A shockingly reckelss generalization.One of the things that is different in any poorer country is their take on the truth. The truth tends to be whatever is in their best interest.
So, from the rich to the poor? Meaning, even the rich people in a poor country are liars out of self-interest? I suppose he's got a point when you look at "gathering reliable information" about, say, how much things cost. Of course, most things don't have a set cost, and local shoppers know that too, but self-interest probably plays a big role in the fact that foreigners who are dealing with something for the first time feel rather lost and helpless. But I fail to see how you can extend that to the claim that people in poor countries don't value truth.This policy runs from the very top to the very bottom which is why it is hard to gather reliable information about anything.
The examples he lists are telling: a taxi-girl, a moto driver, and a hotel employee. I wouldn't mind debating some questions with those guys. But so many of them seemed so affected by their experiences with whores that their whole view of the country is just warped.The point is everyone will lie to you in a heartbeat because truth has very little value here.
I can see some guys getting lied to by whores, and taxi drivers, and the dudes at cheap short-time hotels. But to then generalize, and claim that Cambodians have no regard for truth because they're poor, is just demented.
He's right: those people are lying to him out of self-interest because he's an ignorant foreigner. But they're not typical of Khmers. I wonder if he's ever been out into the provinces, where people will come up to you out of curiosity, and go out of their way to make you feel welcome, and expect nothing at all in return. I wonder if he's ever had personal relationships with university students, office girls, or business people.
Everyone brings up keeping face, as though it's the same thing as lying. They're totally different concepts. If someone's made a mistake, you keep face by ignoring it to prevent everyone, not only the one who's made the mistake, from feeling humiliated.Keeping face has great value however so don't expect too many people to say to you sorry or that they were wrong.
I can just imagine some sorry fucks flying in to Phnom Penh, having several little relationships withh whores every year, and then feeling like the whole country is a shithole of lying, cheating little snakes.
To say that "everyone will lie to you in a heartbeat" is perhaps more a reflection about who YOU are than who EVERYONE ELSE in Cambodia is.