Yes, that includes yours. It is in the nature of any government to spread miss-information and lies when doing so is in its interest. It is our duty as well-informed citizens to listen to what our government says and then fact-check these statements using the one corrective agent that’s supposedly available in a pluralistic society: The free press. In the U.S., the press is not completely “free” but bound by commercial and political constraints. It is also owned to a large extend by corporate interests that have their own agenda. To get the best picture of what is really going on, especially when it comes to international matters which are not covered well by the U.S. mainstream media, it is helpful to read foreign media accounts as well as national ones.
Turns out someone named I.F. Stone had the above insight long, long ago. Stumbled onto this while googleing the “governments lie” phrase. Read this remarkable book review on the subject to I.F. Stone in the NYT.
For some specific examples of recent Government lies I recommend this essay.
