The majority of politicians, on the evidence available to us, are interested not in truth but in power and maintenance of that power. To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, even the truth of their own lies. What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.
In Harold Pinter's Nobel Lecture, "Art, Truth & Politics," he presents a critical view of politicians, suggesting that their primary concern is power rather than honesty. He asserts that to retain their authority, politicians often keep the public in a state of ignorance, denying them access to the truth, including the truths about their own deception.
Pinter argues that society is enveloped in an intricate web of lies that people unwittingly consume. This metaphorical "tapestry" represents the false narratives that dominate discourse, highlighting the challenges we face in seeking genuine truths amidst the manipulations of those in power.