truth, but the rest of the world does. America's allies do. It's about time for the President and his staff to understand that this is no game. They cannot repeat statements they hear on television, unless they know they are factual. To do otherwise could trigger potentially grave consequences.
If Trump wants to go down in history as a successful president, it's time for him to re-examine his relationship with the truth.

[lies]

1. Uhhhhh... no.

It's not becoming, and it's not national.

It is ALREADY an INTERNATiONAL embarrassment.

He is being mocked worldwide.

[infidelsavant]

2. Why we should be very afraid of Trump's mental instability.

If Trump is incapable of admitting he is wrong about an accusation, then what is to prevent him from starting a nuclear holocaust due to further imagined accusations that he falsely perceives?

[babylonsister]

3. I think we're all worried about that,

and welcome to DU.