Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Liberal myths

2018-10-17T00:11:53Z

AschlaflyIsQuick: osmeone keeps undoing my work for some reason

'''Liberal myths''' are falsehoods perpetuated by conservatives that they claim liberals subscribe to but in reality only far-left do. See '''''conservative myths'''''.

==List of liberal myths==

Liberal beliefs include:<ref>http://www.twilightslastgleaming.com/myths.htm</ref>

*The claim that neither [[evil]] nor the [[devil]] exist.
*The claim that government titles make someone important or significant.
*The claim that there is man-made [[global warming]].<ref>[http://www.nowpublic.com/some-exasperating-liberal-myths Some Exasperating Liberal Myths] NowPublic.com, August 27, 2007</ref>
*The claim that [[Earth]] and the universe are billions of years old.
*The claim that government regulations create jobs.
*The claim that environmental regulation saves lives.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/nov/15/why-republican-attacks-environment-laws]</ref>
*The claim that there is no voter fraud, it's about the GOP wanting to prevent people from voting.
*The claim that “The failed economic policies of George W. Bush" caused the recession and high unemployment.<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-national/let-s-discuss-the-failed-economicy-policies-of-president-george-w-bush Let's discuss the "failed economicy policies" of President George W. Bush, Washington Examiner, December 9, 2010]</ref>
*The claim that unemployment benefits stimulate the economy.<ref>[http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/30660 The unemployment ‘benefits’ compassion sham, CanadaFreePress, December 3, 2010]</ref>
*The claim that the U.S. put Japanese soldiers to death for waterboarding.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2014/12/16/cheneys-claim-that-the-u-s-did-not-prosecute-japanese-soldiers-for-waterboarding/]</ref>
*The claim that GOP gerrymandering was responsible for Democrats [[2014 Midterm Elections]] defeat.
*The claim that Democrats lost the [[2010 Midterm elections]] because [[Barack Obama]] was not liberal enough.
*The claim that banning plastic bags, bottles, and other products will improve the environment.<ref>[http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_23695266/gust-column-save-planet-use-plastic-bag Guest column: Save the planet, use a plastic bag, The Daily Camera, July 21, 2013]</ref>
*The claim that Early American [[Pilgrim]]s were illegal immigrants when there were no such things as national boundaries in what is now the United States prior to its establishment.<ref>[http://weaselzippers.us/2011/11/26/msnbc-analyst-on-thanksgiving-pilgrims-were-illegal-immigrants-indians-99-percenters/ MSNBC Analyst On Thanksgiving: Pilgrims Were “Illegal Immigrants,” Indians 99 Percenters, Weasel Zippers, November 26, 2011]</ref> No government or immigration laws were in existence at the time.
*The claim that human beings are beginning to overpopulate. This myth is used as an attempt to justify abortion and the theory of anthropogenic global warming.
*The claim that people today are more knowledgeable and intelligent than in prior centuries.
*The claim that the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] tax cuts substantially reduced 2006 revenues and expanded the [[budget]] deficit.
*The claim that the Bush tax cuts have not helped the economy.
*The claim that some people are so poor they can only afford to eat Ramen Noodles.
*The claim that a [[fetus]] is not a living person.
*The claim the [[embryonic stem cell]]s will provide many cures. Unlike adult stem cells, embryonic cells have provided no known cures.
*The claim that [[gun control]] reduces crime.
*The claim that [[abortion]] and [[breast cancer]] are unrelated.
*The claim that [[abortion]] and mental depression are unrelated.
*The claim that [[gambling]] financially benefits state school systems.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/17/cbsnews_investigates/main3269456.shtml Is The Lottery Shortchanging Schools?] CBS News, September 17, 2007</ref>
*The claim to support the rights of women, never mentioning the oppressed women in Muslim countries.<ref>[https://www.aclu.org/womensrights/index.html About the Women's Rights Project] ACLU</ref>
*The claim that the [[media]] is not biased toward the liberal agenda.
*The claim that enabling [[oil]] drilling will not reduce long-term [[energy]] prices.<ref>[http://rightwingnews.com/mt331/2008/07/nancy_pelosis_energy_policy.php?comments=show Nancy Pelosi's Energy Policy] Rightwingnews.com, July 8, 2008</ref>
*The claim that enabling oil drilling will not provide [[energy]] security.<ref>[https://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=33767 Oil Money May Buy Drilling Vote, Liberal Says] CNSNews.com, August 7, 2008</ref>
*The claim that same-sex couple adoptions can replace the [[love]] from a mother and a father.<ref>[http://lesbianlife.about.com/cs/families/a/adoption_2.htm Lesbian and Gay Adoption Rights] About.com</ref>
*The claim that an individual's [[sexual]] preference needs to be a protected civil right.<ref>[http://www.civilrights.org/research_center/civilrights101/sexualorientation.html GAYS AND LESBIANS] Civilrights.com</ref>
*That there is a [[vast right-wing conspiracy]] <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359741,00.html THE VAST LEFT-WING CONSPIRACY] Fox News, May 29, 2008</ref>
*The claim that opposing the [[homosexual agenda]] is [[bigotry]].<ref>[http://www.boycottmcdonalds.com/detail.aspx?id=102 Boycott McDonald's!] American Family Association</ref>
*The claim that the US acted unilaterally in Iraq. The USA and Britain led a 30-nation coalition in Iraq.<ref>[http://www.heritage.org/Research/Europe/wm558.cfm The Myth of U.S. Isolation] The Heritage Foundation, September 7, 2004</ref>
*The claim that [[President Bush]] cheated in the 2000 Presidential election.<ref>[http://archive.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=239 Floridagate] Democrats.com</ref>
*The claim that [[President Bush]] lied about WMD in [[Iraq]] to grab [[oil]].
*The claim that [[Saddam Hussein]] was not seeking to buy yellowcake Uranium.<ref>[http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/14/tenet-niger/ Tenet Agrees To Cooperate With Congressional Investigation Into Niger Fraud] ThinkProgress, May 14, 2007</ref>
*The claim that the [[9/11]] terrorists attacks were an inside job by the [[USA]].
*The claim that Foreign Intelligence & Surveillance Act (FISA) is for spying on Americans.<ref>[https://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/35928prs20080709.html Senate Passes Unconstitutional Spying Bill] ACLU, July 9, 2008</ref>
*The claim that [[big government]] will benefit its citizens.<ref>[https://www.newsmax.com/politics/candidates_public_service/2008/09/11/130009.html McCain, Obama Discuss Views on Public Service] Ap, September 11, 2008</ref>
*The claim that [[military]] recruits are poor and uneducated.<ref>[http://www.heritage.org/research/nationalsecurity/cda05-08.cfm Who Bears the Burden? Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Military Recruits] Heritage Foundation, November 7, 2005</ref><ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200612/ai_n17197505 Rangel Is Wrong About Recruits] Human Events, December 4, 2006</ref><ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/31/kerry.mccain/ Bush on Kerry remark: U.S. troops are 'plenty smart'] CNN, November 1, 2006</ref>
*The claim that [[government]]-run [[healthcare]] is better than a capitalist healthcare system.<ref>[http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr009=j7lglh8nq9.app5b&page=NewsArticle&id=9238&news_iv_ctrl=1283 Free, universal health care must be a right!] VotePSL.org, may 30, 2008</ref>
*The claim that going on the offense against [[terrorists]] creates more terrorists.<ref>[http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/03/madeleine-albright-we-created-more.html Madeleine Albright: "We Created More Terrorists... Our Soldiers Are the Problem"] Gateway Pundit, March 27, 2008</ref>
*The claim that terrorism should be handled by [[law]] enforcement.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072902041.html Strategy Against Al-Qaeda Faulted] Washington Post, July 30, 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,406901,00.html Bush: War on Terror is Not Law Enforcement Matter] AP, August 20, 2008</ref>
*The claim that the USA should negotiate with rogue [[nations]] and terror groups.
*The claim that [[socialism]] is superior to [[capitalism]].
*The claim that there is a [[gene]] which causes people to become homosexuals. No such gene has been found by the scientific community.
*The claim that [[humans]] and [[ape]]s have a common ancestor.
*The claim that [[gender]] is more than male and female.
*The claim that misogynistic sexism is the reason for any supposed gender gap in wages. Numerous studies showing that the difference in wages for men and women doing similar jobs is caused mainly by personal choices.
*The claim that the [[death penalty]] does not deter [[crime]]. Overwhelming evidence shows that the death penalty does deter crime.
*The claim that [[atheists]] are just as moral as [[Christians]] who regularly go to a church, or, in some cases, claim atheists are morally superior.
*The claim that all [[religions]] teach the same thing.
*The claim that [[intelligent design]] is not a science and has no evidence.
*The claim that no climatologist or [[physicist]] rejects global warming. Ironically, the founder of The Weather Channel rejects global warming, as do thousands of other scientists.
*The claim that Hitler was a [[Catholic]].
*The claim that opposition to [[Obama]] is racism.
*The claim that the general welfare clause in the Constitution gives government the right to force American citizens to buy government-run healthcare.
*The claim that Jesus was the first [[socialist]] simply because he shared with others.
*The claim that [[affirmative action]] works.
*The claim that the [[Old Testament]] is immoral.
*The claim that [[Jews]] of today aren't the Jews of the Bible.
*The claim that [[feminism]] has no bias.
*The claim that [[homosexuals]] do not try to convert [[heterosexuals]].
*The claim that [[gay marriage]] will not result in [[polygamy]] also being written into law.
*The claim that the [[Bible]] is fictional, allegorical, or partially allegorical.
*The claim that [[Liberal Christianity]] is compatible with the teachings of [[Jesus Christ]].
*The claim that proper tire inflation can replace the need for additional oil drilling.
*That people should eat less red meat in order to combat [[climate change]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,418801,00.html</ref>
*The claim Jesus was a liberal or political leftist.<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/bernstein/works/1895/cromwell/09-communism.htm The 'Diggers' movement is held up as an example of good Christianity]</ref>
*The claim that the [[Nation of Islam]] is unrelated to Islam the religion.
*The claim that portable school vouchers would destroy [[public schools]], yet send their own children to private schools.
*The claim that, if a person is [[pro-life]], that person does not care about people after birth.<ref>[https://twitter.com/movingleft Obnoxious supporter of Obama Twitter Account @MovingLeft (Warning:Vulgar)]</ref>
*The claim that more African Americans died in wars of [[America]] than in [[abortion]]. 1,786 blacks are killed '''daily''' by abortion, one of two [[pregnant]] women will be suckered into pro-choice genocide. [http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/1685410938.html]
*The claim that renaming [[War on Terror]] to Overseas Contingency Operation will reduce the threats facing America.
*The claim that cutting back on America's missile defenses will some how make the country more secure.
*The claim that the nation will go bankrupt if we don't spend more tax dollars.
*The claim that the United States must switch to unproven technologies for the environment's sake, such as wind or solar power. Yet, proven clean energy generated by nuclear power is not an option.
*The claim that a person cannot be pro-life if that person is [[pro-gun]] or pro-[[capital punishment]].
*The claim that opposition to homosexuality and homosexual "marriage", equals hatred of homosexuals or bigotry.
*The claim that [[Donald Trump]]'s supporters are all racists, fascists, or, in Hillary Clinton's words, "deplorables".
*The claim that [[Donald Trump]]'s views resemble [[Hitler]]'s.
*The claim that [[Hitler]] was a conservative.
*The claim that violent [[video game]]s like Doom or Quake aren't contributing to real life [[violence]].
*The claim that guns are responsible for deaths. By that same logic, pencils are responsible for misspelled words.
*The claim that 47 million Americans don't have health insurance, while the actual number is between 10 and 15 million. <ref>[[Essay:47 million Americans without health insurance lie‎]]</ref>
*The claim that homosexuality cannot be overcome by therapy and prayer.
*The claim that homosexuality is inherent to a person's biology and not a choice of lifestyle.
*The claim that higher income earners in America are not paying a "fair share".
*The claim that the liberal [[mainstream media]] is unbiased, reliable, fair, and unchallengeable.
*The claim that [[conservative media]] is biased and unreliable.
*The claim that [[fake news]] is a conservative problem, when in fact it is a liberal problem.
*The claim that they are better than those who disagree them themselves. They open fire on anyone who doesn't agree with them, particularly conservatives and fundamentalist and biblical Christians, calling them false (and thus meaningless) slur words such as "fascist," "racist," "bigoted," "sexist," "misogynistic," "neo-Nazi," etc. They do this without realizing that the people they name-call are oftentimes more friendly and caring than themselves.
*The claim that [[Islam]] "has always been part of the American fabric" even as far back as the American Revolution.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (May 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/05/29/cnns-crusade-declare-islam-part-americas-founding/ CNN’s W. Kamau Bell: Islam Part of America’s Founding]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 29, 2017.</ref>
*The claim that it's impossible to be racist against White people because racism requires prejudice + power which is not only not the definition of racism, but its also not even true that non-whites don't have institutional power to harm whites. False accusations of racism have been used to attack white people many times. <ref>https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/360083-systemic-racism-is-so-rare-in-america-the-media-just-cant-stop-lying</ref>

== Liberal myths about Donald Trump ==

*The claim by prominent Democrats, media elites, RINOS, and liberals in general that [[Donald Trump]] could not possibly be elected to be president of the United States.<ref>[Best Compilation- People Who Laughed at TRUMP...and said he would never be President]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4iZSW_76TE Democrats and Media Agreed: There Was No Way Donald Trump Could Be Elected]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQgq_R13V3s "You aren't laughing anymore, are you?" - Donald Trump - Deplorables Remix]</ref>
*The claim by liberals that Donald Trump is a [[Fascism|fascist]]. In reality, Trump's agenda includes cutting back several areas of government. Trump says he plans on going directly to the American public via Twitter after he is elected president. There are no indications that Trump will have a state controlled media. Trump has some hostility to the media, which was colluding with the Democratic Party, especially Hillary Clinton, during the 2016 election.
*The claim that Donald Trump is a [[Misogny|misogynist]]. The ''Washington Post'' reported, "Today, according to Trump’s attorney, [[Michael Cohen]], there are more women than men holding executive positions in the Trump Organization, heading such departments as human resources, golf and hotel management, and global licensing, even though women make up just 43 percent of the overall workforce."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/donald-trump-a-champion-of-women-his-female-employees-think-so/2015/11/23/7eafac80-88da-11e5-9a07-453018f9a0ec_story.html Donald Trump, a champion of women? His female employees think so.]</ref> Among two of the first picks to fill positions in the Trump administration were Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina as his choice to become ambassador to the United Nations and Betsy DeVos to serve as education secretary. [[Trump Tower]] was also constructed by a woman named Barbara Res who was also the first woman to construct a skyscraper.
*The claim that Donald Trump was unqualified to be president. He has executive experience and is a politically astute real estate developer in New York City and other geographic areas. [[Dwight Eisenhower]], [[William Taft]], [[Zachary Taylor]] and [[George Washington]] were never elected to a government office before becoming President of the United States. Barack Obama called Hillary Clinton the most qualified person ever to run for president while leaving out her major foreign policy failures and other shortcomings as Secretary of State.
*The myth that American liberals are terrified of Donald Trump. [[Michael Moore]] compared Trump's election to [[Kristallnacht]], but no Trump supporters engaged in widespread acts of oppression or violence on the day of his election. No prominent liberals have fled the United States after Trump's elections, nor has there been a large flight of liberals from the United States after Trump's election. No prominent liberals who claimed they would move out of the country if Trump was elected have indicated that they were leaving the country.
*The liberal myth that Donald Trump is a virulent racist. One of the first acts of president-elect Trump was to pick the Indian-American [[Nikki Haley]] to become ambassador to the United Nations. In addition, Trump made several minority-appointments, including [[Ben Carson]] as [[Secretary of Housing and Urban Development|HUD Secretary]].
*Liberal denialism associated with the fact that Donald Trump was elected to be president of the United States. Twitter hashtags and protest cries of "Not my president" despite widespread liberal complaints that Donald Trump would not accept the results of the election. Liberal schemes of getting electors of the electoral college to switch their votes).
*Liberals claim that Trump colluded with Russia.

==Patriotism==
The liberal belief that an individual can claim to support the U.S. military, just not the mission and still be considered a 'Patriot'. In fact, the exact opposite is the truth. A liberal's patriotism, party-specific position, cannot support the troops if they are an impediment to their political left-wing strategy. The main reason for this has to due with passionate, partisan hatred for George W. Bush or any other conservative as commander in chief, the [[President of the United States of America]]. Liberals claim to support the military, claim not to support the mission, and refuse to support the Commander. The extremist left discounts the counter effect of troop morale. Understanding the true liberal mindset when it comes to supporting our U.S. troops, observe the often tried protest march. Though frustration boils over, actions lead from protest to outright sabotage or anarchism.<ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/01/anti-war-protest-at-gop-convention-turns-violent/ Anti-War Protest at GOP Convention Turns Violent] Fox News, September 1, 2008</ref> Liberal credibility fails and lack of concern for the support of America shows. The left-wing cares so much for America's military they condone and actually prop up politicians that abuse troops with reckless accusations,<ref>[https://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0907/Federal_judge_order_Murtha_to_testify_in_Haditha_defamation_case.html Federal judge orders Murtha to testify in Haditha defamation case] Politico, September 28, 2007</ref> negative media coverage and ego trips.<ref>[http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blpic-kerrystuckiniraq.htm Political Humor] About.com</ref> Liberal protesters look the other way as war memorials are vandalized. Liberals protest America's severely injured soldiers at the Walter Reed Medical Center.<ref>[http://www.crosswalk.com/1347570/ Anti-War Protests Target Wounded at Army Hospital] Crosswalk.com</ref> Liberal protesters harass, damage or block military recruitment centers from operating business-as-usual.<ref>[http://mfvov.com/blog/?p=505 Recruiting Center Attacks Coast to Coast] Military Families Voice of Victory, March 19, 2008</ref> This leftwing position, the myth is successful in feeding media driven discontent and mediocrity shame. If the news is bad, a liberal is spoon fed. If the news is good, the spoon-fed liberal is oblivious. e.g. "a complete suspension of disbelief".

Patriotism, to your brother, who volunteers and risks the ultimate sacrifice out of love, will never be diminished. True patriots will always be in our gratitude and held in the highest light.

==America Perceived==
The myth liberals give says we need to restore America's image in the world. Again, this mostly has to do with liberals' negative view of [[President Bush]]. Liberals want the two linked even though the myth is false. They blame Bush and Iraq for the bad USA image but the truth is that the credibility of the American left is a worse image than America's image abroad. The main need for liberals to propagate this myth is the fact that [[socialist]] governments of Europe oppose the policy of [[Iraq]]. This further fuels liberals' political agenda to remove [[Republicans]] from power. Liberals love Europeans and cite their false socialist utopia at every chance. European opposition automatically reinforces their belief that America's image is damaged. As of 2008, most of the [[European]] leaders that opposed Iraq are no longer in positions of power. The result, European [[conservatives]] were elected who publicly aligned themselves with America.

Those [[liberals]] that use the myth and regularly bash the USA are often called the "Blame America First" crowd. Though they never seem to mention that America gives more in donations, in total dollars, than any other country on Earth.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-06-25-charitable_N.htm Americans give record $295B to charity] USA Today, 6/25/2007</ref> A sure way to change America's image in the world is to show the world we respect life. The repeal of Roe Vs. Wade would be a start.

Reasons why [[America]] was hated prior to 2003 include wealth, women's rights, support for our democratic ally [[Israel]], democratic government, capitalist economy and exporting immorality.

==Bad Successful Companies==
In the attempt to point fingers and lay blame, the liberals produce the myth that profits made by successful companies are bad for America. Only a select group of companies are targeted for public shame. This is a false myth because successful corporations actually create jobs and [[tax]] revenue. Retirement funds and municipal bonds rely heavily on the profits from these companies. Also, the reason these companies flourish is because the capitalist system rewards their hard work. The liberals will try to create sympathy, that they care for the average American, they are the ones going after wrongdoers to make it right.

[[Liberals]] have demonized such companies as RJ Reynolds, Walmart, Halliburton and [[Blackwater]]. Their latest target is Exxon Mobil for their enormous profits and futures market oil speculators. Most of their accusations are absurd. Liberals in [[Congress]] don't blink an eye when it comes time to spend all that tax revenue generated. Liberals in Congress have been called on their [[hypocrisy]] for owning stocks in those companies. Which in turn, they divest their portfolios like nothing was ever wrong. For years, for decades, these companies have lobbied members of Congress, they have worked together for their common goals. In return, hefty [[campaign]] donations are their reward. Then for opportune reasons, liberals will publicly ridicule and verbally attack these bad, greedy capitalists. Corporate heads are brought before congress for a sideshow grilling to explain their actions.<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/01/MNU7VU217.DTL Congress asks Big Oil to justify big profits] The SF Chronicle, April 2, 2008</ref> The Windfall Tax is just another example of the sham created by this liberal myth. Those companies make enough money, they should now be forced to give some back. They are threatened with nationalization <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=65111 Congresswoman threatens to nationalize oil industry] Worldnetdaily.com, May 23, 2008</ref>
and further government regulation, a socialist scheme. As the price of gas fell, Congress just pretended like nothing ever happened, Big Oil off the hook.

