xtremely unethical and downright wrong. In addition, to lie about such actions compounds the problem to a point of astounding proportions. Why did these men who were revered and trusted by their men lie or ask others to lie regarding the legitimacy of the MV-22 program? What motivated them to do such things?
             When faced with the question, "Is lying always wrong?" one must consult the great minds and philosophies of St. Augustine and Immanuel Kant. Both of these men held the notion that, "The simplest answer to the problems of lying, at least in principle is to rule out all lies." Kant believed that lying is wrong because it fails the Universal Imperative. This is explained by describing the purpose of lying as an attempt to gain some advantage, which generates a contradiction when made into a universal principle because the advantage depends on a trust that we are telling the truth. In the case of the Osprey scandal, the officers involved may have believed that they were actually doing the right thing by lying to keep the program afloat. In addition, this allows an individual to use another (the victim of a lie) as a mere means by denying the other total consent. Kant further explained his beliefs, "by a lie a man throws away and, as it were, annihilates his dignity as a man." In addition, St. Augustine rejected the idea that some
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