On Mar 14, 2010, at 9:41 PM, michael perelman wrote:
> In 1712, John Arbuthnot, chiefly known as a satirist, considered
> second only to Jonathan Swift, was also the Queen Anne's doctor and
> a Fellow of the Royal Society, proposed the publication of a book
> with two volumes, titled, The Art of Political Lying. Sadly, the
> book never appeared although it would be more relevant than ever
> today. Arbuthnot praised, "the noble and useful art of political
> lying, which in this last age having been enriched with several new
> discoveries" (p. 8) Obviously, he did not have the Internet in
> mind, but perhaps something similar had recently happened in En
Christopher Hitchens began a great piece in Grand Street by quoting this essay.