“Myth” in Politics

Extract

The Government fashions an imaginary world that pleases it, and then conies to believe in the reality of that world and acts as though it were real.

-Hans J. Morgenthau, New York Times Magazine, April 18, 1965

Words are like people; they have many relatives and companions. When you decide to marry a word to your particular purpose, it is thus well to make clear in advance that it is the word you want and not the whole family of associations. "Myth," of course, is a much-used and well-battered word. But in spite of varied usage, "myth" remains in linguistic currency and, if carefully defined, can be serviceable.