==The Economy From The Previous 8 Years==
In an attempt to spread Bush hatred without mentioning his name, it is common for liberals to lie and say ''"we're in this economic mess because of the policies over the previous eight years."'' This is a myth, perpetuated by the corrupt in order to link bad economics with [[Conservatism]] and Bush policy. These liberals are the very same individuals that would not recognize George W. Bush's economic successes when the economy was creating jobs. Bush, [[McCain]], [[Alan Greenspan]] are all on record as trying to fix the corrupt lending policies and government mismanagement for the past eight years.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnSp4qEXNM&NR=1 Financial Meltdown Video] YouTube</ref> All the while Democrats were lining their pockets with [[Fannie Mae]] and [[Freddie Mac]] donations. Democrats are overwhelmingly responsible if they should point fingers. Democrats [[Barney Frank]], [[Chris Dodd]], [[John Kerry]], [[Charles Schumer]] and even [[Barack Obama]] are as much, if not directly, indirectly responsible for the failed economics of this country over the past eight-years. The same people who got us into this mess are now responsible for getting us out of financial meltdown. Blame can go all around on this one, both Republicans and Democrats. This was the result of many bad decisions over a long period of time. Then out of nowhere, financial calamity that nobody saw coming, except congressmen and women who were privy to bank collapses. They made good money while the rest of America suffered.<ref>[http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2009/06/members_of_us_house_financial.html Members of U.S. House Financial Services Committee snapped up or dumped bank stocks as bottom fell out of market Cleveland.com June 25, 2009]</ref>
{{cquote|The truth of the matter; Bush-era 4.5% unemployment, Obama-era will it go higher than 10%?}}

==Torture==
In an attempt by liberals to claim the [[U.S.]] committed war crimes after [[9/11]], Congress held an investigation into [[Enhanced interrogation]] by the CIA. The report would absolve the role of Congress, who were advised along the way, and label waterboarding as torture in violation of the Geneva convention. Liberals, backed by comments of Senator [[John McCain]], would argue that we put Japanese to death for waterboarding. It's a ridiculous notion that waterboarding was reason enough to justify execution. [[Japanese]] soldiers would beat U.S. servicemen to death, forced labor to death, starved to death. Many lost limbs to sword wielding commanders.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=zNN6M97vYMEC&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=japanese+put+to+death+for+torture&source=bl&ots=bixUXAub86&sig=IRA-eCfErn8PtEB01sgMqiZBC-I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-57b9kd_MAhVG4CYKHb3FAhA4ChDoAQhaMAk#v=onepage&q=japanese%20put%20to%20death%20for%20torture&f=false Imperial Japan's World War Two: 1931-1945, By Werner Gruhl]</ref> Many U.S. serviceman and civilian contractors were executed without trial. Also, they were waterboarded. If GITMO detainees had it as bad as liberals claim, they wouldn't seek to stay.<ref>[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17sr7z_latest-gitmo-snag-prisoners-don-t-want-to-leave_news Latest Gitmo Snag: Prisoners Don't Want to Leave, DailyMotion, November 29, 2013]</ref> To equate enhanced interrogation with torture is a liberal myth.

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

{{Liberalism}}
[[Category:Liberal Deceit]]
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]
[[Category:Liberal Denial]]
[[Category:Liberal Falsehoods]]

Fake news

2018-10-16T23:59:34Z

AschlaflyIsQuick:

'''"Fake news"''' is any news that claims to be true, but is actually factually false or an extremely distorted interpretation of facts.
''Fake news should not be confused with [[liberal bias]] in the media.'' Liberal bias refers to somewhat left-leaning biased interpretations of the news, but the underlying facts are usually still correct.

Non-political fake news is designed to attract internet traffic, attention, or sales. Political fake news is designed to push an agenda, typically the [[conservative]] or [[neo-Nazi]] one. A recent example of fake news is the uncorroborated, obscene sexual allegation published by ''[[The New Yorker]]'' as part of the [[Kavanaugh smear]], which even liberal news outlets criticized.

Fake news is presented in a manner to create the impression that it is actual news. While the actual term "fake news" is quite recent, the concept has been around for hundreds of years. Both the historical instances and the modern instances are often driven by a desire to make money, whether from purchase of "supermarket tabloids" or from often-deceptive clicks on websites. The falsehoods have sufficient emotional impact to assure that they will be magnified in various [[Media|mediums]]. It is debated whether or not this includes [[Satire|satiric]] news.<ref>"Tall Tale or Satire? Authors of So-Called "Fake News" Feel Misjudged". ''NBC News''. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tall-tale-or-satire-authors-so-called-fake-news-feel-n689421</ref><ref>''Fake News Watch''. http://fakenewswatch.com/</ref>

The motive of fake news is to either manipulate public opinion or to profit from advertising displayed on the fake news sites. The fake news can originate as a [[hoax]], as a tactical ploy by a political operative, as attempts to boost an audience using "click bait", or as mistaken reporting resulting from [[bias]].

Fake news websites lack known publishers hindering lawsuits against them for [[libel]] or [[slander]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/05/opinions/suing-fake-news-not-so-fast-callan/index.html|title=Sue over fake news? Not so fast|last=Callan|first=Paul|website=CNN|accessdate=April 6, 2017}}</ref> In many cases, the fake news websites resolve to IP addresses located outside the United States.

Another example of fake news is the attempt by Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, possibly to favor [[Donald Trump]], [[President of the United States]]. The conservative-pushed, Trump-employed term "fake news" refer to a form of [[conspiracy theory]]. However, the [[mainstream media]] itself prevents fake news stories from appearing in its nightly network newscasts, on its cable news channels, in its newspapers and on its websites, by thoroughly vetting stories before publishing. The problem arises when people think Facebook and other social media websites are "mainstream news outlets" when in fact there are usually the source of fake news / conspiracy theory / lies.<ref name="Tech Crunch">{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/14/facebook-fake-news-code-media/|title=Facebook is still figuring out how to tackle fake news|date=Feb 14, 2017|accessdate=June 29, 2017|work=Tech Crunch}}</ref> While liberals accuse conservatives of being behind fake news stories, and conservatives accuse liberals of being behind fake news stories, the evidence shows that it is '''often Russia behind these stories''', although fake news is designed to appeal to audiences all across the political spectrum.

As in other mediums, the mainstream media can make mistakes, such as a fictional ''Washington Post'' story that Russia hacked the U.S. power grid in 2016.<ref>Leetaru, Kalev, "[http://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2017/01/01/fake-news-and-how-the-washington-post-rewrote-its-story-on-russian-hacking-of-the-power-grid/ 'Fake News' And How The Washington Post Rewrote Its Story On Russian Hacking Of The Power Grid]," ''Forbes'', Jan 1, 2017.</ref> This happens through mistaken reporting resulting from bias or a failure to screen stories.

==History==
"News articles" that are completely fictional have a long history. The motivation is often for the amusement of the author, or the desire to make money by selling the newspaper or handbill based on its entertainment value. Such "news articles" are sometimes purely satirical (something that has a long history), or intentionally malicious, often for political reasons. For example, malicious claims about Presidential candidates (illegitimate children, etc.) have a long history in the United States.

In the more recent past, but before the advent of the widespread propagation of false information through the internet, the most visible instances of "fake news" were probably the "supermarket tabloids" that could be found at checkout counters of supermarkets. These were often full of blatant nonsense, and (nearly) everyone knew that, and bought them only for their entertainment value. Perhaps the most blatant of these was ''Weekly World News'', which seemed obsessed with some half-human half-bat creature named "bat boy", and with extraterrestrials. They sometimes devoted entire issues to extraterrestrials, and, in one instance, had three articles relating that each of the Presidential candidates in the 1992 Presidential election ([[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], and [[Ross Perot]]) had been taken for a personal ride in a flying saucer to see Washington, D.C. from the air.

[[Walter Lippmann]], the father of modern journalism also indicated that the press is supposed to utilize fake news to spin a narrative and thus manufacture public consent, claiming that news and truth are not the same thing, that it requires no real training to deal with the small pool, and that everything else is in the journalist's own discretion, which includes even promoting stereotypes.<ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2012/02/journalism-and-manufacturing-of-consent.html</ref><ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2013/03/walter-lippmann-explains-how.html</ref><ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2017/01/who-is-founding-father-of-fake-news.html</ref>

These fake articles continue, often with an extreme political slant. Recent issues of the ''National Enquirer'' (perhaps the most blatant fake newspaper since the demise of Weekly World News) had completely false articles about Special Forces raids, carpet bombing, drone strikes, and naval assaults by American forces in the Middle East. The ''Globe'' has run headlines alleging that Hillary Clinton is a Russian spy and has a "new treason indictment", which is not supported by the corresponding article. Another headline, unsupported by any evidence in the article, stated that Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin were stopped trying to escape from the country. And there were numerous headlines during the 2016 Presidential campaign stating that they were in possession of evidence that would put Ms. Clinton in prison.

The explosive growth of the internet in the early years of the 21st century, and the political divisiveness of the 2016 Presidential election, saw an explosive growth in fake news, far beyond supermarket tabloids, and the use of the term "fake news" to describe this.

==Modern origins==
Cybersecurity experts began using the term "fake news" to describe social media postings that attempted to spread false information regardless of the political ramifications of its content.

The widespread public use of the phrase by non-experts probably originated on November 14, 2016 in an announcement by [[Google]]. They said their advertising service was being pulled from sites whose purpose was to present as news what was solely designed to attract attention rather than conducted in a factual manner by a responsible party.<ref>Nicas, Jack (November 14, 2016). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-to-bar-fake-news-websites-from-using-its-ad-selling-software-1479164646 "Google to bar fake-news websites from using its ad-selling software"]. ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> Fake news is also a form of "click bait". A photo would appear in an ad implying that there was a news story about the death of a celebrity, and computer users would click on the link to be taken to a website that carried heavy advertising, but no news story about the death of the living celebrity.

[[Barack Hussein Obama]] was a firm believer in projecting what was news and what was fake news. He would famously deride publicly against the reporting of "[[Fox News]], [[Rush Limbaugh]] and talk radio." [[Bill Clinton]] engaged in similar behavior during an interview with [[Chris Wallace]] shortly after the airing of the edited version of The Path to 9/11.

=== Early examples of fake news ===

Here are some early examples of fake news:

#The false claim, based on manipulation of the data, by Sir [[Arthur Eddington]] that the 1919 total eclipse of the sun proved the [[General Theory of Relativity]].
#The false reporting by the bigot [[H.L. Mencken]] on the [[Scopes Trial]].
#[[The War of the Worlds]] broadcast on [[Halloween]] night, 1938, in which Orson Wells dramatically described an invasion by hostile Martians in [[New Jersey]].

== Identifying fake news ==
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has a checklist to assist people to recognize fake news:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.ifla.org/lpa/files/2017/01/How-to-Spot-Fake-News-1.jpg|title=How to Spot Fake News|date=January 27, 2017|website=IFLA blogs|access-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref>
# Consider the source (to understand its mission and purpose)
# Read beyond the headline (to understand the whole story)
# Check the authors (to see if they are real and credible)
# Assess the supporting sources (to ensure they support the claims)
# Check the date of publication (to see if the story is relevant and up to date)
# Ask if it is a joke (to determine if it is meant to be [[satire]])
# Review your own biases (to see if they are affecting your judgment)
# Ask experts (to get confirmation from independent people with knowledge).

===Reputation of the author===
Ultimately, a judgement about fake news rests on the reputation of its author, and the reputation and editorial stance of a news organization or book publisher. Longevity is not in and of itself proof a publication or publishing house is an established reputable service. ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazine for instance, was once established as a "moderate" or right-leaning weekly news source to counter the perceived leftwing bias of ''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' magazine. It has since ceased publication as a print journal, and the name - ''Newsweek'' - was sold as an established, existing tradename, only to reappear online as a mainstream news source for some of the most outrageous left wing lunacy.

In the United States the ''[[New Republic]]'', established before World War I, is considered the granddaddy of modern liberal thought, whereas the ''[[National Review]]'' established in the 1950s is considered its modern conservative counterpart. ''[[The Nation]]'' has long been deemed the voice of more marginalized [[progressive]] thinking. While staff management and editorial views have evolved over many decades, any author moving from one of these publications to another generally have professional reputations as traditional ethical journalists, unlike modern broadcast journalists, or what passes as "ethics" taught in some of the nation's most prestigious journalism and broadcast schools today.

Among book publishers, St. Martin's Press is considered a mainstream book publisher for [[Democrat]]s which no other mainstream publisher would stake its reputation on, and Regnery is considered its [[Republican]] counterpart.

The challenge for young readers is to discern good, solid, factual reporting in the internet era, at a time when an explosion of anonymous blog sites are threatening the existence of a dying print and cable news broadcast industry.<ref>A prime example of [[Joseph Schumpeter]]'s [[creative destruction]].</ref> Again the reputation of the author is all pervasive. This requires follow-up and holding the author (whether anonymous or a pseudonym) accountable, and not seeking [[confirmation bias]] in how a reader informs themself.

===Wrap up smear===
A wrap up smear,<ref>https://youtu.be/SMJdDwQlcc8</ref> also known as a circular echo chamber, occurs when partisan sources leak false information to journalists then use published accounts to validate their claims.

Two instances in recent memory illustrate the technique: the [[Trump-Russia collusion hoax]] and the [[Kavanaugh smear]]. In Trump-Russia, a false allegation that Trump colluded with Russia was leaked by Democratic operatives to get news organizations to publicize the claim, then biased [[Obama administration]] employees used those news stories as supposed evidence to obtain FBI [[surveillance]] warrants on the Trump campaign.

In the Kavanaugh smear, false sexual abuse allegations were leaked by Senate Democrat committee staffers to produce sensationalized headlines and martial public pressure in an emotional cause.

CNN, the ''Washington Post'', the ''New York Times'' and numerous other mainstream media reported illegal, fabricated [[leak]]s by [[Obama administration]] and [[intelligence community]] anonymous sources throughout 2016, 2017, and 2018. The fabricated information became the basis of the [[Trump-Russia conspiracy hoax]] and [[FISA abuse]] scandal. When the false information was published, the Obama FBI, Justice Department, CIA and [[DNI]] director used the fake news (originating with themselves) as corroborating evidence to begin investigations, interview people, set perjury traps, seek FISA warrants, perform [[Gang of Eight]] briefings, and appoint a [[Mueller office|Special Prosecutor]] to pursue political objectives.

The wrap up smear was again used in the [[Kavanaugh smear]] campaign. Sen. [[Dianne Feinstein]] or a staffer leaked a letter from Dr. [[Christine Blasey Ford]] to the ''Washington Post'' alleging notes from a therapist and a polygraph exam were material evidence of a sexual assault, sparking a hue and cry on the [[Left]] for extended nomination hearings and FBI investigation of [[Judge Kavanaugh]]. The alleged "material evidence" was never provided to the FBI or Senate Judiciary Committee for examination and consideration and the accuser caught in a series of conflicting sworn public statements.

===Willing participants in the Russia collusion smear===
These mainstream news organizations in one capacity or other were willing participants in the [[Trump-Russia collusion hoax]]. Although the plan to exonerate Hillary Clinton of criminal charges, sabotage Donald Trump's election chances, and later his presidency, originated with corrupt elements of the Obama administration in collusion with the Democratic party, allies opposed to Trump's requirement of [[NATO]] members contributing more funding to the alliance, and Russian sources feeding Democrats false information, none of it would have been possible without the participation of several global media organizations willingly publicizing the false narrative of Trump collusion with the Russian government.<ref>https://themarketswork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/inforgraphic-838x1024.jpg</ref>

*CNN
*''The New Yorker''
*''The New York Times''
*''The Washington Post''
*BBC
*NBC
*BuzzFeed
*''The Guardian''
*''Huffington Post''
*''Newsweek''
*MSNBC
*''Politico''
*ABC
*''Vanity Fair''
*''Slate''
*''McClatchy''
*Yahoo News
*''Mother Jones''

==Examples of fake news==
One of the more infamous examples of fake news was when former CBS News anchor [[Dan Rather]] used forgeries of the Killian Documents on George W. Bush's service record in order to sway the 2004 election, which resulted in his firing after being exposed. See [[Rathergate]] for more details.

[[File:Rice Benghazi.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice putting out the fake news narrative that a planned terrorist attack and massacre of Americans was only a spontaneous riot spawned out of a peaceful demonstration.]]
Obama National Security Advisor [[Susan Rice]] appeared on the five major network Sunday talk shows to put out an official fake news narrative that a [[terrorist]] attack against Americans two months before a presidential election was only a peaceful demonstration that turned into a riot. Despite evidence the contrary, many mainstream news organizations adopted the fake news narrative as fact for its viewers and readers and branded skeptics as conspiracy theorists and racists who opposed a black president.

The most common example of fake news are the "click bait" ads that appear on social media sites saying "Hollywood prepares to say good-bye to [name of celebrity]" implying that the celebrity has just died. People then click on the ad to visit a website to learn about the celebrity's death, which boosts the number of page views on that site. However, the fake news will trend if more people start re-tweeting or sharing the item without visiting the underlying website in the belief that the celebrity has just died.

Fake news is frequently used by radical Islamic terrorists to recruit new adherents. The terrorists will either create or embellish fake news accounts of anti-Islamic acts to radicalize members in target populations. For example, terrorists would spread news accounts of people urinating on the Koran at U.S. military prisons. Another fake news item was that a U.S. company was hiring mercenaries to kill ISIS militants.<ref name=snopes/> Again, the emotional impact of the fake news assured that it would spread quickly through social media.

According to FBI cyber experts, during the 2016 presidential election, Russians used armies of Twitter bots to spread fake news using accounts that seem to be Midwestern swing-voter Republicans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/03/522503844/how-russian-twitter-bots-pumped-out-fake-news-during-the-2016-election|title=How Russian Twitter Bots Pumped Out Fake News During The 2016 Election|date=April 3, 2017|work=NPR|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref> Leading up to the March 15, 2017 election in the Netherlands, Russia was found to use social media to spread "fake news" to influence public opinion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-spread-fake-news-during-dutch-election-report-putin/|title=Russia spread fake news during Dutch election: report|date=April 4, 2017|work=Politico|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>

One possible example of fake news was the announcement by the [[mainstream media]] that [[Fidel Castro]] died at age 90 on November 25, 2016.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/26/americas/fidel-castro-obit/</ref> In fact, the [[Obama Administration]] and major news outlets were likely aware that Castro had died of a terminal illness many years earlier. Indeed, [[Obama]] did not even mention, let alone visit, Castro during Obama's visit to Cuba in March 2016, and neither the president, vice-president, or other high-ranking elected official of the United States attended Castro's "funeral".

One fake news item from ''Freedom Daily'' in February 2017 was: "BREAKING: Federal Judge Just Officially Ruled CNN Is FAKE NEWS And Forces SHOCKING Punishment On Them!" However, this was a mis-reporting of a Georgia federal district court judge denying CNN's motion for summary judgment in a defamation action filed by a hospital executive against CNN. No "shocking punishment" was involved and the case will go to trial on the merits.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.snopes.com/cnn-fake-news/|title=Did a Judge Rule That CNN Is 'Fake News'?|date=Feb 17, 2017|accessdate=April 5, 2017|work=Snopes}}</ref>

A poorly-sourced February 4 ''Washington Post'' article claimed a feud existed between DHS Secretary [[John F. Kelly]] and [[Steve Bannon]], when in fact, none existed. The article's author was forced to admit his error.<ref>Hayward, John (February 8, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/08/fake-news-dhs-secretary-calls-wapo-john-kelly-steve-bannon-feud-a-fantasy-story/ Fake News: DHS Secretary Calls WaPo ‘John Kelly-Steve Bannon Feud’ a ‘Fantasy Story’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> In June 2017, the [[Associated Press]] reported, and later corrected, a story that EPA Administrator [[Scott Pruitt]] met with Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris – something which did not actually happen.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/30/fake-news-associated-press-engulfed-in-cnn-level-scandal-as-it-covers-up-invention-of-imaginary-pruitt-meeting/ Fake News: Associated Press Engulfed in CNN-Level Scandal as It Covers Up Invention of Imaginary Pruitt Meeting]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref>

In November 2017, ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the conservative [[Breitbart News]] created the nickname "Mr. Perfect" when referring to [[Jared Kushner]], while in reality, Kushner's own companies created the nickname to promote themselves in China.<ref>Mason, Ian (November 27, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/27/wapo-forgets-kushners-came-up-with-mr-perfect-on-their-own/ WaPo Forgets Kushners Came Up with ‘Mr. Perfect’ on Their Own]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 27, 2017.</ref> Also in November 2017, [[MSNBC]]'s ''Morning Joe'' show was caught broadcasting a pre-taped post-Thanksgiving show while pretending on air to be broadcasting live.<ref>Rodriguez, Katherine (November 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/11/26/fake-news-morning-joe-caught-pretending-pre-taped-day-thanksgiving-show-live/ Fake News: Morning Joe Caught Pretending Pre-Taped Day After Thanksgiving Show Was Live]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 27, 2017.</ref>

In April 2018, the Associated Press and ''The Washington Post'' falsely claimed that the NRA decided to ban concealed carry at an upcoming speech by Vice President [[Mike Pence]] at its convention, when it was actually the Secret Service that forced the organization to do so.<ref>Multiple references:
*Hawkins, Awr (April 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/30/fake-news-ap-wapo-claim-nra-bans-guns-at-mike-pence-speech/ Fake News: AP, WaPo Claim NRA Bans Guns at Mike Pence Speech]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
*Adelmann, Bob (May 1, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/28948-more-fake-news-nra-bans-guns-at-its-own-convention More Fake News: NRA Bans Guns at Its Own Convention!] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
*Richardson, Bradford (April 30, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/30/associated-press-issues-correction-report-nra-bann/ AP issues correction on report that NRA banned guns for Mike Pence speech]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
*Concha, Joe (April 30, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/385563-ap-corrects-earlier-report-that-nra-banned-guns-at-pence-speech AP corrects earlier report that NRA banned guns at Pence speech]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.</ref>

=== CNN and fake news ===

In first half of 2017, [[CNN]]'s market share relative to its competitors saw a marked decline.<ref>[http://www.dailywire.com/news/18088/death-spiral-along-its-credibility-cnn-ratings-john-nolte Death Spiral: Along With Its Credibility, CNN Ratings Collapse], Daily Wire, 2017.</ref> In addition, it faced repeated losses of its credibility through its lapses of journalistic judgment and ethical lapses.<ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FpMb6dATfo CNN faces credibility crisis over Trump coverage]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-X2jG5hdl4 Tucker: When did CNN become internet morality police?]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOYIa-sOB4 CNN IS FAKE NEWS] by Stefan Molyneux
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjkdfdFbeFk The news keeps getting worse for CNN as #CNNBlackmail trends]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCewpjd2Yfc CNN Threatens Reddit User For Exercising Free Speech | #CNNBlackmail]
</ref> President [[Donald Trump]] publicly says CNN produces "fake news" and he also told a CNN reporter that CNN produces "very fake news".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-7nkj26edA Trump to CNN: "Very Fake News"]</ref> Subsequently, CNN has been derided as being "FNN: Fake News Network".<ref>[http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/27/president-trump-blasts-cnn-retracted-russia-story-fake-news 'Fake News Network': Trump Blasts CNN for Retracted Russia Story], Fox News Network</ref>

In May 2017, a CNN program claimed that [[Islam]] "has always been part of the American fabric" even as far back as the American Revolution, despite the apparent contradiction with the historical record.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (May 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/05/29/cnns-crusade-declare-islam-part-americas-founding/ CNN’s W. Kamau Bell: Islam Part of America’s Founding]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 29, 2017.</ref>

