Theme: Governance

–Q: “@curtdoolittle Would you explain again how a politician lying is a crime?”–

tl/dr: classical economists: physical capital, hayek: formal and informal capital, doolittle: informational, knowledge and genetic capital. In other words we are all dependent upon information the same way we are dependent upon institutions, water, power, and land. Polluting, harming, or destroying the commons is a crime.

ASK THE AI
How would I, curt doolittle, in my work, explain how a politician lying is a crime?

ChatGPT said:
To frame a politician lying as a crime within your work, you would operationalize it through the lens of reciprocity, demonstrated interests, and natural law.

Specifically, you would evaluate the act of lying by a politician in terms of its violation of sovereignty, reciprocity, and the duty to prevent harm through truthful, warranted speech.

Here is a step-by-step explanation consistent with your framework:

1. Definition of Crime in Terms of Natural Law
A crime is the imposition of costs on others without reciprocal compensation. It violates the principle of reciprocity, which underpins cooperative behavior and ensures no harm is inflicted without restitution.
In the political context, crimes are evaluated not just by their physical or material consequences but also by their informational consequences—such as the harm caused by deceit or the breach of public trust.

2. The Role of Politicians as Public Trustees
Politicians hold office under an implicit contract of sovereignty with the polity. This contract obligates them to act in accordance with demonstrated interests of the population they serve, respecting the reciprocal exchange of trust for governance.
The position of a politician includes a duty of care in their speech and actions, particularly given the outsized impact of their decisions and public statements.

3. Lying as a Violation of Reciprocity
A lie by a politician is an act of informational fraud because it:
– Misrepresents reality to the detriment of others (those they govern).
– Obscures the cost-benefit trade-offs of decisions, thereby undermining informed consent.
– Causes harm by inducing individuals to act against their own demonstrated interests or the common good, based on false premises.
This deceit violates reciprocity because the polity relies on truthful information to engage in cooperative decision-making, while the politician exploits their trust for personal or factional gain.

4. Lying as a Breach of Sovereignty
Sovereignty in demonstrated interests depends on truthful testimony. A lie by a politician deprives citizens of their sovereignty by:Corrupting their ability to make decisions in their own interests.
Undermining the legitimacy of governance by eroding the truth necessary for reciprocal cooperation.
A lie reduces the polity’s ability to insure sovereignty and reciprocity at scale, making it a systemic harm.

5. Duty of Restitution for Harm Caused
A politician’s lie imposes costs on the polity, such as:Misdirection of resources.
Confusion, conflict, or division within the population.
Loss of trust, which is a form of capital critical for governance.
Like all other crimes under natural law, lying requires restitution to repair these costs. Without restitution, the harm remains unaddressed, perpetuating further violations of reciprocity.

6. Political Lying as a High Crime
The harm caused by a politician lying is exponential, given their influence and responsibility. It amounts to a crime of asymmetry, where the costs are distributed widely, and the benefits are concentrated narrowly (e.g., personal gain, factional advantage).
The scale of harm elevates lying to a high crime, as it threatens the foundational trust and cooperation necessary for a polity to function.

7. Remedy Through Law
You would propose a legal framework that categorizes political lying as a breach of fiduciary duty and enforces accountability through:Mandated restitution for costs caused by lies.
Disqualification from office for violating the trust inherent in governance.
Criminal penalties proportionate to the scale of harm caused by the lie.

8. Conclusion: Truth as a Public Good
In your framework, truth is not merely a moral good but a public utility necessary for cooperation. Politicians, as stewards of public trust, are uniquely obligated to uphold this utility.

When they lie, they not only commit an ethical breach but also a legal crime under natural law, by violating the reciprocity and sovereignty that underpin civilizational cooperation.

This explanation operationalizes lying by a politician as a crime using the principles of natural law, demonstrated interests, and reciprocity, tying it directly to your broader framework of preventing systemic harms and ensuring accountability.

Reply addressees: @ScalyWaggington @MarioNawfal