Mr. Big

Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Minister of Propaganda, was born on October 29th, 1897.  As you probably know, he died in 1945, committing suicide the day after Hitler shot himself. I don't have much to say about Goebbels.  He was one of the great villains of World War II, of course, but I can't add much to what countless others have said.

I would like to comment, though, on a phrase that's often attributed to him, the "Big Lie." (It's also attributed to Hitler.) The idea is if you tell a lie that's big enough, and keep repeating it, people will believe it.  After all, who would say something so outrageous if it weren't true?  Thus, Nazi propaganda.

Actually, there's no solid evidence he wrote anything like this.  What he is known to have written is that the British lied, and lied big. (Meanwhile, Hitler accused the Jews of spreading big lies.)

I question if Goebbels knowingly used the Big Lie technique.  Why would he rise so high in the Nazi ranks, and fight so hard for them, even die for them, if he didn't essentially believe in their cause?  The Nazis were hateful, but that doesn't mean they were cynical.

In a larger sense, does the Big Lie work?  I don't think so.  I mean, looking at history, nonsense can succeed as much as truth, but it probably helps if you believe what you're saying. And then it's not a lie. (I'm not claiming, by the way, you can't force people into submission by saying things that are clearly false when those lies are backed with tremendous, crushing power. But in that case the people are just pretending something is true, and know better.)

No, the Big Lie is not a phrase people use about themselves.  They save it to attack people they disagree with.  You can make the charge cynically--say they're lying when you don't think they are--or you can do it honestly--believe they're lying whether they are or not.  But either way, it's become an overused rhetorical device that I wish we'd retire.