Issue #91 – Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Posted by Denny Hatch
I wish I were in love again!
Babes in Arms, 1937
—Lorenz Hart and Richard Rogers
—Lorenz Hart and Richard Rogers
Donald Trump Is a Pathological Liar.
Question: Does He Believe All His Lies?
Donald Trump told 16,241 lies in his first three years as
president.
That’s 15 lies per day. 104
per week, every week of his presidency.
These are verifiable lies.
He will say something that
directly contradicts something he said on live TV or on Twitter yesterday. Or
Last month. Or last year.
Trump seems to have no memory
of what he said in the past.
He speaks with no knowledge of
history. Of politics. Of Science. Of the Constitution.
Yet, from the bully's pulpit he
blurts out whatever nitwittery of the moment pops into his head.
The Entire A-Team Is Gone. Also the
B’s, C’s, D’s and E’s.
A White House Now Filled with
Frightened F’s.
Okay, it is widely agreed that Donald Trump is one sick puppy.
And everyone on the White House F-Team is scared to death of the guy, terrified
of a personal presidential tweet. Fearful for their jobs. None
of the cowering cowards on the F-team dares to question the Dear Leader or gently
suggest how to steer him toward transparency, empathy and science.
The logical hypothesis: Since nobody dares tell Trump the truth, the
president invents his own truths. The technical term is that he is living in a
bubble of “alternate reality.”
What I really want to know is: Does Trump know he’s lying?
Or like the Larry Hart’s lyric, does his "self-deception believe the lie?"
If he honestly believes his lies, then he isn’t lying.
Is he?
Backgrounder
Thirty-five or
more years ago publishing consultant Paul Goldberg and I had as a client, Julian
M. Snyder, a hulking guy with jet-black tousled hair and owlish horn-rimmed
glasses who looked rather like Garrison Keillor, host of the legendary radio
show A Prairie Home Companion. He was a world-renowned economist and
publisher of the newsletter, International
Moneyline.
Snyder achieved
fame—and made a fortune for himself and his subscribers—by correctly calling
every turn of gold during a 10-year ride, culminating in its Jan. 21, 1980 high
of $850 per ounce, whereupon his clients made more money with judicious short
sales on advice from Snyder.
Julian
Snyder Discovers Dektor
At some point,
Snyder came across The Dektor PSE Psychological Stress Evaluator. The
technology of Voice StressTM was invented in 1969 by two trained U.S. Army
counter-intelligence polygraph examiners—Col. Charles R. McQuiston and Col.
Allan Bell, CIA station chief in West Berlin and later Seoul.
In a nutshell,
when people—men or women—are telling a deliberate lie, the voice exhibits
stress. This voice stress is subtle—not perceptible to the naked human ear. But
with modern electronics, this voice variation is detectible and obvious.
THE PINOCCHIO MACHINE
Dektor PSE-101 Can Tell You
Instantly
Whether or Not a Person Is Telling a
Lie
The
Bell-McQuiston machine was a huge technological advance. Old-fashioned
polygraph machines—invented around 1916—are cumbersome, requiring wires
attached to the body of the person being examined.
Dektor, on the
other hand reportedly can detect a lie instantly and accurately in any
environment:
• Face to face.
• Listening in on the telephone
• On TV or radio.
• Even over a public address system.
• It also works in any language.
This is not “yes” and “no” stuff. Entire
speeches and conversations can be analyzed and all the lies throughout
revealed.
For example, if
the president of Iran, speaking Persian, said Irani nuclear research was being
done for peaceful purposes only and not at all for weaponry—and if he were
lying—the machine would pick up the stress in his voice and chart it.
Col. Bell
tested his new machine in front of his television set on the game show, “To
Tell the Truth.” Twenty-five shows of three subjects each were evaluated. In
each segment, two subjects lied about their name and occupation. One told the
truth. Of the 75 subject evaluations, 71 were correctly called—an accuracy of
94.7%.
Julian Snyder
summoned Goldberg and myself to a meeting at his office in downtown New York
and stunned us with the news that he wanted to launch a biweekly newsletter, The Truth. It was totally alien to his core
business—advice to investors on the fluctuations in the price of gold.
