Deflection Tactics
August 1, 1951 — Spokane Daily Chronicle

The Mossadegh Project | April 26, 2017    


U.S. President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

This was the lead editorial in the Spokane, Washington newspaper.

Harry Truman editorial archive




JUST WHAT STATEMENTS ARE LIES?

President Truman has injected an unfortunate note into the differences of opinion between him and his opposition by referring to the views of the latter as “lies” and “smear” tactics.

It is the same tack he veered off onto when certain officials were accused of making common cause with Soviet Russia. The charges which he referred to contemptuously as “herring” dragged across the trail of government affairs panned out as genuine and some of the accused are in prison.

Mr. Truman may expect freedom from criticism only in so far as the critics are actually are telling untruths, and if they are, the President should identify the falsehoods and show how they are false. Mere fits of temper on which hangs the term “lie” on anything with which he disagrees are unbecoming and will profit him nothing among persons who can distinguish between petulance and righteous wrath.




Related links:

Plenty Is Wrong, Mr. Truman | The Spokane Daily Chronicle, Dec. 10, 1951

“Rude, Uncouth, Ignorant”The Times Record, Oct. 18, 1952

Fish Story | November 16, 1951 editorial on Pres. Harry Truman



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