On March 28, 2018, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo falsely claimed that "no one [is] calling for Second Amendment repeal", even though, former Supreme Court Justice [[John Paul Stevens]], among other left-wingers, had very recently and notably called for just that.<ref>Multiple references:
*Nolte, John (March 28, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/03/28/fake-news-cnns-cuomo-says-no-one-calling-for-2nd-amendment-repeal-they-are/ Fake News: CNN’s Cuomo Says ‘No One Calling for 2nd Amendment Repeal’ (They Are)]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
*Kugle, Andrew (March 28, 2018). [https://freebeacon.com/issues/cnns-cuomo-no-one-calling-repeal-second-amendment/ CNN’s Cuomo: No One Is Calling for Repeal of Second Amendment]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
*Adams, Becket (March 28, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/cnn-host-apparently-unaware-that-several-people-have-called-for-the-repeal-of-the-second-amendment CNN host apparently unaware that people have indeed called for the repeal of the Second Amendment]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.</ref>

Sometime before January 6, 2017, [[DNI]] [[James Clapper]] briefed opposition research talking points, manufactured by the Clinton campaign in the ''[[Steele dossier]]'', to [[Jake Tapper]] of CNN. The salacious innuendo lacked verification and a " news hook" for CNN to report. Clapper instructed [[FBI]] Director [[James Comey]] to brief President-elect Trump on the allegations. Clapper immediately leaked the fact Trump had been briefed, creating the "news hook" CNN was looking for to publicize the existence of the ''Steele dossier''. FBI counter-intelligence investigator [[Peter Strzok]] then used the fake news report to justify interviewing [[National Security Advisor]] [[Michael Flynn]] and lay a perjury trap,<ref>https://saraacarter.com/who-will-investigate-the-fbi-and-doj-top-secret-leaks-to-the-media/?utm=pushnami</ref> thwarting the new president's [[foreign policy]] agenda. Clapper was rewarded with a job at CNN afterward.<ref>''[https://www.scribd.com/document/377590825/HPSCI-Final-Report-on-Russian-Active-Measures-Redacted-Release Russian Active Measures in the 2016 Election''], House Permanent Sub Committee on Intelligence, March 22, 2017, pp. 107-108.</ref><ref>[https://www.themarketswork.com/2018/04/27/clapper-leaks-twice-to-cnn-brennan-stands-in-the-shadows-a-russian-narrative-is-born/ Clapper Leaks Twice to CNN. Brennan Stands in the Shadows. A Russian Narrative is Born,] Jeff Carlson, April 27, 2018.</ref><ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/04/20/anatomy-of-a-political-smear-confirmed-james-comey-january-briefing-was-scripted-by-clapper-and-brennan-to-create-media-narrative/ Anatomy of a Political Smear Confirmed – James Comey January Briefing Was Scripted by Clapper and Brennan To Create Media Narrative], by Sundance, April 20, 2018. theconservativetreehouse.com</ref>

===Deep state and fake news===
The [[mainstream media]] has worked with the deep state intelligence agencies to promote fake news regarding the supposed [[Trump-Russia scandal]].<ref>Jasper, William F. (April 25, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/25863-deep-state-and-fake-news Deep State and Fake News]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 3, 2018.</ref>

===President Trump and "fake news"===
:{{main|Mainstream media and Donald Trump}}

====2016 election and immediate aftermath====
It has been confirmed that many fake news sites were actually created and managed by liberal Democrats ("false flag" operations) who support [[Hillary Clinton]] and oppose [[Donald Trump]] who engage in their [[Deceit|deception]] in an attempt to discredit conservatives and Trump.<ref name="NPR"/><ref>Dewey, Caitlin (November 17, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/11/17/facebook-fake-news-writer-i-think-donald-trump-is-in-the-white-house-because-of-me/?utm_term=.b3656316a9a1 Facebook fake-news writer: ‘I think Donald Trump is in the White House because of me’]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> One of them, Jestin Coler, a Democrat and Clinton supporter who owns the company Disinfomedia, runs several fake news sites that create "conservative" fake news stories.<ref name="NPR">Sydell, Laura (November 23, 2016). "[http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/11/23/503146770/npr-finds-the-head-of-a-covert-fake-news-operation-in-the-suburbs We Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs. Here's What We Learned]." ''NPR''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref>

A topic of fake news stories after the 2016 election was whether there was violence between Trump supporters and opponents. After the 2016 election, several violent and disturbing anti-Trump attacks occurred throughout the nation against Trump supporters or supposed Trump supporters. Despite these attacks, liberals and leftists only focused on alleged "attacks" by Trump supporters against minorities and others (the leftist narrative, although being blatantly false and one-sided, fits their manufactured narrative that Trump supporters are "racist" and "evil" and that leftists are "tolerant" and "forgiving"). Fox News found that despite the number of real anti-Trump attacks which went largely unreported, several of the "pro-Trump" attacks were hoaxes.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/05/facebook-live-attack-latest-in-string-anti-trump-assaults.html Facebook Live attack the latest in string of anti-Trump assaults]. ''Fox News''. January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017.</ref>

One widely shared fake story, spread by the mainstream media, that Trump's election had led to a rise in anti-Semitism by white supremcists—it turned out that bomb threats at a synagogue were actually carried out by "an African-American left-wing journalist" and a "Jewish teenager in Israel, with dual citizenship in the U.S."<ref>Pollak, Joel (March 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/29/fake-news-donald-trump-antisemitism-vindicated/ Donald Trump Vindicated: Antisemitism Surge ‘Fake News’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 29, 2017.</ref>

Following the 2016 election in which Trump won, [[liberals]], the [[mainstream media]], and [[social media]] had misapplied the term "fake news" to make the false accusation that [[Alternative Media|alternative news]] and Russian sources are "deliberately lying" to their readers, listeners, and viewers, and that these "lies" helped elect [[Donald Trump]] [[President of the United States]]. The liberal-pushed "fake news" accusations are a form of [[conspiracy theory]]. However, the [[mainstream media]] itself publishes and promotes fake news stories,<ref>Heinlein, Peter (May 30, 2017). [https://www.voanews.com/a/donald-trump-frustrated-fake-news-overlooks-accomplishments/3878266.html Trump Frustrated by 'Fake News' That Overlooks His Accomplishments]. ''Voice of America''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref> from appearing in its nightly network newscasts, on its cable news channels, in its newspapers and on its websites (including Facebook). The MSM has allegedly been adopting safeguards to prevent itself from reporting fake news stories,<ref name="Tech Crunch"/><ref name="Barron"/> but it has been unsuccessful based on more recent examples.

====Presidency====
At his first press conference as president-elect, [[Donald Trump]] described [[CNN]] as "fake news." Since becoming president, Trump has accused major news organizations with "fake news" and "very fake news." On February 17, 2017, Trump tweeted:<ref>Greenwood, Mark (February 17, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/320168-trump-the-media-is-the-enemy-of-the-american-people Trump tweets: The media is the 'enemy of the American people']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 27, 2017.</ref>

{{cquote|The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!}}

On November 27, 2017, President Trump tweeted:<ref>Spiering, Charlie (November 27, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/27/trump-proposes-fake-news-trophy-tv-networks-cnn/ Donald Trump Proposes ‘Fake News Trophy’ for TV Networks and CNN]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 28, 2017.</ref><ref>Fabian, Jordan (November 27, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/361932-trump-media-should-compete-for-fake-news-trophy Trump: Media should compete for 'FAKE NEWS TROPHY']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved November 28, 2017.</ref>

{{cquote|We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!}}

''The Washington Post'' reported in June 2017 of a meeting held between President Trump and [[Federal Communications Commission]] Chairman [[Ajit Pai]] that never occurred.<ref>Moran, Sean (June 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/23/fake-news-washington-post-invents-meeting-between-fcc-chair-ajit-pai-and-president-trump/ Fake News: Washington Post Invents Meeting Between FCC Chair Ajit Pai and President Trump]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2017.</ref>

Also in June 2017, ''The New York Times'' falsely stated that 17 U.S. intelligence agencies agreed with an assessment that Russia made hacks into the 2016 presidential election – the actual number was four, with one dissenting from the report's conclusions.<ref>Mason, Ian (June 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/30/nyt-turns-out-17-intelligence-agencies-was-fake-news/ New York Times: Turns Out ‘17 Intelligence Agencies’ Was Fake News]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref> The Associated Press reported, and retracted, the same falsehood.<ref>Klein, Aaron (July 1, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/07/01/fake-news-associated-press-clarifies-17-intel-agencies-did-not-assess-alleged-russia-interference/ Fake News: Associated Press Clarifies 17 U.S. Intel Agencies Did Not Assess Russia ‘Interference’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref> Obama Administration [[Director of National Intelligence]] confirmed that "the report itself makes it clear that it was the three agencies plus the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that put this intelligence community assessment together."<ref>Poor, Jeff (July 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/07/07/fmr-obama-dni-clapper-3-4-intelligence-agencies-agreed-russian-interference-wasnt-17/ Fmr Obama DNI Clapper: Only 3 or 4 Intelligence Agencies Agreed on Russian Interference — ‘It Wasn’t 17’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 7, 2017.</ref>

In May 2018, left-wing activists and some members of the mainstream media, such as New York Times Magazine editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein and NPR, shared pictures of detained illegal immigrant children sleeping in cages and blamed the Trump Administration for it despite those pictures having been taken during the Obama Administration.<ref>Multiple references:
*Flood, Brian (May 29, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/29/embarrassment-for-new-york-times-as-top-editor-falls-for-old-photo-amid-weekend-misleading-anti-trump-tweets.html Embarrassment for New York Times as top editor falls for old photo amid weekend of misleading anti-Trump tweets]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
*Starr, Penny (May 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/30/aclu-npr-use-2014-claims-to-trash-trump-policy/ ACLU, NPR Use 2014 Immigration Claims to Trash Trump Policy]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
*Mikelionis, Lukas (May 28, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/28/former-obama-official-liberal-activists-share-2014-photos-from-detention-facility-as-swipe-at-trump.html Former Obama official, liberal activists share 2014 photos from detention facility as swipe at Trump]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
*Spiering, Charlie (May 29, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/29/donald-trump-rips-democrats-for-tweeting-border-pictures-from-2014/ Donald Trump Rips Democrats for Tweeting Border Pictures from 2014]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.</ref> An Associated Press report discussing alleged abuse at an illegal immigrant detention center left out the fact that Obama was president when the abuse happened.<ref>Scarry, Eddie (June 21, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ap-report-on-alleged-illegal-immigrant-abuse-at-detention-centers-omits-obama-was-president-at-time AP report on alleged illegal immigrant abuse at detention centers omits Obama was president at time]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 21, 2018.</ref> Other media sources have published fake news about President Trump's immigration policies.<ref>Binder, John (June 1, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/06/01/establishment-media-issues-four-corrections-after-falsely-claiming-trump-separating-families-at-border/ Establishment Media Issues Four Corrections After Falsely Claiming Trump Separating Families at Border]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 2, 2018.</ref><ref>Nolte, John (July 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/07/09/associated-press-becomes-fake-news-factory-with-immigration-lies/ Associated Press Becomes Fake News Factory with Immigration Lies]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 9, 2018.</ref>

====Russia investigation and James Comey hearing====
[[File:DgKWrfIVMAANg8k.jpeg|right|300px|thumb]]
Former FBI Director [[James Comey]], during his testimony to Congress, debunked two fake news stories on ''The New York Times''<ref>Scarborough, Rowan (June 8, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/8/james-comey-debunks-new-york-times-story-fueled-un/ James Comey debunks New York Times story that fueled unproven Trump-Russia collusion]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> and CNN,<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (June 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/06/07/james-comey-testimony-proves-trump-right-cnn-wrong/ James Comey Testimony Proves Trump Right, CNN Wrong]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> respectively.

After several inaccuracies and flaws were found in a [[CNN]] article that attacked Trump and his allies over a Russia fund, CNN retracted the article.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/23/very-fake-news-after-breitbart-investigation-cnn-retracts-conspiracy-theory-hit-piece-attacking-trump-associates-over-russian-fund/ Very Fake News: After Breitbart Investigation, CNN Retracts Conspiracy Theory Hit Piece Attacking Trump, Associates Over Russian Fund]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2017.</ref><ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 24, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/24/cnn-under-fire-very-fake-news-network-hit-from-all-sides-as-breitbart-investigation-forces-rare-retraction/ CNN Under Fire: ‘Very Fake News’ Network Hit from All Sides as Breitbart Investigation Forces Rare Retraction]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 25, 2017.</ref> Three CNN employees resigned due to the resulting scandal.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/06/26/three-employees-resign-from-cnn-amid-very-fake-news-scandal/ Three Employees Resign from CNN Amid Very Fake News Scandal]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 27, 2017.</ref><ref>Adams, Becket (June 26, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/three-cnn-staffers-quit-over-retracted-story/article/2627155 Three CNN staffers quit over retracted story]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 27, 2017.</ref>

ABC News ran a banner headline claiming [[Paul Manafort]] pled guilty to five counts of [[manslaughter]].

''The Washington Post'' falsely reported in August 2018 that the Trump Administration was denying passports to Hispanic Americans along the border with Mexico,<ref>Multiple references:
*Munro, Neil (August 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/30/state-dept-slams-wapo-claim-texas-latinos-are-being-denied-passports/ State Dept. Slams WaPo Claim Texas Latinos Are Being Denied Passports]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Munro, Neil (September 17, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/17/huffpo-whacks-washpo-for-claiming-trump-blocks-latino-passports/ Washington Post Busted for Fake News of Trump Admin ‘Denying Passports’ to Latinos]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Adams, Becket (September 17, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-washington-posts-scoop-on-trump-revoking-visas-at-the-border-it-was-a-pile-of-garbage The Washington Post's 'scoop' on Trump revoking visas at the border — it was a pile of garbage]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref><ref name="NYTWaPoFake">Stoltzfoos, Rachel (September 18, 2018). [https://thefederalist.com/2018/09/18/legacy-outlets-add-two-botched-hit-pieces-pile-stinky-reporting-trump/ Legacy Outlets Add Two More Botched Hit Pieces To A Pile Of Stinky Reporting On Trump]. ''The Federalist''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref> and ''The New York Times'' falsely reported in September 2018 that UN Ambassador [[Nikki Haley]] spent $53,000 on curtains when they actually were approved during the Obama Administration.<ref name="NYTWaPoFake"/><ref>Multiple references:
*Flood, Brian (September 14, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/09/14/new-york-times-admits-creating-unfair-impression-about-nikki-haleys-53g-curtains-that-were-okd-by-obama-administration.html New York Times admits creating 'unfair impression' about Nikki Haley's $53G curtains that were OK'd by Obama administration]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Nolte, John (September 14, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/09/14/new-york-times-spreads-fake-news-about-nikki-haleys-52701-curtains/ New York Times Spreads Fake News About Nikki Haley’s $52,701 Curtains]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref>

===Mangled statistics===

A ''Washington Post'' article claimed that 4.2 percent of American children had witnessed a shooting<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/20/19-children-are-shot-every-day-in-the-united-states/?utm_term=.0a9e83f8c5a9 19 kids are shot every day in the United States]</ref> (this in one in 24). This was based on a survey question which they (deliberately? negligently?) misinterpreted:
:The actual question the researchers asked was, "At any time in (your child’s/your) life, (was your child/were you) in any place in real life where (he/she/you) could see or hear people being shot, bombs going off, or street riots?"<ref>[https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/06/27/news-organizations-including-one-unintentionally-misinformed-public-guns How news organizations, including this one, unintentionally misinformed the public on guns]</ref>
So they mixed in "witnessed a shooting" with "heard a street riot", etc.

==Liberal responses==
One attempt at broadening the meaning of the term as well as professing the likelihood of the use of what the term describes appeared on November 23, 2016 in the ''Washington Post'':{{cquote|In the wake of Donald Trump’s shock Nov. 2016 electoral victory, attention fell on the extent to which voter opinions could have been shaped by an epidemic of "fake news" websites that masqueraded as legitimate media outlets...Many fake stories proved more viral on social media than important articles from real sources.<ref name=Merkel>[https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/11/23/fake-news-threatens-german-election-merkel.html Fake news threatens German election: Merkel]</ref>}}

Ishaan Tharoor, the author who wrote the piece, lets the reader know that he assumes Trump's election win is so surprising (although it wasn't) that any explanation deserves to be looked at if the event has not been fully explained already. This would allow the subject which follows—his allegations of "fake news" being epidemic as well as his suggestions that they were isolated to media outlets that weren't "real sources" (by some unstated body's estimation)—to be plausible or even to be considered an especially good candidate as an explanation (to the uninformed), despite being unfounded or at least founded on exaggeration.

The election results prompted German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], who represents a, [[establishment]]-[[globalist]] political party, to caution against "fake news" circulated in [[Social media]]:{{cquote|Something has changed — as globalization has marched on, debate is taking place in a completely new media environment. Opinions aren’t formed the way they were 25 years ago ... Today we have fake sites, bots, trolls — things that regenerate themselves, reinforcing opinions with certain algorithms, and we have to learn to deal with them. I believe we should not underestimate what is happening in the context of the Internet and with digitalization; this is part of our reality ... We have regulations that allow for our press freedom, including the requirement for due diligence from journalists. Today we have many that experience a media that is based on very different foundations and is much less regulated.<ref name=Merkel/>}}

[[Facebook]] has also responded to the alleged problem by developing a system wherein readers can flag a post they find suspicious. Once flagged the post will be reviewed by a [[mainstream media]] representative, who decides whether the news is "real" or "fake."<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebooks-fake-fix-for-fake-news-1481932361</ref>

On January 14, 2016, the Snopes website, itself considered a fake news site by some experts, published its "Snopes’ Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors"<ref name=snopes>{{cite web|title=Snopes’ Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors|date=January 14, 2016|url=http://www.snopes.com/2016/01/14/fake-news-sites/|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, the [[European Commission]] proposed the creation of an "independent fact-checking network" that would fight what it views as "fake news." However, this network, if created, would be funded by left-wing organizations connected to [[George Soros]].<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (April 28, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/04/28/european-union-advocates-independent-fact-checkers-combat-fake-news/ European Union Advocates For Soros-Funded ‘Independent Fact Checkers’ to Combat ‘Fake News’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 28, 2018.</ref>

==Conservative responses==
''"Undoubtedly the new main psyop against independent media is flooding the web with fake news, and mainstream media putting out fake news, and setting themselves up like a super-Snopes, to be the arbiter of what’s real and what’s not,"'' countered [[Alex Jones]] from Infowars in the wake of criticism of the [[Alternative Media]] on the part of [[Democrat]] presidential candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] supporters following Trump's win.<ref>[http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/11/finally-someone-is-standing-up-to-fake-news-infowars.html Finally, Someone Is Standing Up to Fake News: Infowars]</ref>

[[Answers in Genesis]] President [[Ken Ham]] noted that one of the most prominent and blatant examples of fake news is the media's treatment of [[evolution]] and an [[old Earth]] as undisputed scientific fact, even though numerous counterexamples exist [[Counterexamples to Evolution|to evolution]] and [[Counterexamples to an Old Earth|an old Earth]].<ref>Ham, Ken (March 21, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2017/03/21/real-fake-news/ The Real Fake News]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved March 21, 2017.</ref>

According to a 2017 Poynter Media Trust Survey, 44% of Americans believe the media creates "fake news" stories against Trump to make him look bad.<ref>Richardson, Bradford (December 28, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/28/fake-news-half-all-americans-believe-media-make-an/ ‘Fake News’: Half of all Americans believe the media make up anti-Trump stories]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 29, 2017.</ref> A Monmouth University poll released in April 2018 found that 77% of Americans believe the mainstream media reports fake news.<ref>Multiple references:
*Manchester, Julia (April 2, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/381225-more-than-3-in-4-believe-traditional-media-outlets-report-fake-news-poll More than 3 in 4 believe traditional media reports ‘fake news’: poll]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Persons, Sally (April 2, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/2/over-70-percent-of-americans-see-media-as-fake-new/ Over 70 percent of Americans see media as ‘fake news,’ a Monmouth University poll shows]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Church, Nate (April 2, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/04/02/poll-77-percent-believe-traditional-media-guilty-of-fake-news/ Poll: 77 Percent Believe Traditional Media Guilty of Fake News]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Lima, Cristiano (April 2, 2018). [https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/02/poll-fake-news-494421 Poll: 77 percent say major news outlets report 'fake news']. ''Politico''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Byas, Steve (April 4, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/28659-poll-public-believes-media-reports-fake-news-to-advance-their-own-agenda Poll: Public Convinced That Media Reports Fake News to Advance Their Own Agenda]. ''The New American''. Retrieved April 4, 2018.</ref>

==Attempts at censorship==
[[Melissa Zimdars]], a far-Left professor had compiled a list of supposedly "fake and misleading" news websites that was heavily promoted in the Mainstream Media,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/11/breaking-media-list-fake-news-websites-includes-breitbart-infowars-zerohedge-twitchy-blaze/ BREAKING: Liberals Create List of "Fake" News Websites Including: Breitbart, Infowars, Zerohedge, Twitchy, The Blaze]</ref> including [[Breitbart]], [[Infowars]], Twitchy, [[The Blaze]], and Bizpac Review. Even liberals, such as Will Oremus on [[Slate.com]], criticized the list and the term itself for being far too broad, unfairly targeting numerous sites, and being an overreaction.<ref>Oremus, Will (December 6, 2016). [http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2016/12/stop_calling_everything_fake_news.html Stop Calling Everything “Fake News”]. ''Slate.com''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> Zimdars later removed her "Fake News" list, claiming she had been "harassed" and "doxed".<ref>[https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/technology/melissa-zimdars-removes-fake-news-list-claiming-harassed-doxed/ Dr Melissa Zimdars removes fake news list and claims she was ‘harassed’]</ref>

A 2017 Yale University study found that flagging news stories as "fake news" is ineffective due to the general mistrust of the media by Americans that already exists.<ref>Church, Nate (September 12, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/09/12/study-flagging-stories-as-fake-news-ineffective-people-no-longer-trust-media/ Study: Flagging Stories as ‘Fake News’ Ineffective; People No Longer Trust Media]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 13, 2017.</ref>

==Hypocrisy==
While liberals frequently accuse conservative or alternate media sites of being dishonest, they typically gloss over the massive failings of the mainstream media to accurately and fairly cover the news, as well as its own propensity to post and report fake news itself (such as the polls they released which falsely claimed that [[Hillary Clinton]] was "well ahead" of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election campaign in order to discourage conservative voters, despite the attendance figures of the Trump campaign rallies vs. the Clinton campaign rallies, which the mainstream media chose to ignore, proving otherwise). Although the polls may have correctly predicted Clinton's 3 million vote margin in the national popular vote, commenters ignored the fact that the election is determined state-by-state in the [[Electoral College]]. In fact, within days after Trump's victory in the election, Wikipedia's liberal editors propagated a far from neutral and heavily liberal-biased "Fake news website" article.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fake_news_website&oldid=752584598 "Fake news website" article] at Wikipedia, December 2, 2016.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Alternative facts]]
*[[Deep State]]
*[[Fake science]]
*[[Obama FBI/DOJ scandal]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOZ0irgLwxU What is Fake News video by Prager University]
*[https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeperlis/2017/03/09/fake-news-its-just-so-un-civil/ Forbes: Fake News Is So Un-civil]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jh8qDR9Zm4 Fake News], by Bill Whittle
*[https://www.breitbart.com/milo/2017/02/02/fake-news-cnn-ties-milo-to-white-nationalists-despite-explicit-rejection-of-racism/ FAKE NEWS: CNN Ties MILO to White Nationalists Despite Explicit Rejection of Racism] at Breitbart News Network
*[http://www.fakehatecrimes.org/ Fakehatecrimes.org]. A database of reported instances of fake hate crimes.
*[http://www.snopes.com/2016/01/21/6-quick-ways-spot-fake-news/ 6 Quick Ways to Spot Fake News]

[[Category:Leftists]]
[[Category:Liberal Deceit]]
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]
[[Category:Liberal Falsehoods]]
[[Category:Political Media]]
[[Category:Political Terms]]
[[Category:2010s]]
[[Category:Conspiracy Theory]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Fake news

2018-10-16T23:58:10Z

AschlaflyIsQuick: simplified beginning

'''"Fake news"''' is any news that claims to be true, but is actually factually false or an extremely distorted interpretation of facts.
''Fake news should not be confused with [[liberal bias]] in the media.'' Liberal bias refers to somewhat left-leaning biased interpretations of the news, but the underlying facts are usually still correct.

