The Past Is Always With Us, We Can See It In The Present

'They [the French government of 1939/40] had developed that technique for lying to themselves to such a degree of perfection that the term 'In good faith' no longer had any meaning; for when self deception becomes routine it ceases to be an excuse meant anything'

From page 119 of the book 'Scum of the Earth' (published 1942 by Cape, Arthur Koestler)

And again, from page 227

'The tragedy is that we move in a vicious circle, without education of the masses, no political progress; but without political progress no education of the masses'. 

Thus proving the fake sincerity in politics produces a fake representative democracy, the democratic equivalent of religions fuelled by cheap grace. Both the politics and religion end up encouraging utter cynicism.