That way you wrote the rant for me. I find it incredible that the author actually wrote "my proudest lie..." Who in their right mind could be proud of lying to a child?

I am going to quibble with one thing:

This kind of parenting is emblematic of what I see as the major problem today: too many parents have little or no respect for their children.

Specifically the word "today." As you note, you were disappointed when you discovered your parents had lied to you. As was I and I am sure many others. This has been a problem for a long time.

In addition to all the excellent points you make, lying to children is, in the not-so-long run, counter productive. Children are not stupid. You can fool them for a little while, but only a little while. The girl who was told "Live Nude" was French will one day have Internet access (if she doesn't already), she will talk to her friends, she will live life in the real world. This lie, and many others, will be discovered. When it is what will she think of her mother's potentially good advice on many topics, for instance, on sex and drugs? Will she think "she lied to me about all those other things, she is lying about this too?"

The lies about food may actually be the most harmful in the long run. When the child discovers all that junk food on their own, with no preparation, what are they going to do? Are they going to continue eating "green rocket ships" and "magic trees with snow" or are they going to buy KFC and McDonald's?

These lies are just a small part of the misinformation campaign the parents are conducting against their children. Ultimately the children will grow up. Ultimately they will make decisions for themselves. If they come to believe that their parents know nothing and in addition have personally experience to back it up, how will they act? I am willing to bet they will act in ways their parents will not like.

Lying, like coercion, can only work in the very short term. It is not the way to build a lasting relationship.