Non-political fake news is designed to attract internet traffic, attention, or sales. Political fake news is designed to push an agenda, typically the [[conservative]] or [[neo-Nazi]] one. A recent example of fake news is the uncorroborated, obscene sexual allegation published by ''[[The New Yorker]]'' as part of the [[Kavanaugh smear]], which even liberal news outlets criticized.

Fake news is presented in a manner to create the impression that it is actual news. While the actual term "fake news" is quite recent, the concept has been around for hundreds of years. Both the historical instances and the modern instances are often driven by a desire to make money, whether from purchase of "supermarket tabloids" or from often-deceptive clicks on websites. The falsehoods have sufficient emotional impact to assure that they will be magnified in various [[Media|mediums]]. It is debated whether or not this includes [[Satire|satiric]] news.<ref>"Tall Tale or Satire? Authors of So-Called "Fake News" Feel Misjudged". ''NBC News''. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tall-tale-or-satire-authors-so-called-fake-news-feel-n689421</ref><ref>''Fake News Watch''. http://fakenewswatch.com/</ref>

The motive of fake news is to either manipulate public opinion or to profit from advertising displayed on the fake news sites. The fake news can originate as a [[hoax]], as a tactical ploy by a political operative, as attempts to boost an audience using "click bait", or as mistaken reporting resulting from [[bias]].

Fake news websites lack known publishers hindering lawsuits against them for [[libel]] or [[slander]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/05/opinions/suing-fake-news-not-so-fast-callan/index.html|title=Sue over fake news? Not so fast|last=Callan|first=Paul|website=CNN|accessdate=April 6, 2017}}</ref> In many cases, the fake news websites resolve to IP addresses located outside the United States.

Another example of fake news is the attempt by Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, possibly to favor [[Donald Trump]], [[President of the United States]]. The conservative-pushed, Trump-employed term "fake news" refer to a form of [[conspiracy theory]]. However, the [[mainstream media]] itself prevents fake news stories from appearing in its nightly network newscasts, on its cable news channels, in its newspapers and on its websites, by thoroughly vetting stories before publishing. The problem arises when people think Facebook and other social media websites are "mainstream news outlets" when in fact there are usually the source of fake news / conspiracy theory / lies.<ref name="Tech Crunch">{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/14/facebook-fake-news-code-media/|title=Facebook is still figuring out how to tackle fake news|date=Feb 14, 2017|accessdate=June 29, 2017|work=Tech Crunch}}</ref> While liberals accuse conservatives of being behind fake news stories, and conservatives accuse liberals of being behind fake news stories, the evidence shows that often, it is Russia behind these stories, although fake news is designed to appeal to audiences all across the political spectrum.

As in other mediums, the mainstream media can make mistakes, such as a fictional ''Washington Post'' story that Russia hacked the U.S. power grid in 2016.<ref>Leetaru, Kalev, "[http://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2017/01/01/fake-news-and-how-the-washington-post-rewrote-its-story-on-russian-hacking-of-the-power-grid/ 'Fake News' And How The Washington Post Rewrote Its Story On Russian Hacking Of The Power Grid]," ''Forbes'', Jan 1, 2017.</ref> This happens through mistaken reporting resulting from bias or a failure to screen stories.

==History==
"News articles" that are completely fictional have a long history. The motivation is often for the amusement of the author, or the desire to make money by selling the newspaper or handbill based on its entertainment value. Such "news articles" are sometimes purely satirical (something that has a long history), or intentionally malicious, often for political reasons. For example, malicious claims about Presidential candidates (illegitimate children, etc.) have a long history in the United States.

In the more recent past, but before the advent of the widespread propagation of false information through the internet, the most visible instances of "fake news" were probably the "supermarket tabloids" that could be found at checkout counters of supermarkets. These were often full of blatant nonsense, and (nearly) everyone knew that, and bought them only for their entertainment value. Perhaps the most blatant of these was ''Weekly World News'', which seemed obsessed with some half-human half-bat creature named "bat boy", and with extraterrestrials. They sometimes devoted entire issues to extraterrestrials, and, in one instance, had three articles relating that each of the Presidential candidates in the 1992 Presidential election ([[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], and [[Ross Perot]]) had been taken for a personal ride in a flying saucer to see Washington, D.C. from the air.

[[Walter Lippmann]], the father of modern journalism also indicated that the press is supposed to utilize fake news to spin a narrative and thus manufacture public consent, claiming that news and truth are not the same thing, that it requires no real training to deal with the small pool, and that everything else is in the journalist's own discretion, which includes even promoting stereotypes.<ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2012/02/journalism-and-manufacturing-of-consent.html</ref><ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2013/03/walter-lippmann-explains-how.html</ref><ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2017/01/who-is-founding-father-of-fake-news.html</ref>

These fake articles continue, often with an extreme political slant. Recent issues of the ''National Enquirer'' (perhaps the most blatant fake newspaper since the demise of Weekly World News) had completely false articles about Special Forces raids, carpet bombing, drone strikes, and naval assaults by American forces in the Middle East. The ''Globe'' has run headlines alleging that Hillary Clinton is a Russian spy and has a "new treason indictment", which is not supported by the corresponding article. Another headline, unsupported by any evidence in the article, stated that Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin were stopped trying to escape from the country. And there were numerous headlines during the 2016 Presidential campaign stating that they were in possession of evidence that would put Ms. Clinton in prison.

The explosive growth of the internet in the early years of the 21st century, and the political divisiveness of the 2016 Presidential election, saw an explosive growth in fake news, far beyond supermarket tabloids, and the use of the term "fake news" to describe this.

==Modern origins==
Cybersecurity experts began using the term "fake news" to describe social media postings that attempted to spread false information regardless of the political ramifications of its content.

The widespread public use of the phrase by non-experts probably originated on November 14, 2016 in an announcement by [[Google]]. They said their advertising service was being pulled from sites whose purpose was to present as news what was solely designed to attract attention rather than conducted in a factual manner by a responsible party.<ref>Nicas, Jack (November 14, 2016). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-to-bar-fake-news-websites-from-using-its-ad-selling-software-1479164646 "Google to bar fake-news websites from using its ad-selling software"]. ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> Fake news is also a form of "click bait". A photo would appear in an ad implying that there was a news story about the death of a celebrity, and computer users would click on the link to be taken to a website that carried heavy advertising, but no news story about the death of the living celebrity.

[[Barack Hussein Obama]] was a firm believer in projecting what was news and what was fake news. He would famously deride publicly against the reporting of "[[Fox News]], [[Rush Limbaugh]] and talk radio." [[Bill Clinton]] engaged in similar behavior during an interview with [[Chris Wallace]] shortly after the airing of the edited version of The Path to 9/11.

=== Early examples of fake news ===

Here are some early examples of fake news:

#The false claim, based on manipulation of the data, by Sir [[Arthur Eddington]] that the 1919 total eclipse of the sun proved the [[General Theory of Relativity]].
#The false reporting by the bigot [[H.L. Mencken]] on the [[Scopes Trial]].
#[[The War of the Worlds]] broadcast on [[Halloween]] night, 1938, in which Orson Wells dramatically described an invasion by hostile Martians in [[New Jersey]].

== Identifying fake news ==
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has a checklist to assist people to recognize fake news:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.ifla.org/lpa/files/2017/01/How-to-Spot-Fake-News-1.jpg|title=How to Spot Fake News|date=January 27, 2017|website=IFLA blogs|access-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref>
# Consider the source (to understand its mission and purpose)
# Read beyond the headline (to understand the whole story)
# Check the authors (to see if they are real and credible)
# Assess the supporting sources (to ensure they support the claims)
# Check the date of publication (to see if the story is relevant and up to date)
# Ask if it is a joke (to determine if it is meant to be [[satire]])
# Review your own biases (to see if they are affecting your judgment)
# Ask experts (to get confirmation from independent people with knowledge).

===Reputation of the author===
Ultimately, a judgement about fake news rests on the reputation of its author, and the reputation and editorial stance of a news organization or book publisher. Longevity is not in and of itself proof a publication or publishing house is an established reputable service. ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazine for instance, was once established as a "moderate" or right-leaning weekly news source to counter the perceived leftwing bias of ''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' magazine. It has since ceased publication as a print journal, and the name - ''Newsweek'' - was sold as an established, existing tradename, only to reappear online as a mainstream news source for some of the most outrageous left wing lunacy.

In the United States the ''[[New Republic]]'', established before World War I, is considered the granddaddy of modern liberal thought, whereas the ''[[National Review]]'' established in the 1950s is considered its modern conservative counterpart. ''[[The Nation]]'' has long been deemed the voice of more marginalized [[progressive]] thinking. While staff management and editorial views have evolved over many decades, any author moving from one of these publications to another generally have professional reputations as traditional ethical journalists, unlike modern broadcast journalists, or what passes as "ethics" taught in some of the nation's most prestigious journalism and broadcast schools today.

Among book publishers, St. Martin's Press is considered a mainstream book publisher for [[Democrat]]s which no other mainstream publisher would stake its reputation on, and Regnery is considered its [[Republican]] counterpart.

The challenge for young readers is to discern good, solid, factual reporting in the internet era, at a time when an explosion of anonymous blog sites are threatening the existence of a dying print and cable news broadcast industry.<ref>A prime example of [[Joseph Schumpeter]]'s [[creative destruction]].</ref> Again the reputation of the author is all pervasive. This requires follow-up and holding the author (whether anonymous or a pseudonym) accountable, and not seeking [[confirmation bias]] in how a reader informs themself.

===Wrap up smear===
A wrap up smear,<ref>https://youtu.be/SMJdDwQlcc8</ref> also known as a circular echo chamber, occurs when partisan sources leak false information to journalists then use published accounts to validate their claims.

Two instances in recent memory illustrate the technique: the [[Trump-Russia collusion hoax]] and the [[Kavanaugh smear]]. In Trump-Russia, a false allegation that Trump colluded with Russia was leaked by Democratic operatives to get news organizations to publicize the claim, then biased [[Obama administration]] employees used those news stories as supposed evidence to obtain FBI [[surveillance]] warrants on the Trump campaign.

In the Kavanaugh smear, false sexual abuse allegations were leaked by Senate Democrat committee staffers to produce sensationalized headlines and martial public pressure in an emotional cause.

CNN, the ''Washington Post'', the ''New York Times'' and numerous other mainstream media reported illegal, fabricated [[leak]]s by [[Obama administration]] and [[intelligence community]] anonymous sources throughout 2016, 2017, and 2018. The fabricated information became the basis of the [[Trump-Russia conspiracy hoax]] and [[FISA abuse]] scandal. When the false information was published, the Obama FBI, Justice Department, CIA and [[DNI]] director used the fake news (originating with themselves) as corroborating evidence to begin investigations, interview people, set perjury traps, seek FISA warrants, perform [[Gang of Eight]] briefings, and appoint a [[Mueller office|Special Prosecutor]] to pursue political objectives.

The wrap up smear was again used in the [[Kavanaugh smear]] campaign. Sen. [[Dianne Feinstein]] or a staffer leaked a letter from Dr. [[Christine Blasey Ford]] to the ''Washington Post'' alleging notes from a therapist and a polygraph exam were material evidence of a sexual assault, sparking a hue and cry on the [[Left]] for extended nomination hearings and FBI investigation of [[Judge Kavanaugh]]. The alleged "material evidence" was never provided to the FBI or Senate Judiciary Committee for examination and consideration and the accuser caught in a series of conflicting sworn public statements.

===Willing participants in the Russia collusion smear===
These mainstream news organizations in one capacity or other were willing participants in the [[Trump-Russia collusion hoax]]. Although the plan to exonerate Hillary Clinton of criminal charges, sabotage Donald Trump's election chances, and later his presidency, originated with corrupt elements of the Obama administration in collusion with the Democratic party, allies opposed to Trump's requirement of [[NATO]] members contributing more funding to the alliance, and Russian sources feeding Democrats false information, none of it would have been possible without the participation of several global media organizations willingly publicizing the false narrative of Trump collusion with the Russian government.<ref>https://themarketswork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/inforgraphic-838x1024.jpg</ref>

*CNN
*''The New Yorker''
*''The New York Times''
*''The Washington Post''
*BBC
*NBC
*BuzzFeed
*''The Guardian''
*''Huffington Post''
*''Newsweek''
*MSNBC
*''Politico''
*ABC
*''Vanity Fair''
*''Slate''
*''McClatchy''
*Yahoo News
*''Mother Jones''

==Examples of fake news==
One of the more infamous examples of fake news was when former CBS News anchor [[Dan Rather]] used forgeries of the Killian Documents on George W. Bush's service record in order to sway the 2004 election, which resulted in his firing after being exposed. See [[Rathergate]] for more details.

[[File:Rice Benghazi.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice putting out the fake news narrative that a planned terrorist attack and massacre of Americans was only a spontaneous riot spawned out of a peaceful demonstration.]]
Obama National Security Advisor [[Susan Rice]] appeared on the five major network Sunday talk shows to put out an official fake news narrative that a [[terrorist]] attack against Americans two months before a presidential election was only a peaceful demonstration that turned into a riot. Despite evidence the contrary, many mainstream news organizations adopted the fake news narrative as fact for its viewers and readers and branded skeptics as conspiracy theorists and racists who opposed a black president.

The most common example of fake news are the "click bait" ads that appear on social media sites saying "Hollywood prepares to say good-bye to [name of celebrity]" implying that the celebrity has just died. People then click on the ad to visit a website to learn about the celebrity's death, which boosts the number of page views on that site. However, the fake news will trend if more people start re-tweeting or sharing the item without visiting the underlying website in the belief that the celebrity has just died.

Fake news is frequently used by radical Islamic terrorists to recruit new adherents. The terrorists will either create or embellish fake news accounts of anti-Islamic acts to radicalize members in target populations. For example, terrorists would spread news accounts of people urinating on the Koran at U.S. military prisons. Another fake news item was that a U.S. company was hiring mercenaries to kill ISIS militants.<ref name=snopes/> Again, the emotional impact of the fake news assured that it would spread quickly through social media.

According to FBI cyber experts, during the 2016 presidential election, Russians used armies of Twitter bots to spread fake news using accounts that seem to be Midwestern swing-voter Republicans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/03/522503844/how-russian-twitter-bots-pumped-out-fake-news-during-the-2016-election|title=How Russian Twitter Bots Pumped Out Fake News During The 2016 Election|date=April 3, 2017|work=NPR|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref> Leading up to the March 15, 2017 election in the Netherlands, Russia was found to use social media to spread "fake news" to influence public opinion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-spread-fake-news-during-dutch-election-report-putin/|title=Russia spread fake news during Dutch election: report|date=April 4, 2017|work=Politico|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>

One possible example of fake news was the announcement by the [[mainstream media]] that [[Fidel Castro]] died at age 90 on November 25, 2016.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/26/americas/fidel-castro-obit/</ref> In fact, the [[Obama Administration]] and major news outlets were likely aware that Castro had died of a terminal illness many years earlier. Indeed, [[Obama]] did not even mention, let alone visit, Castro during Obama's visit to Cuba in March 2016, and neither the president, vice-president, or other high-ranking elected official of the United States attended Castro's "funeral".

One fake news item from ''Freedom Daily'' in February 2017 was: "BREAKING: Federal Judge Just Officially Ruled CNN Is FAKE NEWS And Forces SHOCKING Punishment On Them!" However, this was a mis-reporting of a Georgia federal district court judge denying CNN's motion for summary judgment in a defamation action filed by a hospital executive against CNN. No "shocking punishment" was involved and the case will go to trial on the merits.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.snopes.com/cnn-fake-news/|title=Did a Judge Rule That CNN Is 'Fake News'?|date=Feb 17, 2017|accessdate=April 5, 2017|work=Snopes}}</ref>

A poorly-sourced February 4 ''Washington Post'' article claimed a feud existed between DHS Secretary [[John F. Kelly]] and [[Steve Bannon]], when in fact, none existed. The article's author was forced to admit his error.<ref>Hayward, John (February 8, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/08/fake-news-dhs-secretary-calls-wapo-john-kelly-steve-bannon-feud-a-fantasy-story/ Fake News: DHS Secretary Calls WaPo ‘John Kelly-Steve Bannon Feud’ a ‘Fantasy Story’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> In June 2017, the [[Associated Press]] reported, and later corrected, a story that EPA Administrator [[Scott Pruitt]] met with Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris – something which did not actually happen.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/30/fake-news-associated-press-engulfed-in-cnn-level-scandal-as-it-covers-up-invention-of-imaginary-pruitt-meeting/ Fake News: Associated Press Engulfed in CNN-Level Scandal as It Covers Up Invention of Imaginary Pruitt Meeting]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref>

In November 2017, ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the conservative [[Breitbart News]] created the nickname "Mr. Perfect" when referring to [[Jared Kushner]], while in reality, Kushner's own companies created the nickname to promote themselves in China.<ref>Mason, Ian (November 27, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/27/wapo-forgets-kushners-came-up-with-mr-perfect-on-their-own/ WaPo Forgets Kushners Came Up with ‘Mr. Perfect’ on Their Own]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 27, 2017.</ref> Also in November 2017, [[MSNBC]]'s ''Morning Joe'' show was caught broadcasting a pre-taped post-Thanksgiving show while pretending on air to be broadcasting live.<ref>Rodriguez, Katherine (November 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/11/26/fake-news-morning-joe-caught-pretending-pre-taped-day-thanksgiving-show-live/ Fake News: Morning Joe Caught Pretending Pre-Taped Day After Thanksgiving Show Was Live]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 27, 2017.</ref>

In April 2018, the Associated Press and ''The Washington Post'' falsely claimed that the NRA decided to ban concealed carry at an upcoming speech by Vice President [[Mike Pence]] at its convention, when it was actually the Secret Service that forced the organization to do so.<ref>Multiple references:
*Hawkins, Awr (April 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/30/fake-news-ap-wapo-claim-nra-bans-guns-at-mike-pence-speech/ Fake News: AP, WaPo Claim NRA Bans Guns at Mike Pence Speech]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
*Adelmann, Bob (May 1, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/28948-more-fake-news-nra-bans-guns-at-its-own-convention More Fake News: NRA Bans Guns at Its Own Convention!] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
*Richardson, Bradford (April 30, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/30/associated-press-issues-correction-report-nra-bann/ AP issues correction on report that NRA banned guns for Mike Pence speech]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
*Concha, Joe (April 30, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/385563-ap-corrects-earlier-report-that-nra-banned-guns-at-pence-speech AP corrects earlier report that NRA banned guns at Pence speech]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.</ref>

=== CNN and fake news ===

In first half of 2017, [[CNN]]'s market share relative to its competitors saw a marked decline.<ref>[http://www.dailywire.com/news/18088/death-spiral-along-its-credibility-cnn-ratings-john-nolte Death Spiral: Along With Its Credibility, CNN Ratings Collapse], Daily Wire, 2017.</ref> In addition, it faced repeated losses of its credibility through its lapses of journalistic judgment and ethical lapses.<ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FpMb6dATfo CNN faces credibility crisis over Trump coverage]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-X2jG5hdl4 Tucker: When did CNN become internet morality police?]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOYIa-sOB4 CNN IS FAKE NEWS] by Stefan Molyneux
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjkdfdFbeFk The news keeps getting worse for CNN as #CNNBlackmail trends]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCewpjd2Yfc CNN Threatens Reddit User For Exercising Free Speech | #CNNBlackmail]
</ref> President [[Donald Trump]] publicly says CNN produces "fake news" and he also told a CNN reporter that CNN produces "very fake news".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-7nkj26edA Trump to CNN: "Very Fake News"]</ref> Subsequently, CNN has been derided as being "FNN: Fake News Network".<ref>[http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/27/president-trump-blasts-cnn-retracted-russia-story-fake-news 'Fake News Network': Trump Blasts CNN for Retracted Russia Story], Fox News Network</ref>

In May 2017, a CNN program claimed that [[Islam]] "has always been part of the American fabric" even as far back as the American Revolution, despite the apparent contradiction with the historical record.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (May 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/05/29/cnns-crusade-declare-islam-part-americas-founding/ CNN’s W. Kamau Bell: Islam Part of America’s Founding]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 29, 2017.</ref>

On March 28, 2018, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo falsely claimed that "no one [is] calling for Second Amendment repeal", even though, former Supreme Court Justice [[John Paul Stevens]], among other left-wingers, had very recently and notably called for just that.<ref>Multiple references:
*Nolte, John (March 28, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/03/28/fake-news-cnns-cuomo-says-no-one-calling-for-2nd-amendment-repeal-they-are/ Fake News: CNN’s Cuomo Says ‘No One Calling for 2nd Amendment Repeal’ (They Are)]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
*Kugle, Andrew (March 28, 2018). [https://freebeacon.com/issues/cnns-cuomo-no-one-calling-repeal-second-amendment/ CNN’s Cuomo: No One Is Calling for Repeal of Second Amendment]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
*Adams, Becket (March 28, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/cnn-host-apparently-unaware-that-several-people-have-called-for-the-repeal-of-the-second-amendment CNN host apparently unaware that people have indeed called for the repeal of the Second Amendment]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.</ref>

