Damned Lies

 By Wes Bredenhof

Don Shipley’s purpose in life is to expose fake Navy SEALs (like the one portrayed above). There are heaps of these fakers. They buy a Navy uniform online, add in some insignia and medals, create a dramatic story about themselves, and before long they get all the glory of being a US Navy SEAL without any of the hard work or danger. On the other hand, Shipley is an actual retired Navy special operator. He became a US Navy SEAL in 1984 and retired in 2003 as a senior chief petty officer. Now he and his wife Diane spend their time ferreting out fake Navy SEALs – they go after “stolen valour.” The impostors are lying about their military service, stealing the honour from those who actually did serve, and the Shipleys are all about smoking them out.

There’s something satisfying about watching someone expose lies. I suppose it must appeal to our sense of justice. When a deceiver gets caught and humiliated we say, “Serves you right. You got what you deserved.”

Perhaps it also relates to the fact that so many other lies don’t get exposed. Our world is eagerly embracing deception and hardly anyone wants to talk about it. Falsehood is at the root of the accelerating social change ripping up the foundations of western civilization.

I was reminded of this the other day while reading Melvin Tinker’s That Hideous Strength: A Deeper Look at How the West was Lost. Tinker describes how neo-Marxism has successfully transformed society. One of the greatest challenges is that neo-Marxism doesn’t care about morality or truth. “Facts” are just means to an end and, when you have the power, they are there to be manipulated according to your desires. Tinker writes...

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