plog (what we ponder)
april 09
When can we call you a liar?
Or cheat, con artist, dissimulator, fabricator, misleader, phony, prevaricator,
or trickster?
We try to choose our words carefully and only say what we mean, but
how long do we accept falsehoods from someone until we start questioning
them? Not only questioning the veracity of what they are saying, but
questioning their very character. In other words, when is it safe to
call someone a liar?
What we’re talking about is
a recent article published in the Star Bulletin on Friday, April 3,
2009. In the article titled,
Isle Housing Bottom Seen, the reporter quotes Harvey Shapiro, a
research economist for the Honolulu Board of Realtors, who says, “I’m
going out on a limb here and say that we may be close to a bottom” in
terms of housing prices. He goes
on to say that based on his read of the recent data, Hawaii has hit
bottom and housing prices are going to start going up. Oh really? Is
that a fact?
No. It’s just his opinion. It’s crazy speak. And at worst, it's a
lie.
Why do we say that?
Because here we are at the beginning of what is probably
the second
worst economic crisis in the last 100 years, and Mr. Shapiro is already
telling us we’ve hit bottom. You’ve got to be kidding?
What’s even more incredible is that he is totally serious, which
leads us to ask one of three questions:
1)
Is he insane?
2)
Is he mentally compromised?
3)
Is he just flat-out lying because he
works for realtors?
Let’s take a little closer look.
If you do a quick background check on Mr. Shapiro (you
don’t have to look far, he isn’t hiding), you will find he worked as
an arbitrator with the Federal Mediation Service in Washington, D.C. and
moved to Hawaii in 1986 and ultimately took a position as a research
economist with the Honolulu Board of Realtors, a position he holds to
this day. Given that and the fact that he regularly contributes to
Hawaii newspapers as a blogger and expert consultant (and smokes a pipe),
we can only assume he at least talks a good game and would be considered
by most to be sane and competent. However, that leaves us pondering
the third possibility: he’s lying.
If that is indeed the case, then we find that to be deeply
disturbing on a number of levels.
First, on intellectual grounds, how can he justify stating something
that is clearly not true in the face of overwhelming evidence to the
contrary?
Second, on moral grounds, how can he justify lying when this crisis
has spread worldwide and is causing real suffering for real people?
It’s one thing to lie if it only
affects you, but it’s quite another when it starts hurting other people.
The word “antisocial” comes to
mind.
And finally, on patriotic grounds, how can he justify lying knowing
full well the media is publishing this information, the public is buying
on advice like this, and the Federal government might collapse in trying
to stop all this madness. The
stability of our economy is our national security.
If you must know, the truth, to the best of our knowledge, is simply
this:
Hawaii home prices have not
hit bottom and are nowhere near bottom.
It is the absolute worst time to buy. Harvey Shapiro, at best, is wrong and at worst, is spreading
lies.
Hawaii home prices will not
hit bottom for a long time, at least for another 2-3 years, if that.
In fact, we recently posted a specific
example of how drastically prices have fallen and how far they have yet
to fall.
As this crisis grows, we all have a duty to call these people out
and start confronting them. Like we said, it is one thing to hurt
yourself and quite another to hurt innocent others.
Here’s another truth.
Good people have to start standing up and speaking out and can no
longer afford complacency while the same people
who brought this crisis on go along their merry way at the expense of
the entire country and global community.
Does this look like the face of falsehood?
