The "credenza defense"

Back in the days before the invasion of Iraq, George Bush was quoted as saying that he "didn't have plans for invading Iraq on his desk." I quipped, via this blog, that "no, he has them on his credenza" (look it up if you don't know what that is!) and defined the "credenza defense" - something which is "literally true, but fundamentally a lie and meant to deceive the listener."

And now we have the classic "credenza defense" from President Barack Obama (a.k.a. Bush III), who just a few days ago (mis)informed the world that he was "not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker." And that was literally true. Instead, he used the "civilized" (and less costly) alternative - just get your allies to deny overflight privileges to a civilian airliner (which just happened to be carrying to President of a sovereign country!), thus forcing it to land.

A classic "credenza defense." Less politely, a brazen lie (on top of the outrageous assault on sovereignty, and the demonstration of the utter subservience of the world to its most powerful imperialist power).