Word Smith: Perfidy
“…. Pretending to be a civilian in order to get your enemies to lower their guard. And then attacking and killing them.” That phrase sounds a lot like the story that unfolded in the New York Times today (January 12, 2026), as the US government unleashed their latest aerial attack on Venezuela.
Perfidy, according to Merriam Webster, means a deliberate breach of faith, trust, or loyalty, essentially treachery or faithlessness, often involving calculated deceit to betray someone who trusted you, such as feigning surrender in war to ambush an enemy or a politician secretly working against their own nation (treason). It’s a severe form of betrayal, stemming from Latin roots meaning “beyond faith” (per-fidem).[1]
According to the NYT reporters: “The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first attack on a boat that the Trump administration said was smuggling drugs, killing 11 people last September, according to officials briefed on the matter. The aircraft also carried its munitions inside the fuselage, rather than visibly under its wings,” they said.
“The nonmilitary appearance is significant, according to legal specialists, because the administration has argued its lethal boat attacks are lawful, not murders, because President Trump, using his own sense of justice, “determined” that the United States is in an armed conflict with drug cartels.”
“But the laws of armed conflict prohibit combatants from feigning civilian status to fool adversaries into dropping their guard, then attacking and killing them. That is a war crime called ‘perfidy.’”
Key Aspects of Perfidy:
- Intentionality: It’s a conscious act, not accidental.
- Breach of Trust: Relies on an existing relationship or expectation of loyalty.
- Deceit: Involves trickery to make someone believe in your good intentions.
Examples of the Tactics:
- In Warfare: Pretending to surrender (e.g., raising a white flag) only to attack when the enemy lowers their guard.
- In Politics: A spy revealing secrets to an enemy nation.
- In Personal Relationships: A trusted friend secretly undermining another for personal gain.
Synonyms of Perfidy: Treachery, betrayal, disloyalty, treason, faithlessness, double-crossing, sellout
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfidy
[2] Article in the New York Times today…
Henry E. Hooper 