Being Accused Of Fraud Is Worse Than The Actual Infringement

When deception becomes the rule, honesty suddenly looks very stupid.

a crowd fights in the mud, throwing dirt at each other, dystopian, futuristic, digital art — by DALL·E

Recently, I have been reading about election fraud. The practice, as nefarious as it is, carries a passenger that often remains hidden until it is too late. This stealthy, almost undetectable presence is the virus that will remain, the bacteria responsible for the rotten system we will be left with. I refer to the accusations of cheating. How could the accusation be worse than the act itself? Well, the action happens once, while the allegation becomes the nature of the context henceforth.

Accusing people of fraud is one of the most insidious tools used by fraudsters. They will cheat, get caught and then decry the flaws of the system in which they operate. They will point fingers at everyone, with no regard for evidence or logic, and they will claim they were also the victims of a corrupt establishment. How could they not cheat when everybody else did it?

Once the dirt is out, nobody can be clean. Regardless of our transparency and track record, once the game is tainted, all the players will be by their association. There is no escaping cheating when we perceive it as part and parcel of what we do. Indeed, in some sports, parents encourage their children to fake injuries or simulate falls, praising them for doing so if it clinched the game. Once the malpractice has been occurring for long enough, nobody will bat an eyelid — if we do, we will soon be considered romantics, purists or daydreamers. When deception becomes the rule, honesty suddenly looks very stupid.

Those who have never cheated and will never be tempted to do so are at a disadvantage. Thus, we must seek exclusion for those who break the rules. We must devise thorough systems that determine who is a con artist and who isn’t. The cost of pointing fingers without concrete evidence must be high enough to deter those in the business of mass misinformation and conscious deceit.

Ah, if only we could automate fact-checking and label those continually infringing on the fundamental rules of coexistence…

Written while listening to ‘Landmarks’ by Celer & Forest Management.

Thank you for reading! I really appreciate your support.

If you become a Medium member using this link, half the monthly fee will come directly to me for as long as you remain a member.

Who am I, you ask?

I am a musician who writes and a writer who makes music. You can enter my world here.