The
Wild Premise
Julian’s
business model: the editors would set up this machine in front of presidential
speeches, press conferences, congressional hearings, perp walks and corporate
stockholder meetings, and reveal who was lying and who was telling the truth.
Investors and gamblers could make a ton of money in all kinds of industries.
It was the
ultimate Pinocchio Machine!
Paul and I loved
it! We immediately dubbed it “De Troot,” which is what we called it when we
reminisced about those days.
I went home and
wrote and designed a barn burner of a dry test mailing. Here are the three main
elements:
Five Reasons Why It Bombed
• In
retrospect, it was not a good idea to call President Ronald Reagan a liar in
huge type on the outside envelope.
• It smacked of
snake oil.
• This was
pre-Internet. Snyder was selling old news. A twice-a-month print newsletter
sent by mail meant subscribers would receive the revelations three or four weeks
late.
• People want
instant gratification.
• Demanding
payment with order (as opposed to “bill me”) depresses up-front response.
Asking for cash for an unknown product can be a deal killer. (Today, with
online ordering, people expect to give their credit info knowing full well
they’ll get a refund if dissatisfied.)
The
Voice Stress Evaluator Today and Donald Trump
The most recent iteration of the Dektor
machine was a software program that could function on a desktop computer, iPad
or Smartphone.
Set one of these fellas up in front of any presentation—political speech,
business press conference, convention webinar, telephone call—and you’ll know instantly
who’s Bee-essing you.
Why Set Up a Voice Stress Analyzer
In Front of a Donald Trump
Appearance?
At first blush it would be a pointless waste of time. Trump lies all the
time about pretty much everything. And every lie can be debunked.
But is Trump deliberately lying?
Does he know he’s lying?
Or is he so caught up in his cockamamie alternative reality that he
believes he is spewing absolute truths?
The Voice Stress Analyzer can tell when the voice is stressed. A stressed
voice does not absolutely, positively guarantee a lie is being told. Remember
this paragraph earlier in this post:
Col. Bell
tested his new machine in front of his television set on the game show, “To
Tell the Truth.” Twenty-five shows of three subjects each were evaluated. In
each segment, two subjects lied about their name and occupation and one told
the truth. Of the 75 subject evaluations, 71 were correctly called—an accuracy
of 94.7%.
In short, I
want to know if Trump’s voice is ever stressed—and if so, when is it stressed?
If it’s not
stressed when he’s telling obvious lies, it adds an entirely new dimension to
our understanding of the muddled hash of a brain inside the golden noggin of the
45th President of the United States.
The
End of Dektor
Alas Dektor got
into a nasty squabble with another voice stress company and was hit with a huge
punitive fine of $850,000 for damages for intentional false advertising. The
company went out of business in 2019.
But OMG! I’d
love to resurrect one of these Pinocchio Machines and set it up in front of the
TV during a Trump press briefing!
The furtive sigh
The blackened eye
The words "I'll love you till the day I die"
The self-deception that believes the lie
I wish I were in love again
—Lorenz Hart
Related Stories:
Investigation and Evaluation of Voice Stress Analysis Technology
The furtive sigh
The blackened eye
The words "I'll love you till the day I die"
The self-deception that believes the lie
I wish I were in love again
—Lorenz Hart
Related Stories:
Investigation and Evaluation of Voice Stress Analysis Technology
The
History of Voice Stress Analysis: The Original Dektor Counterintelligence and
Security Inc.
