I've written about
cynicism in the past, while I was running for Chemung County Legislature. It's a topic that should be front-and-center for all Americans today.
This morning, as I write this, Michael Cohen is testifying before Congress. I've already read the copy of
his opening statement as posted by CNN.
But what alarms me are the comments on social media, especially one I saw -- but did not grab it before it disappeared in my feed. Essentially, it said, "Both Cohen and Trump are liars. You can't believe anyone nowadays."
That attitude is how cynicism wins and how we end up giving power to Donald Trump and people like him. Donald Trump wants you to believe everyone else is a liar, will always lie and can never tell the truth.
If you accept that, then none of your choices matter, nothing you do matters and you should just give up, walk away and let Donald and his cronies run the world the way they like.
His victory is the victory of cynicism.
It is better to be a skeptic than a cynic. A skeptic doubts, but will listen, question and dig. A cynic does not bother checking the facts. They already know everyone is corrupt, in it for themselves and will always lie to suit their interests. But the cynic is wrong.
Human beings are flawed creatures. We can be selfish, stupid, foolish, careless and corrupt. We can let our desires, addictions and cravings make our choices for us and hurt each other in the process. Then out of fear, we can lie and try to throw blame onto anyone else but ourselves.
When we act like this, it becomes much more difficult to determine the truth.
But that doesn't mean there is no truth. That doesn't mean the facts don't exist and can't be uncovered.
Human beings can also be unselfish, altruistic and capable of self-sacrifice for the greater good. We can have remorse, seek to make amends and do the right thing. Parents try to teach children to be good. As a parent, I was glad to be a Boy Scout leader for a few years. We taught the boys that scouts are trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
You should never assume all people are always good or that all people are always bad. Usually, the truth is a mix of the two, and we need to use reason to determine what the facts are.
So, the question before us today is: Do we believe Michael Cohen? Even though he is known to have lied in the past?
How do we recognize a liar?
If someone tells you something that later turns out to not be true, are they a liar?
If it happens once, you might give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they made a mistake.
If it happens twice, you are justified in doubting them, but maybe there is another answer. Perhaps they are simply careless with the facts. Then you need to make sure you double check what they tell you. (Always double check your facts, anyway!)
If it happens routinely, that person is at best unreliable and most likely a chronic, unrepentant liar.
How do we recognize a deliberate lie? How do we trust someone who has lied to us in the past?
Well, the facts can eventually be determined. If your auto mechanic tells you he has replaced an expensive part and charges you for it, and then later another mechanic tells you that original, flawed part is still there and causing problems, that sounds a lot like the first mechanic had lied to you. Worse, he did it to steal money from you. Money was the motivation.
According to his testimony, Michael Cohen routinely lied on behalf of Donald Trump and they did it to essentially steal money and eventually to help steal an election. Money, prestige and power as a motivation to lie.
Now Michael Cohen is asking us to not believe what he told us when he worked for Donald Trump and believe what he tells us now.
What would be the key factors in deciding whether to believe him?
1) His motivations have changed. He no longer works for Donald Trump and therefore cannot make more money by helping him lie.
2) On the other hand, he is going to prison. So he may have a new, selfish motivation to say what he thinks his prosecutors want him to say. That is something to consider.
3) Documented evidence. Cohen provides records, checks and court testimony that backs up his current narrative of events. This is something he did not have to support his previous narrative and because of the guidance of those prosecuting him and putting him in prison, he has these things to back up his story.
Sometimes we do the wrong thing for the wrong reason, sometimes the wrong thing for the right reason, sometimes the right thing for the wrong reason and sometimes the right thing for the right reason. I think it possible Cohen may be doing the right thing -- possibly for the wrong reasons and possibly for the right reasons.
But it comes down to whether he presents himself as a believable witness today.
Will the people believe him?
I'm not sure, but their choice is crucial. Either way, his testimony is important. To believe the public assessment of Michael Cohen it is unimportant and trivial would be a victory for cynicism.
