As we know, U.S. authorities, backed by the Centers for Disease Control, are now recommending we cover up our noses and mouths with masks, after weeks of having said the opposite. That a five-cent procedural mask should take center stage in our discussions about societal distrust is almost disappointing in its banality. But the lie was simple and the stakes were high. Our surgeon general told us, “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus.” (Thanks, Jerome Adams.) Members of Congress tweeted out statements like, “Stop wearing face masks.” (Thanks, Eric Swalwell.) “Oh, and face masks? You can pass on them,” offered Vox. (Thanks, Voxsplainers.) Other major media outlets relayed similar messages without any apparent skepticism. From the start, the motive behind the claims that masks don’t work, to conserve gear for frontline workers, was obvious. The means, deceiving the public, was depressingly familiar.