Sometime before January 6, 2017, [[DNI]] [[James Clapper]] briefed opposition research talking points, manufactured by the Clinton campaign in the ''[[Steele dossier]]'', to [[Jake Tapper]] of CNN. The salacious innuendo lacked verification and a " news hook" for CNN to report. Clapper instructed [[FBI]] Director [[James Comey]] to brief President-elect Trump on the allegations. Clapper immediately leaked the fact Trump had been briefed, creating the "news hook" CNN was looking for to publicize the existence of the ''Steele dossier''. FBI counter-intelligence investigator [[Peter Strzok]] then used the fake news report to justify interviewing [[National Security Advisor]] [[Michael Flynn]] and lay a perjury trap,<ref>https://saraacarter.com/who-will-investigate-the-fbi-and-doj-top-secret-leaks-to-the-media/?utm=pushnami</ref> thwarting the new president's [[foreign policy]] agenda. Clapper was rewarded with a job at CNN afterward.<ref>''[https://www.scribd.com/document/377590825/HPSCI-Final-Report-on-Russian-Active-Measures-Redacted-Release Russian Active Measures in the 2016 Election''], House Permanent Sub Committee on Intelligence, March 22, 2017, pp. 107-108.</ref><ref>[https://www.themarketswork.com/2018/04/27/clapper-leaks-twice-to-cnn-brennan-stands-in-the-shadows-a-russian-narrative-is-born/ Clapper Leaks Twice to CNN. Brennan Stands in the Shadows. A Russian Narrative is Born,] Jeff Carlson, April 27, 2018.</ref><ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/04/20/anatomy-of-a-political-smear-confirmed-james-comey-january-briefing-was-scripted-by-clapper-and-brennan-to-create-media-narrative/ Anatomy of a Political Smear Confirmed – James Comey January Briefing Was Scripted by Clapper and Brennan To Create Media Narrative], by Sundance, April 20, 2018. theconservativetreehouse.com</ref>

===Deep state and fake news===
The [[mainstream media]] has worked with the deep state intelligence agencies to promote fake news regarding the supposed [[Trump-Russia scandal]].<ref>Jasper, William F. (April 25, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/25863-deep-state-and-fake-news Deep State and Fake News]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 3, 2018.</ref>

===President Trump and "fake news"===
:{{main|Mainstream media and Donald Trump}}

====2016 election and immediate aftermath====
It has been confirmed that many fake news sites were actually created and managed by liberal Democrats ("false flag" operations) who support [[Hillary Clinton]] and oppose [[Donald Trump]] who engage in their [[Deceit|deception]] in an attempt to discredit conservatives and Trump.<ref name="NPR"/><ref>Dewey, Caitlin (November 17, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/11/17/facebook-fake-news-writer-i-think-donald-trump-is-in-the-white-house-because-of-me/?utm_term=.b3656316a9a1 Facebook fake-news writer: ‘I think Donald Trump is in the White House because of me’]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> One of them, Jestin Coler, a Democrat and Clinton supporter who owns the company Disinfomedia, runs several fake news sites that create "conservative" fake news stories.<ref name="NPR">Sydell, Laura (November 23, 2016). "[http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/11/23/503146770/npr-finds-the-head-of-a-covert-fake-news-operation-in-the-suburbs We Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs. Here's What We Learned]." ''NPR''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref>

A topic of fake news stories after the 2016 election was whether there was violence between Trump supporters and opponents. After the 2016 election, several violent and disturbing anti-Trump attacks occurred throughout the nation against Trump supporters or supposed Trump supporters. Despite these attacks, liberals and leftists only focused on alleged "attacks" by Trump supporters against minorities and others (the leftist narrative, although being blatantly false and one-sided, fits their manufactured narrative that Trump supporters are "racist" and "evil" and that leftists are "tolerant" and "forgiving"). Fox News found that despite the number of real anti-Trump attacks which went largely unreported, several of the "pro-Trump" attacks were hoaxes.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/05/facebook-live-attack-latest-in-string-anti-trump-assaults.html Facebook Live attack the latest in string of anti-Trump assaults]. ''Fox News''. January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017.</ref>

One widely shared fake story, spread by the mainstream media, that Trump's election had led to a rise in anti-Semitism by white supremcists—it turned out that bomb threats at a synagogue were actually carried out by "an African-American left-wing journalist" and a "Jewish teenager in Israel, with dual citizenship in the U.S."<ref>Pollak, Joel (March 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/29/fake-news-donald-trump-antisemitism-vindicated/ Donald Trump Vindicated: Antisemitism Surge ‘Fake News’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 29, 2017.</ref>

Following the 2016 election in which Trump won, [[liberals]], the [[mainstream media]], and [[social media]] had misapplied the term "fake news" to make the false accusation that [[Alternative Media|alternative news]] and Russian sources are "deliberately lying" to their readers, listeners, and viewers, and that these "lies" helped elect [[Donald Trump]] [[President of the United States]]. The liberal-pushed "fake news" accusations are a form of [[conspiracy theory]]. However, the [[mainstream media]] itself publishes and promotes fake news stories,<ref>Heinlein, Peter (May 30, 2017). [https://www.voanews.com/a/donald-trump-frustrated-fake-news-overlooks-accomplishments/3878266.html Trump Frustrated by 'Fake News' That Overlooks His Accomplishments]. ''Voice of America''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref> from appearing in its nightly network newscasts, on its cable news channels, in its newspapers and on its websites (including Facebook). The MSM has allegedly been adopting safeguards to prevent itself from reporting fake news stories,<ref name="Tech Crunch"/><ref name="Barron"/> but it has been unsuccessful based on more recent examples.

====Presidency====
At his first press conference as president-elect, [[Donald Trump]] described [[CNN]] as "fake news." Since becoming president, Trump has accused major news organizations with "fake news" and "very fake news." On February 17, 2017, Trump tweeted:<ref>Greenwood, Mark (February 17, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/320168-trump-the-media-is-the-enemy-of-the-american-people Trump tweets: The media is the 'enemy of the American people']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 27, 2017.</ref>

{{cquote|The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!}}

On November 27, 2017, President Trump tweeted:<ref>Spiering, Charlie (November 27, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/27/trump-proposes-fake-news-trophy-tv-networks-cnn/ Donald Trump Proposes ‘Fake News Trophy’ for TV Networks and CNN]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 28, 2017.</ref><ref>Fabian, Jordan (November 27, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/361932-trump-media-should-compete-for-fake-news-trophy Trump: Media should compete for 'FAKE NEWS TROPHY']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved November 28, 2017.</ref>

{{cquote|We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!}}

''The Washington Post'' reported in June 2017 of a meeting held between President Trump and [[Federal Communications Commission]] Chairman [[Ajit Pai]] that never occurred.<ref>Moran, Sean (June 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/23/fake-news-washington-post-invents-meeting-between-fcc-chair-ajit-pai-and-president-trump/ Fake News: Washington Post Invents Meeting Between FCC Chair Ajit Pai and President Trump]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2017.</ref>

Also in June 2017, ''The New York Times'' falsely stated that 17 U.S. intelligence agencies agreed with an assessment that Russia made hacks into the 2016 presidential election – the actual number was four, with one dissenting from the report's conclusions.<ref>Mason, Ian (June 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/30/nyt-turns-out-17-intelligence-agencies-was-fake-news/ New York Times: Turns Out ‘17 Intelligence Agencies’ Was Fake News]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref> The Associated Press reported, and retracted, the same falsehood.<ref>Klein, Aaron (July 1, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/07/01/fake-news-associated-press-clarifies-17-intel-agencies-did-not-assess-alleged-russia-interference/ Fake News: Associated Press Clarifies 17 U.S. Intel Agencies Did Not Assess Russia ‘Interference’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref> Obama Administration [[Director of National Intelligence]] confirmed that "the report itself makes it clear that it was the three agencies plus the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that put this intelligence community assessment together."<ref>Poor, Jeff (July 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/07/07/fmr-obama-dni-clapper-3-4-intelligence-agencies-agreed-russian-interference-wasnt-17/ Fmr Obama DNI Clapper: Only 3 or 4 Intelligence Agencies Agreed on Russian Interference — ‘It Wasn’t 17’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 7, 2017.</ref>

In May 2018, left-wing activists and some members of the mainstream media, such as New York Times Magazine editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein and NPR, shared pictures of detained illegal immigrant children sleeping in cages and blamed the Trump Administration for it despite those pictures having been taken during the Obama Administration.<ref>Multiple references:
*Flood, Brian (May 29, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/29/embarrassment-for-new-york-times-as-top-editor-falls-for-old-photo-amid-weekend-misleading-anti-trump-tweets.html Embarrassment for New York Times as top editor falls for old photo amid weekend of misleading anti-Trump tweets]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
*Starr, Penny (May 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/30/aclu-npr-use-2014-claims-to-trash-trump-policy/ ACLU, NPR Use 2014 Immigration Claims to Trash Trump Policy]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
*Mikelionis, Lukas (May 28, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/28/former-obama-official-liberal-activists-share-2014-photos-from-detention-facility-as-swipe-at-trump.html Former Obama official, liberal activists share 2014 photos from detention facility as swipe at Trump]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
*Spiering, Charlie (May 29, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/29/donald-trump-rips-democrats-for-tweeting-border-pictures-from-2014/ Donald Trump Rips Democrats for Tweeting Border Pictures from 2014]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.</ref> An Associated Press report discussing alleged abuse at an illegal immigrant detention center left out the fact that Obama was president when the abuse happened.<ref>Scarry, Eddie (June 21, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ap-report-on-alleged-illegal-immigrant-abuse-at-detention-centers-omits-obama-was-president-at-time AP report on alleged illegal immigrant abuse at detention centers omits Obama was president at time]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 21, 2018.</ref> Other media sources have published fake news about President Trump's immigration policies.<ref>Binder, John (June 1, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/06/01/establishment-media-issues-four-corrections-after-falsely-claiming-trump-separating-families-at-border/ Establishment Media Issues Four Corrections After Falsely Claiming Trump Separating Families at Border]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 2, 2018.</ref><ref>Nolte, John (July 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/07/09/associated-press-becomes-fake-news-factory-with-immigration-lies/ Associated Press Becomes Fake News Factory with Immigration Lies]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 9, 2018.</ref>

====Russia investigation and James Comey hearing====
[[File:DgKWrfIVMAANg8k.jpeg|right|300px|thumb]]
Former FBI Director [[James Comey]], during his testimony to Congress, debunked two fake news stories on ''The New York Times''<ref>Scarborough, Rowan (June 8, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/8/james-comey-debunks-new-york-times-story-fueled-un/ James Comey debunks New York Times story that fueled unproven Trump-Russia collusion]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> and CNN,<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (June 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/06/07/james-comey-testimony-proves-trump-right-cnn-wrong/ James Comey Testimony Proves Trump Right, CNN Wrong]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> respectively.

After several inaccuracies and flaws were found in a [[CNN]] article that attacked Trump and his allies over a Russia fund, CNN retracted the article.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/23/very-fake-news-after-breitbart-investigation-cnn-retracts-conspiracy-theory-hit-piece-attacking-trump-associates-over-russian-fund/ Very Fake News: After Breitbart Investigation, CNN Retracts Conspiracy Theory Hit Piece Attacking Trump, Associates Over Russian Fund]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2017.</ref><ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 24, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/24/cnn-under-fire-very-fake-news-network-hit-from-all-sides-as-breitbart-investigation-forces-rare-retraction/ CNN Under Fire: ‘Very Fake News’ Network Hit from All Sides as Breitbart Investigation Forces Rare Retraction]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 25, 2017.</ref> Three CNN employees resigned due to the resulting scandal.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/06/26/three-employees-resign-from-cnn-amid-very-fake-news-scandal/ Three Employees Resign from CNN Amid Very Fake News Scandal]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 27, 2017.</ref><ref>Adams, Becket (June 26, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/three-cnn-staffers-quit-over-retracted-story/article/2627155 Three CNN staffers quit over retracted story]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 27, 2017.</ref>

ABC News ran a banner headline claiming [[Paul Manafort]] pled guilty to five counts of [[manslaughter]].

''The Washington Post'' falsely reported in August 2018 that the Trump Administration was denying passports to Hispanic Americans along the border with Mexico,<ref>Multiple references:
*Munro, Neil (August 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/30/state-dept-slams-wapo-claim-texas-latinos-are-being-denied-passports/ State Dept. Slams WaPo Claim Texas Latinos Are Being Denied Passports]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Munro, Neil (September 17, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/17/huffpo-whacks-washpo-for-claiming-trump-blocks-latino-passports/ Washington Post Busted for Fake News of Trump Admin ‘Denying Passports’ to Latinos]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Adams, Becket (September 17, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-washington-posts-scoop-on-trump-revoking-visas-at-the-border-it-was-a-pile-of-garbage The Washington Post's 'scoop' on Trump revoking visas at the border — it was a pile of garbage]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref><ref name="NYTWaPoFake">Stoltzfoos, Rachel (September 18, 2018). [https://thefederalist.com/2018/09/18/legacy-outlets-add-two-botched-hit-pieces-pile-stinky-reporting-trump/ Legacy Outlets Add Two More Botched Hit Pieces To A Pile Of Stinky Reporting On Trump]. ''The Federalist''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref> and ''The New York Times'' falsely reported in September 2018 that UN Ambassador [[Nikki Haley]] spent $53,000 on curtains when they actually were approved during the Obama Administration.<ref name="NYTWaPoFake"/><ref>Multiple references:
*Flood, Brian (September 14, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/09/14/new-york-times-admits-creating-unfair-impression-about-nikki-haleys-53g-curtains-that-were-okd-by-obama-administration.html New York Times admits creating 'unfair impression' about Nikki Haley's $53G curtains that were OK'd by Obama administration]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Nolte, John (September 14, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/09/14/new-york-times-spreads-fake-news-about-nikki-haleys-52701-curtains/ New York Times Spreads Fake News About Nikki Haley’s $52,701 Curtains]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref>

===Mangled statistics===

A ''Washington Post'' article claimed that 4.2 percent of American children had witnessed a shooting<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/20/19-children-are-shot-every-day-in-the-united-states/?utm_term=.0a9e83f8c5a9 19 kids are shot every day in the United States]</ref> (this in one in 24). This was based on a survey question which they (deliberately? negligently?) misinterpreted:
:The actual question the researchers asked was, "At any time in (your child’s/your) life, (was your child/were you) in any place in real life where (he/she/you) could see or hear people being shot, bombs going off, or street riots?"<ref>[https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/06/27/news-organizations-including-one-unintentionally-misinformed-public-guns How news organizations, including this one, unintentionally misinformed the public on guns]</ref>
So they mixed in "witnessed a shooting" with "heard a street riot", etc.

==Liberal responses==
One attempt at broadening the meaning of the term as well as professing the likelihood of the use of what the term describes appeared on November 23, 2016 in the ''Washington Post'':{{cquote|In the wake of Donald Trump’s shock Nov. 2016 electoral victory, attention fell on the extent to which voter opinions could have been shaped by an epidemic of "fake news" websites that masqueraded as legitimate media outlets...Many fake stories proved more viral on social media than important articles from real sources.<ref name=Merkel>[https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/11/23/fake-news-threatens-german-election-merkel.html Fake news threatens German election: Merkel]</ref>}}

Ishaan Tharoor, the author who wrote the piece, lets the reader know that he assumes Trump's election win is so surprising (although it wasn't) that any explanation deserves to be looked at if the event has not been fully explained already. This would allow the subject which follows—his allegations of "fake news" being epidemic as well as his suggestions that they were isolated to media outlets that weren't "real sources" (by some unstated body's estimation)—to be plausible or even to be considered an especially good candidate as an explanation (to the uninformed), despite being unfounded or at least founded on exaggeration.

The election results prompted German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], who represents a, [[establishment]]-[[globalist]] political party, to caution against "fake news" circulated in [[Social media]]:{{cquote|Something has changed — as globalization has marched on, debate is taking place in a completely new media environment. Opinions aren’t formed the way they were 25 years ago ... Today we have fake sites, bots, trolls — things that regenerate themselves, reinforcing opinions with certain algorithms, and we have to learn to deal with them. I believe we should not underestimate what is happening in the context of the Internet and with digitalization; this is part of our reality ... We have regulations that allow for our press freedom, including the requirement for due diligence from journalists. Today we have many that experience a media that is based on very different foundations and is much less regulated.<ref name=Merkel/>}}

[[Facebook]] has also responded to the alleged problem by developing a system wherein readers can flag a post they find suspicious. Once flagged the post will be reviewed by a [[mainstream media]] representative, who decides whether the news is "real" or "fake."<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebooks-fake-fix-for-fake-news-1481932361</ref>

On January 14, 2016, the Snopes website, itself considered a fake news site by some experts, published its "Snopes’ Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors"<ref name=snopes>{{cite web|title=Snopes’ Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors|date=January 14, 2016|url=http://www.snopes.com/2016/01/14/fake-news-sites/|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, the [[European Commission]] proposed the creation of an "independent fact-checking network" that would fight what it views as "fake news." However, this network, if created, would be funded by left-wing organizations connected to [[George Soros]].<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (April 28, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/04/28/european-union-advocates-independent-fact-checkers-combat-fake-news/ European Union Advocates For Soros-Funded ‘Independent Fact Checkers’ to Combat ‘Fake News’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 28, 2018.</ref>

==Conservative responses==
''"Undoubtedly the new main psyop against independent media is flooding the web with fake news, and mainstream media putting out fake news, and setting themselves up like a super-Snopes, to be the arbiter of what’s real and what’s not,"'' countered [[Alex Jones]] from Infowars in the wake of criticism of the [[Alternative Media]] on the part of [[Democrat]] presidential candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] supporters following Trump's win.<ref>[http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/11/finally-someone-is-standing-up-to-fake-news-infowars.html Finally, Someone Is Standing Up to Fake News: Infowars]</ref>

[[Answers in Genesis]] President [[Ken Ham]] noted that one of the most prominent and blatant examples of fake news is the media's treatment of [[evolution]] and an [[old Earth]] as undisputed scientific fact, even though numerous counterexamples exist [[Counterexamples to Evolution|to evolution]] and [[Counterexamples to an Old Earth|an old Earth]].<ref>Ham, Ken (March 21, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2017/03/21/real-fake-news/ The Real Fake News]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved March 21, 2017.</ref>

According to a 2017 Poynter Media Trust Survey, 44% of Americans believe the media creates "fake news" stories against Trump to make him look bad.<ref>Richardson, Bradford (December 28, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/28/fake-news-half-all-americans-believe-media-make-an/ ‘Fake News’: Half of all Americans believe the media make up anti-Trump stories]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 29, 2017.</ref> A Monmouth University poll released in April 2018 found that 77% of Americans believe the mainstream media reports fake news.<ref>Multiple references:
*Manchester, Julia (April 2, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/381225-more-than-3-in-4-believe-traditional-media-outlets-report-fake-news-poll More than 3 in 4 believe traditional media reports ‘fake news’: poll]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Persons, Sally (April 2, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/2/over-70-percent-of-americans-see-media-as-fake-new/ Over 70 percent of Americans see media as ‘fake news,’ a Monmouth University poll shows]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Church, Nate (April 2, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/04/02/poll-77-percent-believe-traditional-media-guilty-of-fake-news/ Poll: 77 Percent Believe Traditional Media Guilty of Fake News]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Lima, Cristiano (April 2, 2018). [https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/02/poll-fake-news-494421 Poll: 77 percent say major news outlets report 'fake news']. ''Politico''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Byas, Steve (April 4, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/28659-poll-public-believes-media-reports-fake-news-to-advance-their-own-agenda Poll: Public Convinced That Media Reports Fake News to Advance Their Own Agenda]. ''The New American''. Retrieved April 4, 2018.</ref>

==Attempts at censorship==
[[Melissa Zimdars]], a far-Left professor had compiled a list of supposedly "fake and misleading" news websites that was heavily promoted in the Mainstream Media,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/11/breaking-media-list-fake-news-websites-includes-breitbart-infowars-zerohedge-twitchy-blaze/ BREAKING: Liberals Create List of "Fake" News Websites Including: Breitbart, Infowars, Zerohedge, Twitchy, The Blaze]</ref> including [[Breitbart]], [[Infowars]], Twitchy, [[The Blaze]], and Bizpac Review. Even liberals, such as Will Oremus on [[Slate.com]], criticized the list and the term itself for being far too broad, unfairly targeting numerous sites, and being an overreaction.<ref>Oremus, Will (December 6, 2016). [http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2016/12/stop_calling_everything_fake_news.html Stop Calling Everything “Fake News”]. ''Slate.com''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> Zimdars later removed her "Fake News" list, claiming she had been "harassed" and "doxed".<ref>[https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/technology/melissa-zimdars-removes-fake-news-list-claiming-harassed-doxed/ Dr Melissa Zimdars removes fake news list and claims she was ‘harassed’]</ref>

A 2017 Yale University study found that flagging news stories as "fake news" is ineffective due to the general mistrust of the media by Americans that already exists.<ref>Church, Nate (September 12, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/09/12/study-flagging-stories-as-fake-news-ineffective-people-no-longer-trust-media/ Study: Flagging Stories as ‘Fake News’ Ineffective; People No Longer Trust Media]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 13, 2017.</ref>

==Hypocrisy==
While liberals frequently accuse conservative or alternate media sites of being dishonest, they typically gloss over the massive failings of the mainstream media to accurately and fairly cover the news, as well as its own propensity to post and report fake news itself (such as the polls they released which falsely claimed that [[Hillary Clinton]] was "well ahead" of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election campaign in order to discourage conservative voters, despite the attendance figures of the Trump campaign rallies vs. the Clinton campaign rallies, which the mainstream media chose to ignore, proving otherwise). Although the polls may have correctly predicted Clinton's 3 million vote margin in the national popular vote, commenters ignored the fact that the election is determined state-by-state in the [[Electoral College]]. In fact, within days after Trump's victory in the election, Wikipedia's liberal editors propagated a far from neutral and heavily liberal-biased "Fake news website" article.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fake_news_website&oldid=752584598 "Fake news website" article] at Wikipedia, December 2, 2016.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Alternative facts]]
*[[Deep State]]
*[[Fake science]]
*[[Obama FBI/DOJ scandal]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOZ0irgLwxU What is Fake News video by Prager University]
*[https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeperlis/2017/03/09/fake-news-its-just-so-un-civil/ Forbes: Fake News Is So Un-civil]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jh8qDR9Zm4 Fake News], by Bill Whittle
*[https://www.breitbart.com/milo/2017/02/02/fake-news-cnn-ties-milo-to-white-nationalists-despite-explicit-rejection-of-racism/ FAKE NEWS: CNN Ties MILO to White Nationalists Despite Explicit Rejection of Racism] at Breitbart News Network
*[http://www.fakehatecrimes.org/ Fakehatecrimes.org]. A database of reported instances of fake hate crimes.
*[http://www.snopes.com/2016/01/21/6-quick-ways-spot-fake-news/ 6 Quick Ways to Spot Fake News]

[[Category:Leftists]]
[[Category:Liberal Deceit]]
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]
[[Category:Liberal Falsehoods]]
[[Category:Political Media]]
[[Category:Political Terms]]
[[Category:2010s]]
[[Category:Conspiracy Theory]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Fake news

2018-10-16T23:49:32Z

AschlaflyIsQuick: reworded for clarity

'''"Fake news"''' is any news that claims to be true, but is actually factually false or an extremely distorted interpretation of facts.
''Fake news should not be confused with [[liberal bias]] in the media.'' Liberal bias refers to somewhat left-leaning biased interpretations of the news, but the underlying facts are usually still correct.

