[ QUOTE ]
Is there any kind of litmus test you can apply to when it is acceptable for a goverment to lie? Of course, this is all subjective and personal opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

I suspect that for the vast majority of people, the test is "when my side is in power, any lie by the government is justified because they know best, and when the other side is in power, any lie should be punishiable by firing squad because those people are evil". See, e.g., any Felix, BGC or El Barto post. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]