(... and whilst we are on the theme of the period...)If liars' pants really did catch on fire, watching the news would be so much more fun!
If hush'd the loud whirlwind that ruffled the deep,
the sky if no longer dark tempests deform;
When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?
No! Here's to the pilot that weather'd the storm! George Canning, British Prime Minister, 1827 [Alright, so this was 200 years ago, but... BTW, he died after just 118 days in that office]
It is scary how easily so many people can be brainwashed by sheer repetition of a word. Dr Thomas Sowell, US Philosopher