In politics, yesterday's lie is attacked only to flatter

Hearken, O seekers of wisdom, to the words of Jean Rostand, a man who pierced the veil of appearances to speak truth of power: “In politics, yesterday’s lie is attacked only to flatter today’s.” In this saying, he unmasks the nature of politics, where truth is often bent like a reed in the wind, not for justice, but for advantage. For the lie of yesterday is seldom destroyed because it was false; rather, it is destroyed because it no longer serves. And in its place, another falsehood is raised up, adorned with the garlands of the present moment. Thus does Rostand reveal the endless cycle of deception that shadows the halls of power.

This teaching warns us that lies in politics are rarely about truth itself. They are tools, weapons, and ornaments, wielded to gain favor, to hold power, to win the fleeting applause of the crowd. One day a ruler may proclaim a falsehood with fire, and his followers will echo it as if it were scripture. But when the seasons change, and the lie becomes a burden, he will cast it aside, denounce it, and replace it with another—only to appear virtuous in the eyes of today. Such is the shifting ground of politics, where yesterday’s enemies become today’s friends, and yesterday’s truths become today’s betrayals.

History is filled with such transformations. Consider the tale of the Soviet Union under Stalin. One year, a comrade was celebrated as a hero of the revolution; portraits of him were raised, his name written in newspapers as if eternal. Yet, when the winds shifted, that same comrade was denounced as a traitor, his memory erased, his face cut out from photographs. Yesterday’s lie—that he was the loyal son of the state—was attacked, not for love of truth, but to flatter today’s new narrative. The people were taught to cheer for his glory, then cheer for his downfall, with equal fervor. This is the cycle Rostand warns us of: the destruction of lies not for truth’s sake, but for convenience.

Or look to the shifting words of politicians in every age. In the years leading to the Iraq War, leaders spoke of weapons of mass destruction, presenting them as the ultimate threat. The people believed, armies marched, wars were waged. Yet when the weapons were not found, yesterday’s claim was quietly abandoned. Some leaders condemned their own earlier words, not in repentance, but to flatter the demands of a new political season. The truth did not govern; expediency did. Thus Rostand’s words echo across decades, reminding us that what is exalted today may be despised tomorrow—not because truth was discovered, but because power required it.

Let none think that this saying is meant to breed despair. No—it is meant to sharpen the eyes of the people, to train them in discernment. For if you would not be led astray, you must recognize that in politics, truth and lies often wear the same garment. The wise must look not at the garment, but at the hand that drapes it. Ask always: why is this truth exalted now? Why is this lie condemned now? Whom does it serve? Whom does it flatter? By such questions, the soul learns to see through the theater of power.

The lesson, therefore, is this: guard your mind. Do not be quick to praise today’s words, nor quick to condemn yesterday’s, until you have weighed them in the scale of justice. Remember that the applause of the multitude often follows not truth but convenience. Seek not the comfort of shifting slogans, but the strength of eternal principles. For while lies rise and fall like foam upon the sea, truth endures like the deep waters beneath.

And what of action? Let each of you practice vigilance. Do not abandon yesterday’s memory too quickly, nor embrace today’s rhetoric too eagerly. Read deeply, question bravely, and refuse to be a servant of political fashion. Instead, anchor yourself in values that do not change with the hour: integrity, justice, compassion, courage. In this way, you will not be carried away by the tides of falsehood, but will stand like a rock, unmoved.

Thus Rostand’s words live on: “In politics, yesterday’s lie is attacked only to flatter today’s.” Take them not as cynicism, but as armor. For those who see clearly will not be deceived, and those who cling to truth will outlast the lies of every age. And when the lies of today crumble tomorrow, you will remain steadfast, a keeper of memory, a bearer of light.