Non-political fake news is designed to attract internet traffic, attention, or sales. Political fake news is designed to push an agenda, typically the [[conservative]] or [[neo-Nazi]] one. A recent example of fake news is the uncorroborated, obscene sexual allegation published by ''[[The New Yorker]]'' as part of the [[Kavanaugh smear]], which even liberal news outlets criticized.

Fake news is presented in a manner to create the impression that it is actual news. While the actual term "fake news" is quite recent, the concept has been around for hundreds of years. Both the historical instances and the modern instances are often driven by a desire to make money, whether from purchase of "supermarket tabloids" or from often-deceptive clicks on websites. The falsehoods have sufficient emotional impact to assure that they will be magnified in various [[Media|mediums]]. It is debated whether or not this includes [[Satire|satiric]] news.<ref>"Tall Tale or Satire? Authors of So-Called "Fake News" Feel Misjudged". ''NBC News''. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tall-tale-or-satire-authors-so-called-fake-news-feel-n689421</ref><ref>''Fake News Watch''. http://fakenewswatch.com/</ref>

The motive of fake news is to either manipulate public opinion or to profit from advertising displayed on the fake news sites. The fake news can originate as a [[hoax]], as a tactical ploy by a political operative, as attempts to boost an audience using "click bait", or as mistaken reporting resulting from [[bias]].

Fake news websites lack known publishers hindering lawsuits against them for [[libel]] or [[slander]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/05/opinions/suing-fake-news-not-so-fast-callan/index.html|title=Sue over fake news? Not so fast|last=Callan|first=Paul|website=CNN|accessdate=April 6, 2017}}</ref> In many cases, the fake news websites resolve to IP addresses located outside the United States.

Previously [[liberals]], the [[mainstream media]], and [[social media]] had misapplied the term "fake news" to make the false accusation that [[Alternative Media|alternative news]] sources are "deliberately lying" to their readers, listeners, and viewers, and that these "lies" helped elect [[Donald Trump]] [[President of the United States]]. The liberal-pushed "fake news" accusations are a form of [[conspiracy theory]]. However, the [[mainstream media]] itself publishes and promotes fake news stories from appearing in its nightly network newscasts, on its cable news channels, in its newspapers and on its websites (including Facebook).<ref name="Tech Crunch">{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/14/facebook-fake-news-code-media/|title=Facebook is still figuring out how to tackle fake news|date=Feb 14, 2017|accessdate=June 29, 2017|work=Tech Crunch}}</ref><ref name="Barron">{{cite news|url=http://ajr.org/2015/04/03/news-sites-fall-for-fake-news|title=Even News Sites Fall for Fake News|first=Rachel|last=Barron|date=April 3, 2017|accessdate=June 29, 2017|work=American Journalism Review}}</ref>
When fake news sites misuse the "ABC News" logo<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.snopes.com/2016/08/07/breitbart-duped-by-fake-news-again/|title=Breitbart Duped by Fake News (Again)|date=September 1, 2016|accessdate=April 5, 2017|work=Snopes}}</ref> or are designed to appear to be sponsored by a TV news channel, the mainstream media may also appear to publish and promote fake news stories.

As in other mediums, the mainstream media can be rife with blatant fake news stories, such as a fictional ''Washington Post'' story that Russia hacked the U.S. power grid in 2016.<ref>Leetaru, Kalev, "[http://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2017/01/01/fake-news-and-how-the-washington-post-rewrote-its-story-on-russian-hacking-of-the-power-grid/ 'Fake News' And How The Washington Post Rewrote Its Story On Russian Hacking Of The Power Grid]," ''Forbes'', Jan 1, 2017.</ref> This happens through mistaken reporting resulting from bias or a failure to screen stories. While leftists accuse conservatives of being behind fake news stories, the evidence shows the exact opposite, although fake news is designed to appeal to audiences all across the political spectrum.

==History==
"News articles" that are completely fictional have a long history. The motivation is often for the amusement of the author, or the desire to make money by selling the newspaper or handbill based on its entertainment value. Such "news articles" are sometimes purely satirical (something that has a long history), or intentionally malicious, often for political reasons. For example, malicious claims about Presidential candidates (illegitimate children, etc.) have a long history in the United States.

In the more recent past, but before the advent of the widespread propagation of false information through the internet, the most visible instances of "fake news" were probably the "supermarket tabloids" that could be found at checkout counters of supermarkets. These were often full of blatant nonsense, and (nearly) everyone knew that, and bought them only for their entertainment value. Perhaps the most blatant of these was ''Weekly World News'', which seemed obsessed with some half-human half-bat creature named "bat boy", and with extraterrestrials. They sometimes devoted entire issues to extraterrestrials, and, in one instance, had three articles relating that each of the Presidential candidates in the 1992 Presidential election ([[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], and [[Ross Perot]]) had been taken for a personal ride in a flying saucer to see Washington, D.C. from the air.

[[Walter Lippmann]], the father of modern journalism also indicated that the press is supposed to utilize fake news to spin a narrative and thus manufacture public consent, claiming that news and truth are not the same thing, that it requires no real training to deal with the small pool, and that everything else is in the journalist's own discretion, which includes even promoting stereotypes.<ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2012/02/journalism-and-manufacturing-of-consent.html</ref><ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2013/03/walter-lippmann-explains-how.html</ref><ref>http://progressingamerica.blogspot.com/2017/01/who-is-founding-father-of-fake-news.html</ref>

These fake articles continue, often with an extreme political slant. Recent issues of the ''National Enquirer'' (perhaps the most blatant fake newspaper since the demise of Weekly World News) had completely false articles about Special Forces raids, carpet bombing, drone strikes, and naval assaults by American forces in the Middle East. The ''Globe'' has run headlines alleging that Hillary Clinton is a Russian spy and has a "new treason indictment", which is not supported by the corresponding article. Another headline, unsupported by any evidence in the article, stated that Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin were stopped trying to escape from the country. And there were numerous headlines during the 2016 Presidential campaign stating that they were in possession of evidence that would put Ms. Clinton in prison.

The explosive growth of the internet in the early years of the 21st century, and the political divisiveness of the 2016 Presidential election, saw an explosive growth in fake news, far beyond supermarket tabloids, and the use of the term "fake news" to describe this.

==Modern origins==
Cybersecurity experts began using the term "fake news" to describe social media postings that attempted to spread false information regardless of the political ramifications of its content.

The widespread public use of the phrase by non-experts probably originated on November 14, 2016 in an announcement by [[Google]]. They said their advertising service was being pulled from sites whose purpose was to present as news what was solely designed to attract attention rather than conducted in a factual manner by a responsible party.<ref>Nicas, Jack (November 14, 2016). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-to-bar-fake-news-websites-from-using-its-ad-selling-software-1479164646 "Google to bar fake-news websites from using its ad-selling software"]. ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> Fake news is also a form of "click bait". A photo would appear in an ad implying that there was a news story about the death of a celebrity, and computer users would click on the link to be taken to a website that carried heavy advertising, but no news story about the death of the living celebrity.

[[Barack Hussein Obama]] was a firm believer in projecting what was news and what was fake news. He would famously deride publicly against the reporting of "[[Fox News]], [[Rush Limbaugh]] and talk radio." [[Bill Clinton]] engaged in similar behavior during an interview with [[Chris Wallace]] shortly after the airing of the edited version of The Path to 9/11.

=== Early examples of fake news ===

Here are some early examples of fake news:

#The false claim, based on manipulation of the data, by Sir [[Arthur Eddington]] that the 1919 total eclipse of the sun proved the [[General Theory of Relativity]].
#The false reporting by the bigot [[H.L. Mencken]] on the [[Scopes Trial]].
#[[The War of the Worlds]] broadcast on [[Halloween]] night, 1938, in which Orson Wells dramatically described an invasion by hostile Martians in [[New Jersey]].

== Identifying fake news ==
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has a checklist to assist people to recognize fake news:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.ifla.org/lpa/files/2017/01/How-to-Spot-Fake-News-1.jpg|title=How to Spot Fake News|date=January 27, 2017|website=IFLA blogs|access-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref>
# Consider the source (to understand its mission and purpose)
# Read beyond the headline (to understand the whole story)
# Check the authors (to see if they are real and credible)
# Assess the supporting sources (to ensure they support the claims)
# Check the date of publication (to see if the story is relevant and up to date)
# Ask if it is a joke (to determine if it is meant to be [[satire]])
# Review your own biases (to see if they are affecting your judgment)
# Ask experts (to get confirmation from independent people with knowledge).

===Reputation of the author===
Ultimately, a judgement about fake news rests on the reputation of its author, and the reputation and editorial stance of a news organization or book publisher. Longevity is not in and of itself proof a publication or publishing house is an established reputable service. ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazine for instance, was once established as a "moderate" or right-leaning weekly news source to counter the perceived leftwing bias of ''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' magazine. It has since ceased publication as a print journal, and the name - ''Newsweek'' - was sold as an established, existing tradename, only to reappear online as a mainstream news source for some of the most outrageous left wing lunacy.

In the United States the ''[[New Republic]]'', established before World War I, is considered the granddaddy of modern liberal thought, whereas the ''[[National Review]]'' established in the 1950s is considered its modern conservative counterpart. ''[[The Nation]]'' has long been deemed the voice of more marginalized [[progressive]] thinking. While staff management and editorial views have evolved over many decades, any author moving from one of these publications to another generally have professional reputations as traditional ethical journalists, unlike modern broadcast journalists, or what passes as "ethics" taught in some of the nation's most prestigious journalism and broadcast schools today.

Among book publishers, St. Martin's Press is considered a mainstream book publisher for [[Democrat]]s which no other mainstream publisher would stake its reputation on, and Regnery is considered its [[Republican]] counterpart.

The challenge for young readers is to discern good, solid, factual reporting in the internet era, at a time when an explosion of anonymous blog sites are threatening the existence of a dying print and cable news broadcast industry.<ref>A prime example of [[Joseph Schumpeter]]'s [[creative destruction]].</ref> Again the reputation of the author is all pervasive. This requires follow-up and holding the author (whether anonymous or a pseudonym) accountable, and not seeking [[confirmation bias]] in how a reader informs themself.

===Wrap up smear===
A wrap up smear,<ref>https://youtu.be/SMJdDwQlcc8</ref> also known as a circular echo chamber, occurs when partisan sources leak false information to journalists then use published accounts to validate their claims.

Two instances in recent memory illustrate the technique: the [[Trump-Russia collusion hoax]] and the [[Kavanaugh smear]]. In Trump-Russia, a false allegation that Trump colluded with Russia was leaked by Democratic operatives to get news organizations to publicize the claim, then biased [[Obama administration]] employees used those news stories as supposed evidence to obtain FBI [[surveillance]] warrants on the Trump campaign.

In the Kavanaugh smear, false sexual abuse allegations were leaked by Senate Democrat committee staffers to produce sensationalized headlines and martial public pressure in an emotional cause.

CNN, the ''Washington Post'', the ''New York Times'' and numerous other mainstream media reported illegal, fabricated [[leak]]s by [[Obama administration]] and [[intelligence community]] anonymous sources throughout 2016, 2017, and 2018. The fabricated information became the basis of the [[Trump-Russia conspiracy hoax]] and [[FISA abuse]] scandal. When the false information was published, the Obama FBI, Justice Department, CIA and [[DNI]] director used the fake news (originating with themselves) as corroborating evidence to begin investigations, interview people, set perjury traps, seek FISA warrants, perform [[Gang of Eight]] briefings, and appoint a [[Mueller office|Special Prosecutor]] to pursue political objectives.

The wrap up smear was again used in the [[Kavanaugh smear]] campaign. Sen. [[Dianne Feinstein]] or a staffer leaked a letter from Dr. [[Christine Blasey Ford]] to the ''Washington Post'' alleging notes from a therapist and a polygraph exam were material evidence of a sexual assault, sparking a hue and cry on the [[Left]] for extended nomination hearings and FBI investigation of [[Judge Kavanaugh]]. The alleged "material evidence" was never provided to the FBI or Senate Judiciary Committee for examination and consideration and the accuser caught in a series of conflicting sworn public statements.

===Willing participants in the Russia collusion smear===
These mainstream news organizations in one capacity or other were willing participants in the [[Trump-Russia collusion hoax]]. Although the plan to exonerate Hillary Clinton of criminal charges, sabotage Donald Trump's election chances, and later his presidency, originated with corrupt elements of the Obama administration in collusion with the Democratic party, allies opposed to Trump's requirement of [[NATO]] members contributing more funding to the alliance, and Russian sources feeding Democrats false information, none of it would have been possible without the participation of several global media organizations willingly publicizing the false narrative of Trump collusion with the Russian government.<ref>https://themarketswork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/inforgraphic-838x1024.jpg</ref>

*CNN
*''The New Yorker''
*''The New York Times''
*''The Washington Post''
*BBC
*NBC
*BuzzFeed
*''The Guardian''
*''Huffington Post''
*''Newsweek''
*MSNBC
*''Politico''
*ABC
*''Vanity Fair''
*''Slate''
*''McClatchy''
*Yahoo News
*''Mother Jones''

==Examples of fake news==
One of the more infamous examples of fake news was when former CBS News anchor [[Dan Rather]] used forgeries of the Killian Documents on George W. Bush's service record in order to sway the 2004 election, which resulted in his firing after being exposed. See [[Rathergate]] for more details.

[[File:Rice Benghazi.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice putting out the fake news narrative that a planned terrorist attack and massacre of Americans was only a spontaneous riot spawned out of a peaceful demonstration.]]
Obama National Security Advisor [[Susan Rice]] appeared on the five major network Sunday talk shows to put out an official fake news narrative that a [[terrorist]] attack against Americans two months before a presidential election was only a peaceful demonstration that turned into a riot. Despite evidence the contrary, many mainstream news organizations adopted the fake news narrative as fact for its viewers and readers and branded skeptics as conspiracy theorists and racists who opposed a black president.

The most common example of fake news are the "click bait" ads that appear on social media sites saying "Hollywood prepares to say good-bye to [name of celebrity]" implying that the celebrity has just died. People then click on the ad to visit a website to learn about the celebrity's death, which boosts the number of page views on that site. However, the fake news will trend if more people start re-tweeting or sharing the item without visiting the underlying website in the belief that the celebrity has just died.

Fake news is frequently used by radical Islamic terrorists to recruit new adherents. The terrorists will either create or embellish fake news accounts of anti-Islamic acts to radicalize members in target populations. For example, terrorists would spread news accounts of people urinating on the Koran at U.S. military prisons. Another fake news item was that a U.S. company was hiring mercenaries to kill ISIS militants.<ref name=snopes/> Again, the emotional impact of the fake news assured that it would spread quickly through social media.

According to FBI cyber experts, during the 2016 presidential election, Russians used armies of Twitter bots to spread fake news using accounts that seem to be Midwestern swing-voter Republicans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/03/522503844/how-russian-twitter-bots-pumped-out-fake-news-during-the-2016-election|title=How Russian Twitter Bots Pumped Out Fake News During The 2016 Election|date=April 3, 2017|work=NPR|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref> Leading up to the March 15, 2017 election in the Netherlands, Russia was found to use social media to spread "fake news" to influence public opinion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-spread-fake-news-during-dutch-election-report-putin/|title=Russia spread fake news during Dutch election: report|date=April 4, 2017|work=Politico|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>

One possible example of fake news was the announcement by the [[mainstream media]] that [[Fidel Castro]] died at age 90 on November 25, 2016.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/26/americas/fidel-castro-obit/</ref> In fact, the [[Obama Administration]] and major news outlets were likely aware that Castro had died of a terminal illness many years earlier. Indeed, [[Obama]] did not even mention, let alone visit, Castro during Obama's visit to Cuba in March 2016, and neither the president, vice-president, or other high-ranking elected official of the United States attended Castro's "funeral".

One fake news item from ''Freedom Daily'' in February 2017 was: "BREAKING: Federal Judge Just Officially Ruled CNN Is FAKE NEWS And Forces SHOCKING Punishment On Them!" However, this was a mis-reporting of a Georgia federal district court judge denying CNN's motion for summary judgment in a defamation action filed by a hospital executive against CNN. No "shocking punishment" was involved and the case will go to trial on the merits.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.snopes.com/cnn-fake-news/|title=Did a Judge Rule That CNN Is 'Fake News'?|date=Feb 17, 2017|accessdate=April 5, 2017|work=Snopes}}</ref>

A poorly-sourced February 4 ''Washington Post'' article claimed a feud existed between DHS Secretary [[John F. Kelly]] and [[Steve Bannon]], when in fact, none existed. The article's author was forced to admit his error.<ref>Hayward, John (February 8, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/08/fake-news-dhs-secretary-calls-wapo-john-kelly-steve-bannon-feud-a-fantasy-story/ Fake News: DHS Secretary Calls WaPo ‘John Kelly-Steve Bannon Feud’ a ‘Fantasy Story’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> In June 2017, the [[Associated Press]] reported, and later corrected, a story that EPA Administrator [[Scott Pruitt]] met with Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris – something which did not actually happen.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/30/fake-news-associated-press-engulfed-in-cnn-level-scandal-as-it-covers-up-invention-of-imaginary-pruitt-meeting/ Fake News: Associated Press Engulfed in CNN-Level Scandal as It Covers Up Invention of Imaginary Pruitt Meeting]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref>

In November 2017, ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the conservative [[Breitbart News]] created the nickname "Mr. Perfect" when referring to [[Jared Kushner]], while in reality, Kushner's own companies created the nickname to promote themselves in China.<ref>Mason, Ian (November 27, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/27/wapo-forgets-kushners-came-up-with-mr-perfect-on-their-own/ WaPo Forgets Kushners Came Up with ‘Mr. Perfect’ on Their Own]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 27, 2017.</ref> Also in November 2017, [[MSNBC]]'s ''Morning Joe'' show was caught broadcasting a pre-taped post-Thanksgiving show while pretending on air to be broadcasting live.<ref>Rodriguez, Katherine (November 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/11/26/fake-news-morning-joe-caught-pretending-pre-taped-day-thanksgiving-show-live/ Fake News: Morning Joe Caught Pretending Pre-Taped Day After Thanksgiving Show Was Live]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 27, 2017.</ref>

In April 2018, the Associated Press and ''The Washington Post'' falsely claimed that the NRA decided to ban concealed carry at an upcoming speech by Vice President [[Mike Pence]] at its convention, when it was actually the Secret Service that forced the organization to do so.<ref>Multiple references:
*Hawkins, Awr (April 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/30/fake-news-ap-wapo-claim-nra-bans-guns-at-mike-pence-speech/ Fake News: AP, WaPo Claim NRA Bans Guns at Mike Pence Speech]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
*Adelmann, Bob (May 1, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/28948-more-fake-news-nra-bans-guns-at-its-own-convention More Fake News: NRA Bans Guns at Its Own Convention!] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
*Richardson, Bradford (April 30, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/30/associated-press-issues-correction-report-nra-bann/ AP issues correction on report that NRA banned guns for Mike Pence speech]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
*Concha, Joe (April 30, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/385563-ap-corrects-earlier-report-that-nra-banned-guns-at-pence-speech AP corrects earlier report that NRA banned guns at Pence speech]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.</ref>

=== CNN and fake news ===

In first half of 2017, [[CNN]]'s market share relative to its competitors saw a marked decline.<ref>[http://www.dailywire.com/news/18088/death-spiral-along-its-credibility-cnn-ratings-john-nolte Death Spiral: Along With Its Credibility, CNN Ratings Collapse], Daily Wire, 2017.</ref> In addition, it faced repeated losses of its credibility through its lapses of journalistic judgment and ethical lapses.<ref>
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FpMb6dATfo CNN faces credibility crisis over Trump coverage]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-X2jG5hdl4 Tucker: When did CNN become internet morality police?]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOYIa-sOB4 CNN IS FAKE NEWS] by Stefan Molyneux
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjkdfdFbeFk The news keeps getting worse for CNN as #CNNBlackmail trends]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCewpjd2Yfc CNN Threatens Reddit User For Exercising Free Speech | #CNNBlackmail]
</ref> President [[Donald Trump]] publicly says CNN produces "fake news" and he also told a CNN reporter that CNN produces "very fake news".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-7nkj26edA Trump to CNN: "Very Fake News"]</ref> Subsequently, CNN has been derided as being "FNN: Fake News Network".<ref>[http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/27/president-trump-blasts-cnn-retracted-russia-story-fake-news 'Fake News Network': Trump Blasts CNN for Retracted Russia Story], Fox News Network</ref>

In May 2017, a CNN program claimed that [[Islam]] "has always been part of the American fabric" even as far back as the American Revolution, despite the apparent contradiction with the historical record.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (May 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/05/29/cnns-crusade-declare-islam-part-americas-founding/ CNN’s W. Kamau Bell: Islam Part of America’s Founding]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 29, 2017.</ref>

On March 28, 2018, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo falsely claimed that "no one [is] calling for Second Amendment repeal", even though, former Supreme Court Justice [[John Paul Stevens]], among other left-wingers, had very recently and notably called for just that.<ref>Multiple references:
*Nolte, John (March 28, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/03/28/fake-news-cnns-cuomo-says-no-one-calling-for-2nd-amendment-repeal-they-are/ Fake News: CNN’s Cuomo Says ‘No One Calling for 2nd Amendment Repeal’ (They Are)]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
*Kugle, Andrew (March 28, 2018). [https://freebeacon.com/issues/cnns-cuomo-no-one-calling-repeal-second-amendment/ CNN’s Cuomo: No One Is Calling for Repeal of Second Amendment]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
*Adams, Becket (March 28, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/cnn-host-apparently-unaware-that-several-people-have-called-for-the-repeal-of-the-second-amendment CNN host apparently unaware that people have indeed called for the repeal of the Second Amendment]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved March 28, 2018.</ref>

