What Would a True Fact-Check of the Last Presidential Debate Look Like?

Lies told by Elites are Treated as the Truth.

There are different types of lies. There are lies that politicians tell to promote themselves, protect themselves from scandals, and deface others. Those are more “localized lies”. However, a more malignant lie runs rampant and infests our society. These lies are continuously imposed on the population by the media and politicians. The media, in particular, plays a significant role in perpetuating these “establishment lies,” often presenting self-serving and dishonest portrayals of our political and socioeconomic systems’ functioning. These lies are protected from dissent and are not even acknowledged as falsehoods. Those who have had these narratives inflicted upon them are the ones who cling hardest to them.

These are lies that defend the narratives that the US runs on.

After Tuesday’s debate, different media outlets “fact-checked” what was said. Often criticized were Trump’s claims about pets being eaten and “post-birth abortions.” Harris was called out for her claims that she never opposed fracking, even though she ran on that platform in her 2020 campaign. Harris also falsely claimed that “Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression." That is where any intelligent fact-checking analysis stops. That’s where the mainstream media draws the line.

But the factually false statements of Harris and Trump pale compared to the falsehoods we are told daily on behalf of the empire. Both candidates went along with the establishment narrative presented to them, and that’s where the actual problem was with the debate. The media operates in a small spectrum of acceptable ideas. The debates are essentially mainstream events, so all the questions asked were within the parameters of the official establishment narrative.

That brings up an important thought experiment. What would a true, post-mortem, real fact-check of the debate look like?

The Ukraine War

Both candidates took turns calling the other one weak. It’s another way of chest-pounding and declaring themselves the better warrior chief.

Trump pours on the bravado:

“This would have never happened. I will get that settled and fast. And I'll get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended. If I'm President-Elect, I'll get it done before even becoming president”.

Trump did not outright start new wars, but he kept bombing Afghanistan and Syria. He also took assassinated an Iranian general. This shows that he is not immune from the pressure of the MIC. Right now, there is nothing the MIC is more fanatical and crazed about than the Ukraine war, to the point of destroying the entire planet. That is undeniably an area where the establishment won’t budge.

One of the reasons that the “forever wars” continue is because no sitting president wants to be the one to withdraw and be associated with defeat. It’s terrible PR; it makes them look weak and incompetent. Biden had a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan but immediately pivoted to a new war in Ukraine that drew national attention away from Afghanistan. Also, the Afghanistan war ran on for many years and through many presidencies. By the time of the withdrawal, it was mainly a background story of US politics. Ukraine is another story. The media would pound on him relentlessly. Trump would be unlikely to volunteer to get a big fat ‘L” on his forehead.

Status: False

Kamala responds with bravado of her own:

“I believe in what we can do together that is about sustaining America's standing in the world and ensuring we have the respect that we rightly deserve including respecting our military and ensuring we have the most lethal fighting force in the world”.

These are old, worn-out propaganda phrases, but they work, so they keep getting recycled by establishment politicians. The wars are imperialist; they are not about defending the nation. The US wants its standing in the world to be that of a feared hegemon, though its citizens are taught of US benevolence.

Status: False

There is this quote from Trump:

“And now you have millions of people dead, and it's only getting worse, and it could lead to World War 3. Don't kid yourself, David. We're playing with World War III.”

This is the reason that elites hate Trump. He says the things you're not supposed to say. Some of what he says is nonsensical, but this statement has valid concerns behind it.

Status: Hopefully not True

Nowhere during the debate are the US and NATO roles discussed in causing the war despite NATO Chief Jen Stoltenberg admitting that Russia invaded Ukraine because NATO and the US threatened to put hostile troops on their border. Nowhere was it mentioned that a peace treaty had already been agreed upon, but the United States blocked it. Victoria Nuland recently admitted that the US blocked the deal. Ukraine is not far from a complete disaster. Their eastern front line is weakening and cannot hold out much longer. Yet the narrative is that they are winning and simply need more weapons.

Israel/Gaza

Donald Trump talks about Kamala’s “hatred” of Israel

“She hates Israel. If she's president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now. And I've been pretty good at predictions. At the same time, in her own way, she hates the Arab population because the whole place is going to get blown up.”

