Send a Quote Enter a brief message. SendOk2 “I think the inherent right of the government to lie to save itself when faced with nuclear disaster is basic -- basic.” ~ Arthur Sylvester (1901- ) Assistant Secretary of DefenseSource: Speech at a meeting of the New York chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, New York City, December 6, 1962, as reported by The Washington Post, December 7, 1962, p. A–2.