Repeated government lying, warned Hannah Arendt, makes it impossible for citizens to think and judge

When officials lie time and again, people don’t know what to trust. And when this happens, citizens cannot deliberate, approve or dissent coherently, because a shared world no longer exists.

By: Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Boise State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 27, 2026

Words: 1,455

Last Updated: 8 hours, 44 minutes ago

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By Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Boise State University

In Minneapolis, two recent fatal encounters with federal immigration agents have produced not only grief and anger, but an unusually clear fight over what is real.

In the aftermath of Alex Pretti’s killing on Jan. 24, 2026, federal officials claimed the Border Patrol officers who fired weapons at least 10 times acted in self-defense.

But independent media analyses showed the victim holding a …

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