Harris gets the same donor money from AIPAC that Trump does. They will both blindly support Israel and put it ahead of the best interests of the US. Netanyahu raved about Trump during his Joint Congressional address. Why isn’t that election interference?

Status: False.

Kamala also gave her views on the Israel/Gaza War:

“…Because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Children, mothers. What we know is that this war must end. It must when end immediately, and the way it will end is we need a cease-fire deal, and we need the hostages out. And so we will continue to work around the clock on that.”

Like Biden, she will talk a good game but do nothing. She knows that, and everyone in the political system also knows that. Her statement calling for a two-state solution is simply fantasy. It has bounced around like a political ping-pong ball for decades. It’s improbable that it will change now. AIPAC will make sure of that.

Status: The statement about too many mothers and children dying is true. Harris’ intent to change the situation is false. She has already pledged her support for Israel and opposes an arms embargo. Her statement about continuing to “work around the clock for a cease-fire” regurgitates AOC’s comment from weeks ago and sounds preposterous. There is no evidence to substantiate her claim.

Dick Cheney endorsement

I actually have the endorsement of 200 Republicans who have formally worked with President Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain, including the endorsement of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Congressmember Liz Cheney.

What a list of people that Harris holds up here. They were all called “existential threats” by the Democrats during each of their campaigns. We were told we had to vote for the Democratic candidate for the planet’s survival, whether we liked the candidate or not. Now, the same candidates are considered the vanguards of democracy. And to brag about the endorsement of Dick and Liz Cheney shows the party’s true priorities. Cheney has officially been rehabilitated from a monster to a role model for the Democrats.

Status: The statement is true, but the hypocrisy is palpable that mass murderer Cheney is positioning himself with the party that excoriated him for years as Hitler, a fascist and mass murderer. That the Democratic party is accepting him with open arms is a new level of hypocrisy.

Climate

No questions were asked on climate. Neither candidate brought it up. Moderators, candidates, and the ABC network get charged with a lie of omission.

Health Care

One of the top concerns of Americans is no longer being addressed: health care. Medicare for all has become a taboo topic. After getting elected, Biden ended the conversation by saying he would veto a bill if proposed. Both candidates, both parties, the mainstream media, and the donor class all get charged with a lie of omission and a lie of commission.

The “Best of” Establishment Lies by Harris.

“because of the air defense, the ammunition, the artillery, the javelins, the Abrams tanks that we have provided, Ukraine stands as an independent and free country.”

Ukraine is not a free actor. The US dictates to them what they can do or not do. The US refused to allow Ukraine to sign a peace treaty and made them stay in the war and be used as a sacrificial lamb. It’s also stretching the truth to call Ukraine a democracy. Ukraine consistently finishes in the bottom quartile by the leading human watch groups.

“If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now.”

This brings back the debunked Russiagate narrative. Trump slapped unprecedented sanctions on Russia, pulled out of the nuclear treaty, and armed Ukraine. These are not steps you take if you are trying to cuddle up to Putin.

“Understand why the European allies and our NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer president and that we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.”

NATO has gotten involved in conflicts that were way out of their mission scope of preventing the Soviet Union from expanding. Iraq, Kuwait, Serbia, and Libya are examples of wars they had no business being involved with. NATO is another arm of the West’s fighting machine. George H.W. Bush promised Russia that NATO troops would never be deployed east of Germany. That promise has been broken many times.

The problem with the debate was that it provided a shallow look into the legitimate issues within the US. A country with only one narrative is dangerous to its citizens and the world. Citizens don’t have the information and, thus, the tools to make informed decisions. Many feel they have no choice but to go along with the “official position.” Finding the truth requires work, though it has gotten easier with independent media. The social cost of going against mainstream narratives can be high. People are ostracized for promoting alternative views. They can be mocked for “doing their own research” or called “conspiracy theorists.” There is a price for going against the grain and presenting other views, but there is also a price to pay for not going against the grain. That price is living a lie.

Seeing the complacency and subservience plaguing the United States can be demoralizing. But don’t let that stop you. Keep up the battle to educate others.