Because he was fond of lying

His talent for improvising useful falsehoods is innate; later on, at maturity, he is proud of this; he makes it the index and measure of “political superiority,” and “delights in calling to mind one of his uncles who, in his infancy, prognosticated to him that he would govern the world because he was fond of lying.”

Hippolyte Taine on Napoleon – The Modern Regime (1890-93)

Have we always been lied to by elites and their minions? I think we have in that they always claim to mediate on our behalf. Essentially they always claim directly or indirectly to mediate between some kind of higher necessity and the lower classes. Even when the lower classes have no power to change anything they still do it and they still lie about what they are doing.

Are some people fond of lying as Taine said of Napoleon? Clearly some people are fond of lying in that they do it and seemingly build a parallel world of some kind via their lies. I’ve known of ordinary people who are said to lie as a matter of course. Something I suspect many people have come across. It isn’t wildly unusual, especially if we include dishonest exaggeration and elaboration.

Lies commonly seem designed to establish some kind of socially superior position from petty one-upmanship to large scale political lying designed to establish and maintain political power.

Is COP26 an elaborate festival of lies? Of course it is, that’s how power games are played. It isn’t a game of croquet. We have always been lied to by elites and their minions and it isn’t likely to stop now. Neither is it likely to be thwarted by scientific integrity. Again – integrity is not how the game is played.