In a way, it’s comforting to know that we can still be astonished and/or amused by lies in an era of fake news and casual misinformation. Now comes Long Island Republican and freshman congressman George Santos, who proves to be completely incapable of being truthful about anything.
It appears that Santos has lied about his education, his Jewish background (including a family flight from the Holocaust), his finances, his relationships with various Pulse nightclub victims, his involvement with several jobs and charities, his marital status, and the fact that his mother passed away during the 9/11 attacks, or at least has been unwilling or unable to verify information about these things (deeply confusing, since she also appears to have died in 2016).
The fact that we can still express our displeasure as a group over such behavior is encouraging, but it is less encouraging that thus far there have only been some very public snickers as punishment. He most certainly wouldn’t be the first politician in America to get away with spreading outrageous, easily debunked lies.
Nonetheless, for the time being, at least, this particular politician is exposed, so it’s worth taking a minute to celebrate—possibly by viewing some movies about compulsive liars who work their lying trade for amusement and profit.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
While Anthony Minghella’s film adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s book presents a more delighted psychopath, Matt Damon’s Tom Ripley is nevertheless held accountable in Anthony Minghella’s version. He is a man who gets buried by his falsehoods in this situation: Due to a borrowed jacket, he is initially misunderstood for a Princeton graduate and is then offered a free trip to Italy by the shiftless Dickie Greenleaf’s father (Jude Law).
Who could refuse? By his innate ability to lie and his developing fascination with Dickie (whom he simultaneously wants and wants to be), Ripley steadily sinks beneath the weight of his falsehoods, one piling another, until murder appears to be his only option.
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