The age of obfuscation
Society, politicians, businesses and people in general have seemingly lost the ability to “fess-up”.
From politicians to celebrities. Big businesses to trade bodies. From public bodies to private individuals. It seems that the world has lost the ability to put its hands up and accept responsibility for their actions or inactions.
US presidents Nixon, Clinton and Trump each denied any wrongdoing, despite overwhelming - and sometimes icky - evidence to the contrary. On this side of the pond, Boris Johnson claimed an inability to identify a party, even when he was in attendance. Former foreign secretary Dominic Raab insisted he could not have been paddle-boarding when Kabul fell to the Taliban because, on the day in question, “the sea was closed”. Even among such rarified company, Prince Andrew’s claim that he is unable to sweat might just be the pick of the bunch. They are like small children denying knowledge of a chocolate cake when their face is liberally coated with the proof of its very recent consumption.
If it’s an oil spill or a building collapse; an unforeseen medical side-effect or an ill-advised sexual dalliance, denial has become the default response.
Whether it is the flammable cladding at Grenfell Tower, the RAAC sprinkled liberally through the UK construction industry, or the mass fraud committed by the demolition companies involved in the CMA prosecution, there seems to be a belief that it is possible to be innocent even when PROVEN guilty.
It is a bizarre and counter-intuitive circumstance. We live in an age in which we are all constantly monitored by CCTV, by our banks and by our communications. There is a rolling TV news industry desperate to keep feeding itself (and us) continually with a buffet of gossip, scandal and intrigue. Everything we do, say, write or broadcast can and will be used against us in a court of law.
Despite all of this, the clearly guilty will stare down the barrel of a TV camera lens and deny all culpability, right up to the point (and sometimes beyond) that their lies are laid bare.
The issue of obfuscation has become so ingrained in modern life that there are even proven road maps to aid in the denial.
A footballer accused of domestic abuse? Deny, claim childhood trauma and – when all else fails – play the mental health card.
A politician unable to keep his honourable member in his trousers? Deny and claim to be a vocal advocate for family values. When that fails, have your wife stand tight-lipped by your side, her rage barely concealed, as you issue a carefully-penned yet trite apology.
Government minister that failed to act or that acted wrongly? Deny, and try to blame the opposition or your advisers. When that fails, call for an independent public inquiry (that independent part rarely is; the public part never is).
Demolition company caught up in bid-rigging and price-fixing? Deny and hope that nobody can access your emails. If that fails, confess that you did it, but just a little bit, and that everyone else was at it too.
Do they really think we are buying all this? Are they hoping that we will remember their denial rather than their wrongdoing? If so, they are very much mistaken.
It might not save their political career and it might not rescue them from being cancelled by the public or their peers. But wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear a public figure say: “Yes. I was wrong. I failed. I dropped the ball and generally screwed the pooch and I take full responsibility.”
I won’t hold my breath.