https://www.cvsa1.com/history/the-history-of-voice-stress-analysis-the-original-dektor-counterintelligence-and-security-inc/
NITV Federal Services Wins Massive Lawsuit Against Arthur Herring/Dektor Corp. https://www.cvsa1.com/journal-of-continuing-education/nitv-fs-wins-massive-judgement-against-dektor-corporation/
Even in Default, Damages Must Still Be Shown https://tushnet.com/2020/02/18/even-in-default-damages-must-still-be-shown/
NITV Federal Services Wins Massive Lawsuit Against Arthur Herring/Dektor Corp. https://www.cvsa1.com/journal-of-continuing-education/nitv-fs-wins-massive-judgement-against-dektor-corporation/
Even in Default, Damages Must Still Be Shown https://tushnet.com/2020/02/18/even-in-default-damages-must-still-be-shown/
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Word Count: 1329
Hi Denny,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I'm a Trump supporter so that could affect my response. Obviously, as I've seen in your recent posts, you are a non-supporter. I could go into Hillery this or Obama that or ask the sources of the facts you proffer. But I'd rather stick to what your blog purports to be, a source of knowledge and inspiration for marketers.
I have for years enjoyed reading your case histories and the depth of knowledge you share from your decades in the business. But when you start going after our President for what seems to be the soul purpose of garnering readers, especially in a time unlike any we've ever seen when we should all come together, I'll say no thank you. I'm certain you have a wealth of knowledge you could share without going down that road, but you've chosen not to and I'm perplexed. You will automatically turn off 50% of your readers and to what purpose?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and case history's, but from my point of view, please consider leaving the politics out. It's unbecoming to someone of your stature.
Steve
Hey, Steve Woodburn,
DeleteMany thanks for taking the time to comment.
I did not expect to win Republican/Trump supporters. My opinion: this is a marketing story…. (Julian Snyder’s The Truth newsletter)… with a relevant follow-up (possible voice stress by the president).
Everything (for the most part) that I do has some relationship to marketing. The exception: the “public service” video of my yoga workout. That sprung from having a number of men geezer friends—younger than I—that have a terrible time walking, getting in and out of cars, etc.
http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/03/87-geezer-fast-yoga.html
Regarding losing 50% of my readers I disagree. Trump is a minority president who lost the popular vote.
CNN: “The Democrat outpaced President-elect Donald Trump by almost 2.9 million votes, with 65,844,954 (48.2%) to his 62,979,879 (46.1%), according to revised and certified final election results from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.”
So basically I can say what I want. And readers who write in can say what they want. I love criticism. It shows me I’m getting some readership.
Yeah, I hated Hillary. I voted for her holding my nose.
Do keep in touch.
When a "super" salesman keeps talking until you say yes, he has no conception of what he says. He talks until he gets what he wants. We've seen what happens when someone challenges the salesman. He/she gets fired. Trump does not know he lies; rather he keeps on talking without challenge. The public who support Trump seemingly benefits from his mis-truths. The growth of a 401K can cloud the implications of the lie. "I'm making a buck; he can say whatever he wants. Morality and character don't enter into it. I'll sacrifice integrity to benefit financially". At this time, one-third of the market growth has disappeared. Plus we have a plague. Can lies help us when we face dire circumstances? How long will we continue to believe him? Maybe we need to have a family member get the virus with nothing in the pocket. Sad.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey!
DeleteThank you, thank you for taking the time to write.
Brilliant comment!
The salesman who keeps blathering until the prospect says yes.
Trump supporters family members will indeed become infected, sick and die. His pro 40% of the electorate in as much danger as the anti 60%. It’s 200 days to the election.
In addition, following the conventions (whatever shape they may take), I am convinced Michael Bloomberg will drop $500 million up to $1Bbn or more with devastating, laser precision anti-Trump spots all over TV, Internet, Social Media and maybe even print. This is going to be fascinating. Do keep in touch!
