Vote #1 The Truth

As Newsday says, "by almost all accounts, except that of the president, the military situation in Iraq is deteriorating." The war that began with a lie continues as a lie.

Indeed, truth may be the ultimate casualty in the Iraq war. It's a scary thought.

If Bush, Blair and Howard win re-election, they will believe that they can continue lying on very big issues, even in the face of overwhelming public opposition, and continue to get away with it. Furthermore, other governments around the world will be inclined to copy them, and even the opposition parties in Australia, the US and the UK will start to think "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." The media will conclude that those who supported the liars have come out tops, and dispirited shareholders of publications that opposed the war will clamour for less "divisiveness" and more profits.

I know, I know - politicians lie all the time. But this is big. This is a very big lie, in a time of information overload, when such lies can be seen to be patently false by anyone who bothers looking. But if we just don't care, or can't be bothered looking for the truth... The lies win.