Situational Truths

I learned early on in life that it wasn't always easy to tell the truth all the time. My Mother would shout into my room (shouting was the mid 20th century way of communicating) "Norman, did you finish your homework?" At times my reply of "yes" was the truth, and at times it wasn't. I have taken a path herein to make a point about the Presidents truthfulness, and I will wander a bit into irrelevant areas, but what the hell, wander is what I do.

As a "sales" person in the television business, truth was elusive. While working at Screen Gems International Television, our parent motion picture company, Columbia Pictures, had produced the movie that was going to save the company. It was the re-make of the classic 30's film "Lost Horizon", but as a musical. I expect that it seemed to someone in charge to be a good idea at the time.

Their was to be a screening of it for the senior staff of the company, and when I walked into the screening room, the head of the picture company, Stanly Schneider, (the oldest son of our Chairman), made reference to my unusual attendance, and when I said that I was interested in finding out if my checks would clear in the next couple of weeks, everyone laughed except Stanly.

The next 120 minutes were amongst the worst 120 minutes of my professional life. It will be enough to say that the movie, in my opinion, was dreadful. As the screening concluded, and the lights came on, I could only think of what I would say if Stanly asked me what I thought about the picture and my mind raced with possible replies. "Interesting", "as good as could be done with the material", but I was spared when a few of the Picture company executives lavished praise of the film to their boss, and I quietly slipped away. Of course I realized how tough it is to speak "truth to power", and if you say the wrong words, "the power" could fire you. Our President would have said "heck of a job Stanly"

Years later, I screened our television pilots to the head of programming of the BBC (Paul Fox), a man with whom I was and am still friendly. At the lunch that followed hosted by my boss, (John Mitchell), Paul asked me what I thought of a particular comedy pilot for a series that had been ordered by a network. When I replied that I thought that it was dreadful, John was apoplectic; Later in the day, when we were alone, John asked how I could possibly trash one of our shows to a potential buyer of the show? I told him that he did not buy comedies anyway and that in order to keep my credibility with Paul, and all of the other customers for that matter, I needed to tell them what was the truth as I saw it. John, by the way, could not even tell the truth if you asked him for the correct time.

I confess I am a liberal Democrat. Now having said that, among my issues with our President is that he seems not to tell the truth all of the time to be kind, and seldom tells the truth if I wanted to be critical. As a result, many Americans, and many of the people from other countries who admired and supported the United States before as well as following the events of 9/11 no longer do so. How could our President expect anyone to believe him when he speaks about North Korea and Iran and refers to "intelligence reports" that he has received.

Our President will certainly continue to be the President for the next two plus years, and might consider telling the truth to the people who employ him, and take responsibility for things that have not turned out as he expected. As the "decider" he could come clean with his employers, (us), (or tell them the truth) and admit that neither Rumsfeld nor Chertoff are getting the job done, and replace them. It would only hurt for a minute.

And now for some more irrelevant stuff;

There is a popular song "How could you believe me when I said I loved you when you know I've been a liar all me life?" (From the film Royal Wedding starring Fred Astaire).

A powerful Hollywood agent is caught in the act by his wife, and a few minutes later, after "the other woman" leaves he says to his wife, "What are you going to believe, what you just saw or what I tell you you just saw? It is sadly difficult for me to believe whatever the President says about anything.

President Bush would appear to have no shame in that he (and his people) keeps repeating the same misleading stuff over and over again. He supplies the public with an over abundance of bravado, and hardly any humility.
And now for me to close on a high note will someone tell our President that Jesus said "...you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32