We are not even free to say that
we are not free; that would be sacrilege! With the pack on our back we
must bawl out: 'Liberty forever!' Under the orders of her father, the
daughter of Cheops made herself a harlot that she might contribute by
her body to the building of the pyramid. And now to raise the pyramids
of our massive republics, millions of citizens prostitute their
consciences and themselves, body and soul, to falsehood and hate.
We have become past masters in the great art of lying. True, it was
always known, but the difference between us and our forefathers is
that they knew themselves to be liars, and were not far from admitting
it in their simple way; it was a necessity of nature--they relieved
themselves before the passers-by, as you see men do today in the
South.... 'I shall lie,' said Darius, innocently. One should not be
too scrupulous when it is useful to tell a lie. Those who speak the
truth want the same thing as those who tell falsehoods. We do so in
the hope of gaining some advantage, and we are truthful for the same
reason and that people may feel confidence in us. Thus, though we may
not follow the same road, we are all aiming at the same thing, for if
there were naught to gain, a truth-teller would be equally ready to
lie, and a liar to tell the truth.
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