Closer to home, the Kingdom despises Syrian President Bashar al Assad for his alliance with Iran and duplicity in Lebanon. But his fall would present the Saudis with the risk of a country led by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The philosophy of sumud is rooted in Palestinians implacable belief in the righteousness of their cause and the justness of their methods. It operates both passively and actively in Palestinian culture, demanding stubbornness and tolerating ruthlessness, violence, and duplicity.

For hard line Communists, he was a hero three times over historical, patriotic, and world class. For the brave and charismatic dissident Wei Jingsheng, Mao cast virtually the whole of China into a state of violence, duplicity, and poverty.

There is a conceptual barrier to understanding the problems that officials might face in regulating crowdfunding, owing to the failure of prevailing economic models to account for the manipulative and devious aspects of human behavior. Economists typically describe people s rational, honest side, but ignore their duplicity.

China s willingness to arm and defend African dictators, even in the teeth of UN sanctions, as in Libya, undermines its claim to a peaceful rise. Given China s Libyan duplicity, the world should now determine whether it is a country that obeys international rules only when doing so suits its interests.

Part of the reason for Berlusconi s longevity despite his many stumbles is cultural. As in other Latin or Mediterranean countries with a strong Catholic tradition, Italian society long ago learned to accept serenely a life of duplicity on the one hand, a strong attachment to church and family values, and on the other a second life often lived in plain sight composed of mistresses and other dubious connections.