Sometime before January 6, 2017, [[DNI]] [[James Clapper]] briefed opposition research talking points, manufactured by the Clinton campaign in the ''[[Steele dossier]]'', to [[Jake Tapper]] of CNN. The salacious innuendo lacked verification and a " news hook" for CNN to report. Clapper instructed [[FBI]] Director [[James Comey]] to brief President-elect Trump on the allegations. Clapper immediately leaked the fact Trump had been briefed, creating the "news hook" CNN was looking for to publicize the existence of the ''Steele dossier''. FBI counter-intelligence investigator [[Peter Strzok]] then used the fake news report to justify interviewing [[National Security Advisor]] [[Michael Flynn]] and lay a perjury trap,<ref>https://saraacarter.com/who-will-investigate-the-fbi-and-doj-top-secret-leaks-to-the-media/?utm=pushnami</ref> thwarting the new president's [[foreign policy]] agenda. Clapper was rewarded with a job at CNN afterward.<ref>''[https://www.scribd.com/document/377590825/HPSCI-Final-Report-on-Russian-Active-Measures-Redacted-Release Russian Active Measures in the 2016 Election''], House Permanent Sub Committee on Intelligence, March 22, 2017, pp. 107-108.</ref><ref>[https://www.themarketswork.com/2018/04/27/clapper-leaks-twice-to-cnn-brennan-stands-in-the-shadows-a-russian-narrative-is-born/ Clapper Leaks Twice to CNN. Brennan Stands in the Shadows. A Russian Narrative is Born,] Jeff Carlson, April 27, 2018.</ref><ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/04/20/anatomy-of-a-political-smear-confirmed-james-comey-january-briefing-was-scripted-by-clapper-and-brennan-to-create-media-narrative/ Anatomy of a Political Smear Confirmed – James Comey January Briefing Was Scripted by Clapper and Brennan To Create Media Narrative], by Sundance, April 20, 2018. theconservativetreehouse.com</ref>

===Deep state and fake news===
The [[mainstream media]] has worked with the deep state intelligence agencies to promote fake news regarding the supposed [[Trump-Russia scandal]].<ref>Jasper, William F. (April 25, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/25863-deep-state-and-fake-news Deep State and Fake News]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 3, 2018.</ref>

===President Trump and "fake news"===
:{{main|Mainstream media and Donald Trump}}

====2016 election and immediate aftermath====
It has been confirmed that many fake news sites were actually created and managed by liberal Democrats ("false flag" operations) who support [[Hillary Clinton]] and oppose [[Donald Trump]] who engage in their [[Deceit|deception]] in an attempt to discredit conservatives and Trump.<ref name="NPR"/><ref>Dewey, Caitlin (November 17, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/11/17/facebook-fake-news-writer-i-think-donald-trump-is-in-the-white-house-because-of-me/?utm_term=.b3656316a9a1 Facebook fake-news writer: ‘I think Donald Trump is in the White House because of me’]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> One of them, Jestin Coler, a Democrat and Clinton supporter who owns the company Disinfomedia, runs several fake news sites that create "conservative" fake news stories.<ref name="NPR">Sydell, Laura (November 23, 2016). "[http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/11/23/503146770/npr-finds-the-head-of-a-covert-fake-news-operation-in-the-suburbs We Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs. Here's What We Learned]." ''NPR''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref>

A topic of fake news stories after the 2016 election was whether there was violence between Trump supporters and opponents. After the 2016 election, several violent and disturbing anti-Trump attacks occurred throughout the nation against Trump supporters or supposed Trump supporters. Despite these attacks, liberals and leftists only focused on alleged "attacks" by Trump supporters against minorities and others (the leftist narrative, although being blatantly false and one-sided, fits their manufactured narrative that Trump supporters are "racist" and "evil" and that leftists are "tolerant" and "forgiving"). Fox News found that despite the number of real anti-Trump attacks which went largely unreported, several of the "pro-Trump" attacks were hoaxes.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/05/facebook-live-attack-latest-in-string-anti-trump-assaults.html Facebook Live attack the latest in string of anti-Trump assaults]. ''Fox News''. January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017.</ref>

One widely shared fake story, spread by the mainstream media, that Trump's election had led to a rise in anti-Semitism by white supremcists—it turned out that bomb threats at a synagogue were actually carried out by "an African-American left-wing journalist" and a "Jewish teenager in Israel, with dual citizenship in the U.S."<ref>Pollak, Joel (March 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/29/fake-news-donald-trump-antisemitism-vindicated/ Donald Trump Vindicated: Antisemitism Surge ‘Fake News’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 29, 2017.</ref>

Following the 2016 election in which Trump won, [[liberals]], the [[mainstream media]], and [[social media]] had misapplied the term "fake news" to make the false accusation that [[Alternative Media|alternative news]] and Russian sources are "deliberately lying" to their readers, listeners, and viewers, and that these "lies" helped elect [[Donald Trump]] [[President of the United States]]. The liberal-pushed "fake news" accusations are a form of [[conspiracy theory]]. However, the [[mainstream media]] itself publishes and promotes fake news stories,<ref>Heinlein, Peter (May 30, 2017). [https://www.voanews.com/a/donald-trump-frustrated-fake-news-overlooks-accomplishments/3878266.html Trump Frustrated by 'Fake News' That Overlooks His Accomplishments]. ''Voice of America''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref> from appearing in its nightly network newscasts, on its cable news channels, in its newspapers and on its websites (including Facebook). The MSM has allegedly been adopting safeguards to prevent itself from reporting fake news stories,<ref name="Tech Crunch"/><ref name="Barron"/> but it has been unsuccessful based on more recent examples.

====Presidency====
At his first press conference as president-elect, [[Donald Trump]] described [[CNN]] as "fake news." Since becoming president, Trump has accused major news organizations with "fake news" and "very fake news." On February 17, 2017, Trump tweeted:<ref>Greenwood, Mark (February 17, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/320168-trump-the-media-is-the-enemy-of-the-american-people Trump tweets: The media is the 'enemy of the American people']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 27, 2017.</ref>

{{cquote|The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!}}

On November 27, 2017, President Trump tweeted:<ref>Spiering, Charlie (November 27, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/27/trump-proposes-fake-news-trophy-tv-networks-cnn/ Donald Trump Proposes ‘Fake News Trophy’ for TV Networks and CNN]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 28, 2017.</ref><ref>Fabian, Jordan (November 27, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/361932-trump-media-should-compete-for-fake-news-trophy Trump: Media should compete for 'FAKE NEWS TROPHY']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved November 28, 2017.</ref>

{{cquote|We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!}}

''The Washington Post'' reported in June 2017 of a meeting held between President Trump and [[Federal Communications Commission]] Chairman [[Ajit Pai]] that never occurred.<ref>Moran, Sean (June 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/23/fake-news-washington-post-invents-meeting-between-fcc-chair-ajit-pai-and-president-trump/ Fake News: Washington Post Invents Meeting Between FCC Chair Ajit Pai and President Trump]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2017.</ref>

Also in June 2017, ''The New York Times'' falsely stated that 17 U.S. intelligence agencies agreed with an assessment that Russia made hacks into the 2016 presidential election – the actual number was four, with one dissenting from the report's conclusions.<ref>Mason, Ian (June 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/30/nyt-turns-out-17-intelligence-agencies-was-fake-news/ New York Times: Turns Out ‘17 Intelligence Agencies’ Was Fake News]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref> The Associated Press reported, and retracted, the same falsehood.<ref>Klein, Aaron (July 1, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/07/01/fake-news-associated-press-clarifies-17-intel-agencies-did-not-assess-alleged-russia-interference/ Fake News: Associated Press Clarifies 17 U.S. Intel Agencies Did Not Assess Russia ‘Interference’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 1, 2017.</ref> Obama Administration [[Director of National Intelligence]] confirmed that "the report itself makes it clear that it was the three agencies plus the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that put this intelligence community assessment together."<ref>Poor, Jeff (July 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/07/07/fmr-obama-dni-clapper-3-4-intelligence-agencies-agreed-russian-interference-wasnt-17/ Fmr Obama DNI Clapper: Only 3 or 4 Intelligence Agencies Agreed on Russian Interference — ‘It Wasn’t 17’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 7, 2017.</ref>

In May 2018, left-wing activists and some members of the mainstream media, such as New York Times Magazine editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein and NPR, shared pictures of detained illegal immigrant children sleeping in cages and blamed the Trump Administration for it despite those pictures having been taken during the Obama Administration.<ref>Multiple references:
*Flood, Brian (May 29, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/29/embarrassment-for-new-york-times-as-top-editor-falls-for-old-photo-amid-weekend-misleading-anti-trump-tweets.html Embarrassment for New York Times as top editor falls for old photo amid weekend of misleading anti-Trump tweets]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
*Starr, Penny (May 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/30/aclu-npr-use-2014-claims-to-trash-trump-policy/ ACLU, NPR Use 2014 Immigration Claims to Trash Trump Policy]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
*Mikelionis, Lukas (May 28, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/28/former-obama-official-liberal-activists-share-2014-photos-from-detention-facility-as-swipe-at-trump.html Former Obama official, liberal activists share 2014 photos from detention facility as swipe at Trump]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
*Spiering, Charlie (May 29, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/29/donald-trump-rips-democrats-for-tweeting-border-pictures-from-2014/ Donald Trump Rips Democrats for Tweeting Border Pictures from 2014]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 29, 2018.</ref> An Associated Press report discussing alleged abuse at an illegal immigrant detention center left out the fact that Obama was president when the abuse happened.<ref>Scarry, Eddie (June 21, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ap-report-on-alleged-illegal-immigrant-abuse-at-detention-centers-omits-obama-was-president-at-time AP report on alleged illegal immigrant abuse at detention centers omits Obama was president at time]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 21, 2018.</ref> Other media sources have published fake news about President Trump's immigration policies.<ref>Binder, John (June 1, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/06/01/establishment-media-issues-four-corrections-after-falsely-claiming-trump-separating-families-at-border/ Establishment Media Issues Four Corrections After Falsely Claiming Trump Separating Families at Border]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 2, 2018.</ref><ref>Nolte, John (July 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/07/09/associated-press-becomes-fake-news-factory-with-immigration-lies/ Associated Press Becomes Fake News Factory with Immigration Lies]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 9, 2018.</ref>

====Russia investigation and James Comey hearing====
[[File:DgKWrfIVMAANg8k.jpeg|right|300px|thumb]]
Former FBI Director [[James Comey]], during his testimony to Congress, debunked two fake news stories on ''The New York Times''<ref>Scarborough, Rowan (June 8, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/8/james-comey-debunks-new-york-times-story-fueled-un/ James Comey debunks New York Times story that fueled unproven Trump-Russia collusion]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> and CNN,<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (June 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/06/07/james-comey-testimony-proves-trump-right-cnn-wrong/ James Comey Testimony Proves Trump Right, CNN Wrong]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> respectively.

After several inaccuracies and flaws were found in a [[CNN]] article that attacked Trump and his allies over a Russia fund, CNN retracted the article.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/23/very-fake-news-after-breitbart-investigation-cnn-retracts-conspiracy-theory-hit-piece-attacking-trump-associates-over-russian-fund/ Very Fake News: After Breitbart Investigation, CNN Retracts Conspiracy Theory Hit Piece Attacking Trump, Associates Over Russian Fund]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 24, 2017.</ref><ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 24, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/24/cnn-under-fire-very-fake-news-network-hit-from-all-sides-as-breitbart-investigation-forces-rare-retraction/ CNN Under Fire: ‘Very Fake News’ Network Hit from All Sides as Breitbart Investigation Forces Rare Retraction]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 25, 2017.</ref> Three CNN employees resigned due to the resulting scandal.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (June 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/06/26/three-employees-resign-from-cnn-amid-very-fake-news-scandal/ Three Employees Resign from CNN Amid Very Fake News Scandal]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 27, 2017.</ref><ref>Adams, Becket (June 26, 2017). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/three-cnn-staffers-quit-over-retracted-story/article/2627155 Three CNN staffers quit over retracted story]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 27, 2017.</ref>

ABC News ran a banner headline claiming [[Paul Manafort]] pled guilty to five counts of [[manslaughter]].

''The Washington Post'' falsely reported in August 2018 that the Trump Administration was denying passports to Hispanic Americans along the border with Mexico,<ref>Multiple references:
*Munro, Neil (August 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/30/state-dept-slams-wapo-claim-texas-latinos-are-being-denied-passports/ State Dept. Slams WaPo Claim Texas Latinos Are Being Denied Passports]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Munro, Neil (September 17, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/17/huffpo-whacks-washpo-for-claiming-trump-blocks-latino-passports/ Washington Post Busted for Fake News of Trump Admin ‘Denying Passports’ to Latinos]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Adams, Becket (September 17, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-washington-posts-scoop-on-trump-revoking-visas-at-the-border-it-was-a-pile-of-garbage The Washington Post's 'scoop' on Trump revoking visas at the border — it was a pile of garbage]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref><ref name="NYTWaPoFake">Stoltzfoos, Rachel (September 18, 2018). [https://thefederalist.com/2018/09/18/legacy-outlets-add-two-botched-hit-pieces-pile-stinky-reporting-trump/ Legacy Outlets Add Two More Botched Hit Pieces To A Pile Of Stinky Reporting On Trump]. ''The Federalist''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref> and ''The New York Times'' falsely reported in September 2018 that UN Ambassador [[Nikki Haley]] spent $53,000 on curtains when they actually were approved during the Obama Administration.<ref name="NYTWaPoFake"/><ref>Multiple references:
*Flood, Brian (September 14, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/09/14/new-york-times-admits-creating-unfair-impression-about-nikki-haleys-53g-curtains-that-were-okd-by-obama-administration.html New York Times admits creating 'unfair impression' about Nikki Haley's $53G curtains that were OK'd by Obama administration]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
*Nolte, John (September 14, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/09/14/new-york-times-spreads-fake-news-about-nikki-haleys-52701-curtains/ New York Times Spreads Fake News About Nikki Haley’s $52,701 Curtains]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 18, 2018.</ref>

===Mangled statistics===

A ''Washington Post'' article claimed that 4.2 percent of American children had witnessed a shooting<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/20/19-children-are-shot-every-day-in-the-united-states/?utm_term=.0a9e83f8c5a9 19 kids are shot every day in the United States]</ref> (this in one in 24). This was based on a survey question which they (deliberately? negligently?) misinterpreted:
:The actual question the researchers asked was, "At any time in (your child’s/your) life, (was your child/were you) in any place in real life where (he/she/you) could see or hear people being shot, bombs going off, or street riots?"<ref>[https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/06/27/news-organizations-including-one-unintentionally-misinformed-public-guns How news organizations, including this one, unintentionally misinformed the public on guns]</ref>
So they mixed in "witnessed a shooting" with "heard a street riot", etc.

==Liberal responses==
One attempt at broadening the meaning of the term as well as professing the likelihood of the use of what the term describes appeared on November 23, 2016 in the ''Washington Post'':{{cquote|In the wake of Donald Trump’s shock Nov. 2016 electoral victory, attention fell on the extent to which voter opinions could have been shaped by an epidemic of "fake news" websites that masqueraded as legitimate media outlets...Many fake stories proved more viral on social media than important articles from real sources.<ref name=Merkel>[https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/11/23/fake-news-threatens-german-election-merkel.html Fake news threatens German election: Merkel]</ref>}}

Ishaan Tharoor, the author who wrote the piece, lets the reader know that he assumes Trump's election win is so surprising (although it wasn't) that any explanation deserves to be looked at if the event has not been fully explained already. This would allow the subject which follows—his allegations of "fake news" being epidemic as well as his suggestions that they were isolated to media outlets that weren't "real sources" (by some unstated body's estimation)—to be plausible or even to be considered an especially good candidate as an explanation (to the uninformed), despite being unfounded or at least founded on exaggeration.

The election results prompted German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], who represents a, [[establishment]]-[[globalist]] political party, to caution against "fake news" circulated in [[Social media]]:{{cquote|Something has changed — as globalization has marched on, debate is taking place in a completely new media environment. Opinions aren’t formed the way they were 25 years ago ... Today we have fake sites, bots, trolls — things that regenerate themselves, reinforcing opinions with certain algorithms, and we have to learn to deal with them. I believe we should not underestimate what is happening in the context of the Internet and with digitalization; this is part of our reality ... We have regulations that allow for our press freedom, including the requirement for due diligence from journalists. Today we have many that experience a media that is based on very different foundations and is much less regulated.<ref name=Merkel/>}}

[[Facebook]] has also responded to the alleged problem by developing a system wherein readers can flag a post they find suspicious. Once flagged the post will be reviewed by a [[mainstream media]] representative, who decides whether the news is "real" or "fake."<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebooks-fake-fix-for-fake-news-1481932361</ref>

On January 14, 2016, the Snopes website, itself considered a fake news site by some experts, published its "Snopes’ Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors"<ref name=snopes>{{cite web|title=Snopes’ Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors|date=January 14, 2016|url=http://www.snopes.com/2016/01/14/fake-news-sites/|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, the [[European Commission]] proposed the creation of an "independent fact-checking network" that would fight what it views as "fake news." However, this network, if created, would be funded by left-wing organizations connected to [[George Soros]].<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (April 28, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/04/28/european-union-advocates-independent-fact-checkers-combat-fake-news/ European Union Advocates For Soros-Funded ‘Independent Fact Checkers’ to Combat ‘Fake News’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 28, 2018.</ref>

==Conservative responses==
''"Undoubtedly the new main psyop against independent media is flooding the web with fake news, and mainstream media putting out fake news, and setting themselves up like a super-Snopes, to be the arbiter of what’s real and what’s not,"'' countered [[Alex Jones]] from Infowars in the wake of criticism of the [[Alternative Media]] on the part of [[Democrat]] presidential candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] supporters following Trump's win.<ref>[http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/11/finally-someone-is-standing-up-to-fake-news-infowars.html Finally, Someone Is Standing Up to Fake News: Infowars]</ref>

[[Answers in Genesis]] President [[Ken Ham]] noted that one of the most prominent and blatant examples of fake news is the media's treatment of [[evolution]] and an [[old Earth]] as undisputed scientific fact, even though numerous counterexamples exist [[Counterexamples to Evolution|to evolution]] and [[Counterexamples to an Old Earth|an old Earth]].<ref>Ham, Ken (March 21, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2017/03/21/real-fake-news/ The Real Fake News]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved March 21, 2017.</ref>

According to a 2017 Poynter Media Trust Survey, 44% of Americans believe the media creates "fake news" stories against Trump to make him look bad.<ref>Richardson, Bradford (December 28, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/28/fake-news-half-all-americans-believe-media-make-an/ ‘Fake News’: Half of all Americans believe the media make up anti-Trump stories]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 29, 2017.</ref> A Monmouth University poll released in April 2018 found that 77% of Americans believe the mainstream media reports fake news.<ref>Multiple references:
*Manchester, Julia (April 2, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/381225-more-than-3-in-4-believe-traditional-media-outlets-report-fake-news-poll More than 3 in 4 believe traditional media reports ‘fake news’: poll]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Persons, Sally (April 2, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/2/over-70-percent-of-americans-see-media-as-fake-new/ Over 70 percent of Americans see media as ‘fake news,’ a Monmouth University poll shows]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Church, Nate (April 2, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/04/02/poll-77-percent-believe-traditional-media-guilty-of-fake-news/ Poll: 77 Percent Believe Traditional Media Guilty of Fake News]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Lima, Cristiano (April 2, 2018). [https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/02/poll-fake-news-494421 Poll: 77 percent say major news outlets report 'fake news']. ''Politico''. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
*Byas, Steve (April 4, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/28659-poll-public-believes-media-reports-fake-news-to-advance-their-own-agenda Poll: Public Convinced That Media Reports Fake News to Advance Their Own Agenda]. ''The New American''. Retrieved April 4, 2018.</ref>

==Attempts at censorship==
[[Melissa Zimdars]], a far-Left professor had compiled a list of supposedly "fake and misleading" news websites that was heavily promoted in the Mainstream Media,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/11/breaking-media-list-fake-news-websites-includes-breitbart-infowars-zerohedge-twitchy-blaze/ BREAKING: Liberals Create List of "Fake" News Websites Including: Breitbart, Infowars, Zerohedge, Twitchy, The Blaze]</ref> including [[Breitbart]], [[Infowars]], Twitchy, [[The Blaze]], and Bizpac Review. Even liberals, such as Will Oremus on [[Slate.com]], criticized the list and the term itself for being far too broad, unfairly targeting numerous sites, and being an overreaction.<ref>Oremus, Will (December 6, 2016). [http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2016/12/stop_calling_everything_fake_news.html Stop Calling Everything “Fake News”]. ''Slate.com''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> Zimdars later removed her "Fake News" list, claiming she had been "harassed" and "doxed".<ref>[https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/technology/melissa-zimdars-removes-fake-news-list-claiming-harassed-doxed/ Dr Melissa Zimdars removes fake news list and claims she was ‘harassed’]</ref>

A 2017 Yale University study found that flagging news stories as "fake news" is ineffective due to the general mistrust of the media by Americans that already exists.<ref>Church, Nate (September 12, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/09/12/study-flagging-stories-as-fake-news-ineffective-people-no-longer-trust-media/ Study: Flagging Stories as ‘Fake News’ Ineffective; People No Longer Trust Media]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 13, 2017.</ref>

==Hypocrisy==
While liberals frequently accuse conservative or alternate media sites of being dishonest, they typically gloss over the massive failings of the mainstream media to accurately and fairly cover the news, as well as its own propensity to post and report fake news itself (such as the polls they released which falsely claimed that [[Hillary Clinton]] was "well ahead" of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election campaign in order to discourage conservative voters, despite the attendance figures of the Trump campaign rallies vs. the Clinton campaign rallies, which the mainstream media chose to ignore, proving otherwise). Although the polls may have correctly predicted Clinton's 3 million vote margin in the national popular vote, commenters ignored the fact that the election is determined state-by-state in the [[Electoral College]]. In fact, within days after Trump's victory in the election, Wikipedia's liberal editors propagated a far from neutral and heavily liberal-biased "Fake news website" article.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fake_news_website&oldid=752584598 "Fake news website" article] at Wikipedia, December 2, 2016.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Alternative facts]]
*[[Deep State]]
*[[Fake science]]
*[[Obama FBI/DOJ scandal]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOZ0irgLwxU What is Fake News video by Prager University]
*[https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeperlis/2017/03/09/fake-news-its-just-so-un-civil/ Forbes: Fake News Is So Un-civil]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jh8qDR9Zm4 Fake News], by Bill Whittle
*[https://www.breitbart.com/milo/2017/02/02/fake-news-cnn-ties-milo-to-white-nationalists-despite-explicit-rejection-of-racism/ FAKE NEWS: CNN Ties MILO to White Nationalists Despite Explicit Rejection of Racism] at Breitbart News Network
*[http://www.fakehatecrimes.org/ Fakehatecrimes.org]. A database of reported instances of fake hate crimes.
*[http://www.snopes.com/2016/01/21/6-quick-ways-spot-fake-news/ 6 Quick Ways to Spot Fake News]

[[Category:Leftists]]
[[Category:Liberal Deceit]]
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]
[[Category:Liberal Falsehoods]]
[[Category:Political Media]]
[[Category:Political Terms]]
[[Category:2010s]]
[[Category:Conspiracy Theory]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Gun control

2018-10-16T23:35:17Z

AschlaflyIsQuick: rewording

'''Gun control''' is a term used by [[liberal]]s when advocating additional safety measures designed to reduce gun-related fatalities, often by improving mental health programs or by restricting the unlawful purchase, ownership, or carrying of [[gun]]s, to improve "public safety." Some studies show that increasing lawful access to guns results in less crime,<ref>''Shall issue: the new wave of concealed handgun permit laws'', Cramer C and Kopel D. Golden CO: Independence Institute Issue Paper. October 17, 1994</ref> but, despite the fact that gun ownership is a Constitutional right, [[Leftist]]s push gun control because it increases the dependency of voters on government for protection while disarming citizens from any [[self-defense]] against violent crime or [[tyranny]] such as [[genocide]].