Well Denny, this new blog left me cold. One can argue that politics is marketing....to the extreme. In my opinion political marketing is the dark side of our very worthwhile profession. It’s like receiving calls/e-mails from some time share company telling me that I just won an free vacation worth $4,000 and all I have to do to claim this gift is charge $100 to my credit card to cover the paperwork cost. I call this “paltering” because I choose not to use the more accurate term of BS. All politicians do it.... Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Independents and even Wickens. I believe that your blog is better served discussing the pros and cons of B2C and B2B marketing where your subscribers can enhance their knowledge and skills as well as share experiences/opinions that move our industry to a higher level of professionalism. Politics, as has certainly been proven over the past four years, is not a good example of anything worthwhile. We need to set the standard of excellence as opposed to wallowing in the political swamp. Maybe there is a reason that our country’s voters have had to choose between some mediocre and pretty lousy people who have run for elected office over the past twenty years. Our country has some fabulous business leaders who could unite our citizenry and uplift our fine country. But why would any capable person run for office when our media works to crucify them? The talking heads and purveyors of fake news from both sides of the ideological divide have created a crap storm of misinformation that most Americans internalize and use as a baseline for their points of view....right, wrong or otherwise. Both Trump and Clinton are greatly flawed people, neither of which deserved to be President. Maybe you shouldn’t have held your nose when you voted, you should have covered your ears. Over two centuries ago a philosopher, named Joseph de Maistre, summarized the situation quite succinctly....”Every nation gets the government it deserves.” I wish us all good luck over the next four years, regardless which party controls Congress and our nation.
ReplyDeleteFred,
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you for your long, thoughtful, well-written Op-Ed. My thoughts:
>> I believe that your blog is better served discussing the pros and cons of B2C and B2B marketing where your subscribers can enhance their knowledge and skills as well as share experiences/opinions that move our industry to a higher level of professionalism.<<
• The post started out with B2C and B2B marketing—a direct mailing, the dry test for a newsletter called THE TRUTH, the thinking behind its creation, the results and why it bombed.
• I gather you are telling me I cannot take what I may have learned from many hours spent working with that product and trying to use that knowledge to better understand the inner workings of the mind of the most powerful man on earth and why he delivered to the American people and to the world 16,241 verifiable lies in the first three years of his presidency. And how he could belittle, insult and crap all over the experts, devoted HHS scientists, scholars, state governors, federal workers, intelligence community, diplomats and politicians of both parties whose allegiance is to their constituents. Not to mention his disparagement of the distinguished military men he hired, crapped on and fired.
>> The talking heads and purveyors of fake news from both sides of the ideological divide have created a crap storm of misinformation that most Americans internalize and use as a baseline for their points of view....right, wrong or otherwise.<<
• Here we agree. The media are driven by ratings. They gleefully covered his endless rallies and campaign appearances (including the disparagement and gross insults directed at any and all opposition candidates. In short, the media elected Donald Trump.
• “Donald Trump has gotten the equivalent of nearly $3 billion in free advertising since last May, according to the latest statistics from the firm mediaQuant, blowing away rivals in both parties.”—Robert Schroeder, MarketWatch, 05/06/2016 https://tinyurl.com/y5xadc54
>> Our country has some fabulous business leaders who could unite our citizenry and uplift our fine country.<<
• Yeah. Let’s start with the “fabulous” CEOs of the 91 Fortune 500 companies that pay no federal taxes. Starting with Amazon. https://tinyurl.com/uxtlrbx
• Then add in the stellar CEOs of these 15 U.S. companies who send the most jobs overseas. https://tinyurl.com/y85evcl6
>> Both Trump and Clinton are greatly flawed people, neither of which deserved to be President.<<
• You failed to mention Obama who was born in Kenya and had no right to be president.
>> I wish us all good luck over the next four years, regardless which party controls Congress and our nation.<<
>>”Luck” is an unfortunate word on which to pin the future of the country and the planet.
Oh my. I generally look forward to what I can learn from each of your blog posts. But this one is so disappointing. I'm a student of marketing, and I'm also a Trump supporter. And to my ears, a whole lot of what you are calling lies are (1) not lies, but a rightly frustrated President blurting out truth in a sea of spin and misinformation, and (2) not coming from an alternate reality, but from a clear-eyed view of what this country is about. It is so obvious to me how much President Trump loves our country; those who have the humility to see it can't miss it. But if you really want to talk about lies, talk about the misrepresentation and word-twisting by much of the media within moments after one of the President's pressers. I happen to enjoy the fact that President Trump is a "blurter." I find it refreshing. I understand perfectly well what he means, as does everyone in the room, if they would only be honest with themselves.
ReplyDelete