A Political Paradox

Recently, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), proved himself one of the more boorish members of the House when he uttered "you lie" to President Barack Obama, during Obama's address to a joint session of Congress. Since the President was speaking when Wilson laid his insult upon the table, meaning that his lips were moving, and since the President is a politician, clearly Wilson's charge was correct.

However, Wilson is also a politician, and his lips must have been moving when he uttered "you lie" (I have confirmed that Wilson is not a trained ventriloquist). In accordance with generally accepted rules of political discourse, Wilson must also be lying. If Wilson's "you lie" was a lie, then the President must have been telling the truth. At the risked of being repetitive, however, you'll remember that the President is a politician, and his lips were moving. Q.E.D.

Both men cannot have been lying, yet there appears to be strong, cumulative evidence that they were. Therein is the paradox. It cries out to be solved. No partisans need attempt a solution; only a trained, non-partisan logician is qualified to solve this. One can only hope that such a man is lingering close by, however, some less complex paradoxes have waited centuries for resolution, so an answer may not be close at hand.