Easy Quote by Ted Olson
“It's easy to imagine an infinite number of situations where the government might legitimately give out false information,”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Legal Ethics Conference, 2015
Governments can justify misinformation in many scenarios, but such actions risk eroding public trust.
In simple terms: False info can be justified, but harms trust.
Key Takeaway
Balance transparency with security.
Themes
ethics
government
information
trust
power
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
ethical
political
When to use this quote
- policy drafting
- public communication
- media monitoring
- crisis response
Key Concepts
public policy
propaganda
national security
media literacy
Questions to Reflect On
- When is misinformation acceptable?
- What safeguards prevent abuse?
A Different Perspective
Legitimate reasons can be abused, leading to skepticism.
![“I think he [Tony LaRussa] legitimately believes what he says. I don't agree with him. But I think he's being as honest as he can be.” quote by Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8a9/joe-buck-2808_agree_i-think-he-tony-larussa-legitimately-bel_2043488.jpg)
![“It happens every once in awhile at the federal level when the solicitor general, on behalf of the U.S., will confess error or decline to defend a law. I don't know what is going through the [Obama] administration's thought process on 'don't ask, don't tell.' It would be appropriate for them to say…” quote by Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b8/ted-olson-28366_administration_it-happens-every-once-in-awhile-at-the-f_334545.jpg)
