But sometimes I wonder whether there isn’t a section of the public that wants to be lied to. Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the most moral of us all?

Yes, absolutely! As a rule, the most effective liars are ones who convince themselves of their own lies and then tell others afterwards. Isn’t that what “The Noble Lie” is all about?

The Grand Inquisitor cares about the stability of the State. He fears what would happen when people stop believing in the state religion and thus stop regarding the state as legitimate. Was the Grand Inquisitor was acting as responsible statesman by ensuring the continuation of the status quo?

Yes, freedom is important. However, most people don’t want freedom, at least not as much as they want other things. If given a choice between their own individual freedom and letting some demagogue give them an opportunity to vent their spleen against a convenient scapegoat, most people will probably vote for a demagogue.

How can one believe in democracy when the majority votes for Communists or Islamists whose policy is “One Man, One Vote, One Time”? There are times and places when people would vote for the very leaders who later murder them; if we refuse to accept that possibility, we are living a lie.