The official version of Watergate is as wrong as a Flat Earth

Hear the bold words of G. Gordon Liddy, a man enmeshed in one of the most infamous scandals of the modern age, who declared: “The official version of Watergate is as wrong as a Flat Earth Society pamphlet.” In these words we hear not only defiance, but also a challenge: the challenge to question what is proclaimed as truth by authorities, to recognize that official narratives are not always the full story. Like the stubborn myth of a flat earth, the “official” accounts can sometimes conceal, distort, or simplify the tangled threads of reality.

For the scandal of Watergate, which shook the foundations of the American republic in the 1970s, was not merely about a break-in at the Democratic headquarters. It was about the abuse of power, the corruption of leadership, and the desperate attempts of those in high places to shield themselves from exposure. Yet, as Liddy suggests, the official record—the neat account preserved in history books and press releases—may not capture the full chaos, complexity, and hidden motives of those days. Just as a Flat Earth Society pamphlet claims to explain the world while denying its vastness, so too might “official versions” deny the deeper truths.

History offers many mirrors to this pattern. Consider the fall of the Roman Republic. The official accounts of the Senate painted men like Julius Caesar as tyrants hungry for glory. Yet beneath these proclamations lay the truth of a corrupt Senate, clinging to privilege while neglecting the needs of the people. The story handed down by authority was not the same as the reality lived by the common man. So too with Watergate: the “official version” may smooth the rough edges, but those who were there, like Liddy, knew the shadows ran deeper.

Yet one must tread carefully, O listeners. For though official accounts may fail, not all denials are truth, and not all conspiracies are wisdom. The Flat Earth Society itself is proof of this: clinging to a falsehood in the face of overwhelming evidence. Thus, Liddy’s words carry a double-edged lesson. On the one hand, do not accept the official version blindly. On the other, do not be so quick to reject it that you embrace falsehoods of your own. Between blind faith in authority and reckless rejection lies the path of discernment.

The deeper meaning of Liddy’s saying is this: the truth of events, especially great political upheavals, is rarely simple. Power has a way of cloaking itself in half-truths. Leaders seek to preserve legacies, institutions strive to protect themselves, and historians often compress vast complexities into tidy stories. Thus, we must be vigilant, questioning, and humble, recognizing that the truth of the past often lies scattered among the testimonies of the powerful and the powerless alike.

The lesson, then, is not to fall prey to easy answers. In your own lives, when you hear “official versions” of events—whether from governments, corporations, or even communities—do not accept them without reflection. Ask who benefits from this telling, what voices are missing, and what deeper motives may lie beneath. But also guard your mind against the temptation of cynicism, which believes every authority is false and every alternative is true. The wise soul balances skepticism with reason, doubt with evidence, humility with courage.

Therefore, let us take Liddy’s words as a call to vigilance. When confronted with the stories of the world, whether great scandals or small disputes, be seekers of truth. Do not be deceived by pamphlets that deny the roundness of the earth, nor by official records that deny the complexity of power. Train your heart and mind to question, to weigh, and to discern.

Thus remember: “The official version of Watergate is as wrong as a Flat Earth Society pamphlet.” This is not only a statement about history, but about the nature of truth itself. It reminds us that truth must be pursued, not passively received. And it is in this pursuit, in this ceaseless questioning, that we preserve both freedom and wisdom for generations yet to come.