The political effect of mentioning gun control is to cause conservatives to get their panties in a twist. In Australia, which enacted stricter gun control, there has been a significantly reduced rate of gun-related deaths.

In a stunning blow to the gun control effort just after Independence Day 2018, the case ''Defense Distributed v. U.S. Department of State'' resulted in a settlement<ref>[https://www.dailywire.com/news/32872/doj-settles-landmark-gun-suit-safeguarding-second-amanda-prestigiacomo DOJ Settles In Landmark Gun Suit, Safeguarding The Second Amendment]</ref> and an admission on part of the [[Department of Justice]] that stated:

<blockquote>Non-automatic firearms up to .50-caliber – including modern semi-auto sporting rifles such as the popular AR-15 and similar firearms – are not inherently military.<ref>[http://joshblackman.com/blog/2018/07/10/doj-second-amendment-foundation-reach-settlement-in-defense-distributed-lawsuit/ DOJ, Second Amendment Foundation Reach Settlement In Defense Distributed Lawsuit]</ref></blockquote>

==Background==
Gun control is a denial or limitation by [[government]]s of the right to armed [[self-defense]]. "In contrast to most other weaponry, firearms are preeminently defensive in effect."<ref name=polsby>{{cite news|url=http://www.constitution.org/2ll/2ndschol/76holo.htm |work=Washington University Law Quarterly|title=OF HOLOCAUSTS AND GUN CONTROL|quote=This essay seeks to reclaim a serious argument from the lunatic fringe. |first=Daniel|last=Polsby|date=Fall 1997|accessdate=July 14, 2016}}</ref> as promised by the [[Second Amendment]] of the Constitution of the [[United States of America]]. Genocide has occurred only after gun control first disarmed the citizenry.<ref name=polsby/>

Proponents use the discredited – but superficially appealing – claim that fewer lawfully-owned guns lead to less crime, although guns are primarily defensive weapons<ref>People who support gun control claim that gun control laws significantly reduce violent crime. [http://home.sprynet.com/~owl1/irrationality.htm Why People Are Irrational about Politics]</ref><ref>Gun control primarily restricts the lawful acquisition and use of guns. Over 99% of the guns restricted by most gun control regulation are used in a lawful manner.</ref> (see [[Concealed carry]]).

Gun control laws cause enormous hardships. In May 2012, a gun control law resulted in a 20-year prison sentence against an [[African American]] woman for merely firing warning shots against her husband, and there was widespread outrage in [[Florida]] against this unconscionable sentence.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2012/05/11/justice/florida-stand-ground-sentencing/index.html?hpt=hp_t3</ref>

In the United States the three primary [[federal]] gun control laws are:
* [[National Firearms Act]] (1934)
* [[Gun Control Act]] (1968)
* [[Brady Bill]] (1993)

These laws have further been amended by other laws such as the Firearms Owners Protection Act (1986) and the Omnibus Crime Bill (1994).
Seeking a loophole in the federal gun laws, in 2009 Montana passed a law "making guns that are made and kept within state boundaries exempt from federal regulations" including "background checks, licensing and registration."<ref>http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=6367553</ref> However, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that all gun sales affect interstate commerce to the point that federal regulation attaches to guns even if the gun owners and manufacturer promise to keep that make of gun within a single state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2013/08/23/10-36094.pdf|title=''MSSA v. Holder''|work=Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals|date=August 23, 2013|format=PDF|accessdate=April 22, 2016}}</ref>

==Weapon forfeiture==
One of the main stated goals of gun control is to prevent criminals from using weapons to commit crimes. So, in addition to laws regulating the sale and possession of weapons, some laws specify forfeiture if a weapon was used during the course of committing a crime. For example, [http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title19.2/chapter22.2/section19.2-386.29/ Virginia Code § 19.2-386.29] provides:
<blockquote>All pistols, shotguns, rifles, dirks, bowie knives, switchblade knives, ballistic knives, razors, slingshots, brass or metal knucks, blackjacks, stun weapons, and other weapons used by any person in the commission of a criminal offense, shall, upon conviction of such person, be forfeited to the Commonwealth by order of the court trying the case.</blockquote>
There are also federal laws specifying the forfeiture of weapons used during a crime.<ref>E.g.,16 U.S. Code § 128</ref>

So, to the extent that opponents of gun control laws claim that the government is trying to "take away" guns, such provisions are the focus of their concerns.

== The Fallacy and Motivation for Gun Control ==
[[Image:No Weapons Allowed.gif|right]]
Gun control potentially causes an increase in crime by restricting its main deterrent: [[self-defense]]. A study by Professor Gary Kleck, initially a liberal critic of gun control, caused him to change his mind on this issue when the evidence showed that crime was predominantly ''prevented'' when people could carry guns. ''See Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America''.<ref>http://www.largo.org/effects.html</ref> In the United States, law-abiding uses of guns outnumber criminal uses by about a factor of 1000 to 1,<ref>http://www.americanselfdefense.com/gunfacts3.0.pdf (p. 60)</ref> and the removal of guns from everyone eliminates the lawful use of self-defense and its deterrent effect. "[[Americans]] use firearms to defend themselves from criminals at least 764,000 times a year."<ref name="Gallup_LAT">"This figure is the lowest among a group of 9 nationwide surveys done by organizations including Gallup and the Los Angeles Times." (Just Facts - [http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp Gun Control])</ref> Specific examples of guns being used successfully in [[self-defense]] are easy to find.<ref>Two 70-ish store owners stopped armed robberies of their stores by shooting at the bandits. "The person came in and pointed the gun at him and my father shot him. I'm proud of him." [http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/253849.html Buffalo News]</ref><ref>[http://sittingduckpolicy.com/ Sitting Duck Policy: True Stories of Self-Defense]</ref> "In 1982, a survey of imprisoned criminals found that 34% of them had been "scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim."<ref name="Gallup_LAT"/> When Florida began allowing its citizens to carry a concealed weapon, [[Florida]]'s firearm homicide rate fell by 37% while the national average ''increased'' by 15%.<ref name="Gallup_LAT"/> As explained below, the political effect of gun control is to cause voters to become more dependent emotionally on government and more supportive of bigger government.

Studies by [[John Lott]] and others indicate that gun control causes higher crime rates.<ref>[http://www.johnrlott.com/ John Lott's Website]</ref> [[Washington, D.C.]] has one of the highest crime rates in America even though it completely bans private handguns.<ref>[http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/dccrime.htm District of Columbia Crime Rates 1960 - 2006]</ref> "Switzerland, Israel, Denmark and Finland, all of whom have a higher gun ownership rate than America, all have lower crime rates than America, in fact, their crime rates are among the lowest in the Western World."<ref>Slashdoc - [http://www.slashdoc.com/documents/71244 gun control]</ref> Lott demonstrates that in Britain, [[Australia]] and [[Canada]], increased gun control in the late 1990s led to increased crime, the exact opposite of what the proponents of the gun control promised.<ref>John R. Lott Jr. and Eli Lehrer - [http://johnrlott.tripod.com/op-eds/IBDGunConFailure.html Add Gun Control To Litany Of Misbegotten Gov't Plans]</ref> States in the [[U.S.]] that have enacted concealed-carry laws enjoy lower crime rates.<ref>[http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=4706 Cato report]</ref>

[[image:Robbery victims per 100K.png|300px|thumb|Source data: Australian Bureau of Statistics]]
[[image:Robbery victims.png|300px|thumb|Source data: Australian Bureau of Statistics]]

In Australia, where gun ownership was less widespread and the gun control measures were less strict, there was an immediate increase in robbery and armed robbery after the gun control went into effect in 1996 (see chart at right).<ref>

Gun control passed in Australia because "public was immediately whipped into a gun control frenzy by the press" after the "Port Arthur massacre" in Tasmania on April 28, 1996, in which 32 were shot dead and 19 injured. "Although polls done prior to the massacre indicated that the public was satisfied with the amount of 'gun control' they already had, a major newspaper did a poll just a few days after the massacre (while all minds were "clear") and, not surprisingly, found high levels of support for extreme gun control measures. This poll would be used forever by the commonwealth government and other gun controllers to claim that Australians supported the new gun laws to come." - [http://www.gunsandcrime.org/aussiegc.html Gun Control in Australia] (by gunsandcrime.org)</ref>

There is no clear evidence supporting a decrease in crime from gun control.<ref name="Results">[http://www.gunsandcrime.org/auresult.html Results of the Australian Gun "Buyback" & New Gun Laws], October 2001</ref><ref>[http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/azl084v1 Study showing lack of promised benefits from gun control]</ref> Although from 1979 to 1996, 11,110 Australians died by gunshot representing an annual average of 617. In the seven years after new gun laws were announced (1997 to 2003), the yearly average almost halved, to 331. In the decade up to and including Port Arthur There have been 11 mass shootings where 100 people were shot dead and another 52 wounded, while in In the 10 years since 1996 and the new gun laws, not one mass shooting (more than five victims) has occurred in Australia (although in 2002 a gunman killed two and wounded four at Monash University) <ref name="theage.com.au">http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/a-safer-place-after-howards-gun-buyback/2006/04/27/1145861484114.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1</ref>

Subsequent to gun control in England:<ref>http://www.reason.com/news/show/28582.html</ref>
[[File:Send_a_gun_to_a_British_home.jpg|thumb|right|[[Second Amendment]]-supporting [[American]] [[citizen]]s gifted their [[firearm]]s to [[gun free zone]]-gun control supporting [[British]] citizens during [[World War II]] via [[The American Committee for the Defense of British Homes]]]]

:"from 1997 to 2001, the rate of violent crime more than doubled. Your chances of being mugged in London are now [as of 2002] six times greater than in New York. England's rates of assault, robbery, and burglary are far higher than America's, and 53 percent of English burglaries occur while occupants are at home, compared with 13 percent in the U.S., where burglars admit to fearing armed homeowners more than the police. In a United Nations study of crime in 18 developed nations published in July, England and Wales led the Western world's crime league, with nearly 55 crimes per 100 people."<ref>However this increase in recorded violent crime between 1997 and 2001 is explained by the Home Office as a result of changes in the definition of violent crime and new counting rules introduced in 1998. [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/rdsolr1804.pdf Violent Crime in England and Wales] According to the British Crime Survey, which is considered a more reliable guide to trends in crime [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/crime-statistics-independent-review-06.pdf], violent crime fell 24% between 1997 and 2001/02, and burglary fell 40% over the same period.[http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1105tab201.xls Trends in BCS incidents of crime]</ref>

Gun control in Britain and Australia has been followed by a predictable shift to the left politically by voters as they lost their instrument of self-defense and became more emotionally dependent on government. Contrast that with the [[United States]], where an effort to push gun control after the [[Columbine massacre]] failed in 2000 and the government has remained as [[conservative]]—if not more so—ever since.

The emasculation of the citizenry by gun control also arguably reduces the resistance of a society to intimidation, and exacerbates fear of consequences from causing offense. Subsequent to the passage of strict gun control in [[England]] some teachers have avoided teaching controversial subjects such as the [[Holocaust]], the Arab-Israeli conflict and the [[Crusades]] during history classes.<ref>http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RW100.pdf</ref>
Teaching Emotive and Controversial History 3-19 (p. 15) The anti-self-defense attitude of British authorities has also turned criminals into "victims" and victims who fight back into "criminals." One particularly egregious case involved a farmer being sentenced to life imprisonment for defending himself in his home after the home was repeatedly burglarized <ref>http://www.theinternetparty.org/commentary/c_s.php?td=200107200000&section_type=com</ref>

== Trends ==
After decades of increasing gun control laws, the current trend in the [[United States]] is in the direction of more gun rights. The 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill included a ban on certain new rifles labeled assault rifles solely because of features of their appearance, and on new high-capacity magazines. This law recently expired and was not renewed by [[Congress]]. Also, Washington D.C.'s gun ban was struck down as unconstitutional by the U.S. Court of Appeals on March 9, 2007.<ref>The New York Times - [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/washington/09cnd-gun.html?hp Appeals Court Says Gun Ban Violates 2nd Amendment]</ref><ref>The Washington Post - [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/09/AR2007030902416.html D.C.'s Ban On Handguns In Homes Is Thrown Out]</ref>

By removing the deterrent effect of guns, gun control causes dramatic increases in crimes committed with other weapons:<ref name="bbc">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2656875.stm</ref>

:You are now six times more likely to be mugged in [[London]] than [[New York]]. Why? Because as common law appreciated, not only does an armed individual have the ability to protect himself or herself but criminals are less likely to attack them. They help keep the peace. A study found American burglars fear armed home-owners more than the police. As a result burglaries are much rarer and only 13% occur when people are at home, in contrast to 53% in England.

Supporters of gun control argue that homicide with guns is much less in [[England]] than in the [[United States]],<ref>In 2005/06, the total number of victims of homicide by shooting (including crossbows) in England and Wales was 50 and there were 212 victims of homicide by sharp instruments. Home Office Statistical Bulletin - [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0207.pdf Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2005/2006][http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb0104.pdf] The data for gun deaths in the United States include guns used in self-defense, as in fending off an assault, robbery or rape, and there were a total of 11,350 gun deaths (including deaths of criminals) in 2005. US Department of Justice, FBI - [http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_01.html Crime in the United States by Volume and Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants, 1986 - 2005]</ref> but that was true even before gun control and is likely due to cultural reasons. "A study comparing New York and London over 200 years found the New York homicide rate consistently five times the London rate, although for most of that period residents of both cities had unrestricted access to firearms. When guns were available in England they were seldom used in crime. A government study for 1890-1892 found an average of one handgun homicide a year in a population of 30 million."<ref name="bbc" />

Gun control laws are often seen to conflict with the [[Second Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]], which recognizes the right to bear arms. The Second Amendment reads: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a [[Free States Movement|free State]], the [[unalienable rights|right]] of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

The "right to keep and bear arms" is a right guaranteed to the American citizen by the Bill of Rights through the virtue of a selective reading of said Bill. The phrase "a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state" precedes the statement, and most federal Courts of Appeals have held that this phrase requires that the "right to bear arms" relates to the collective rights of state militias, as opposed to the individual's rights to have any weapon desired. Just recently, the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit went against nine other circuits in holding that the Second Amendment constitutes an individual right.<ref>The New York Times - [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/10/washington/10gun.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Court Rejects Strict Gun Law as Unconstitutional]</ref><ref>FOX News - [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258067,00.html Appeals Court Strikes Down Washington, D.C. Handgun Ban]</ref> However, according to the judge writing for the majority in this case, its decision does still allow for "reasonable restrictions" on gun ownership and use, such as carrying of guns by intoxicated individuals, or in churches.

Only six cities in the United States ban handguns: [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Chicago]], and four of its suburbs.<ref>David Kopel, "The Democrats and Gun Control," Wall St.J., Page A19, April 17, 2008 [http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB120839466717921537-lMyQjAxMDI4MDE4NzMxOTc0Wj.html]</ref> Some specific locations have also been labeled "gun free zones," including schools, shopping malls, movie theaters, corporate offices, and more. In most cases, mass-shootings take place in these gun-free zones, since those who obey the rules do not carry, while those already planning to break the law disregard this rule. When attempted in areas where firearms are permitted, [[Mass shootings prevented by armed citizens|mass-shootings have often been quickly stopped by armed citizens]].

==Overview==
"Gun control" can include:

* Restricting which persons can own firearms.
* Restrictions on the number of firearms a person may own, or purchase during a given time period
* Requirements that privately owned firearms be registered with the government.
* Bans on certain types of firearms; for example, "handguns" or assault rifles
* Restrictions on where firearms may be carried, for example into restaurants or post offices
* Requiring a "background check" and/or a "waiting period" to purchase a firearm
* Restricting when and where firearms may be bought and sold, for example banning their sale through the mail
* Requiring licenses or some other form of permission from the government to buy and/or sell a firearm
* Requiring some form of permission from the government to carry a firearm in public, either concealed or openly
* Laws granting special gun rights for some people, for example, retired law enforcement officers, which are denied the rest of the public, which was used in several southern states.
* Outright bans on carrying firearms in public
* Outright bans on private possession of firearms, though this has never occurred in the United States (with the exception of some municipalities, prior to those bans being struck down in court)

===Arguments in favor===
"The only purpose of a gun is to kill people."

Advocates point to the number of accidental deaths caused by children gaining access to improperly-stored guns. According to the [[Brady Campaign]], a [[liberal]] organization that advocates for gun control, in the United States, " 1 out of 3 homes with kids have guns and nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with an unlocked, loaded gun."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bradycampaign.org/key-gun-violence-statistics|title=Key Gun Violence Statistics|accessdate=July 14, 2017}}</ref>

Another argument is that of suicide prevention. Guns are highly effective tools for committing suicide with a reported success rate of over 95%, whereas other common methods such as overdoses and cutting have a less than 10% success rate.

===Arguments against===
{{coulter-armed-self-defense}}

[[Emily Miller]] wrote,
"New York City Mayor [[Michael R. Bloomberg]] has spent tens of millions of his billions trying to get his gun bans instituted in the rest of America, even though these laws have never stopped criminals from getting guns."<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/26/miller-bloomberg-loses-stop-and-frisk-and-nra-gets/ Bloomberg loses stop and frisk, and NRA gets blamed: The mayor’s default disgust for gun owners tarnishes his life-saving program] - [[Emily Miller]]</ref>

Critics, such as Awr Hawkins of [[Breitbart.com]], have argued that background checks, a form of gun control, have done nothing to prevent gun crimes.<ref name="Hawkins"/>

Hawkins has also pointed out that despite [[France]] having very strict gun control laws, the nation has had many [[List of Islamist terrorist attacks|Islamic terrorist attacks]] that used a variety of weapons, including guns and rifes.<ref>Hawkins, Awr (April 21, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/04/21/france-2015-to-present-strict-gun-control-a-paper-tiger/ France 2015 to Present: Strict Gun Control a Paper Tiger]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 22, 2017.</ref>

==Constitutional Debate==
The [[Second Amendment]] reads:

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Most constitutional scholars agree that since the amendment refers to "the right of the People" instead of the right of the militia, it protects an individual right to own guns. The reason for this was the fact that the supplying of guns for the military and militas was already provided for in Article I Section 8 as a power of Congress. The extent of that right was something hotly debated for decades, until the Supreme Court ruling of 26 June 2008, Heller v District of Columbia.

The majority opinion, written by Justice [[Antonin Scalia]], held for the first time that the Constitution provides an individual right to bear arms, such as for self-defense, rather than a right that applies only to a state militia.

The decision upheld an appellate court ruling striking down Washington, D.C.'s 1976 handgun ban. The case marked the first time in more than 70 years that the Supreme Court had addressed the Second Amendment ''and the first time it spoke directly about the implication of an individual right''. The court struck down two of the District of Columbia's gun control laws: its handgun ban and its requirement that other firearms kept at home have a trigger lock or be disassembled.

Relying on the broader historical record, Justice Scalia wrote:
{{cquote|'''putting all of these textual elements together, we find that they guarantee the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.'''}}

Scalia noted that the ruling should not be interpreted to "cast doubt on long-standing prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons or the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings." <ref>[http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/07-2901.pdf Supreme Court Opinion, District of Columbia v Heller]</ref>

==Racism of gun control==
In the [[United States of America]], gun control has a strong racist origin and reasoning. Before the Civil War ended, State "Slave Codes" prohibited slaves from owning guns. After President [[Abraham Lincoln]] issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and after the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolishing slavery was adopted and the Civil War ended in 1865, States persisted in prohibiting blacks, now freemen, from owning guns under laws renamed "Black Codes." They did so on the basis that blacks were not citizens, and thus did not have the same rights, including the right to keep and bear arms protected in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as whites. This view was specifically articulated by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in its infamous 1857 decision in ''[[Dred Scott v. Sandford]]'' to uphold slavery.

The United States Congress overrode most portions of the Black Codes by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The legislative histories of both the Civil Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as The Special Report of the Anti-Slavery Conference of 1867, are replete with denunciations of those particular statutes that denied blacks equal access to firearms. [Kates, "Handgun Prohibition and the Original Meaning of the Second Amendment," 82 Mich. L. Rev. 204, 256 (1983)] However, facially neutral disarming through economic means laws remain in effect.

After the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1878, most States turned to "facially neutral" business or transaction taxes on handgun purchases. However, the intention of these laws was not neutral. An article in Virginia's official university law review called for a "prohibitive tax...on the privilege" of selling handguns as a way of disarming "the son of Ham," whose "cowardly practice of 'toting' guns has been one of the most fruitful sources of crime.... Let a negro board a railroad train with a quart of mean whiskey and a pistol in his grip and the chances are that there will be a murder, or at least a row, before he alights."<ref>Comment, Carrying Concealed Weapons, 15 Va L. Reg. 391, 391-92 (1909); George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal (GMU CR LJ), Vol. 2, No. 1, "Gun Control and Racism," Stefan Tahmassebi, 1991, p. 75.</ref> Thus, many Southern States imposed high taxes or banned inexpensive guns so as to price blacks and poor whites out of the gun market.

Today, "gun control" laws continue to be enacted so as to have a racist effect if not intent:

* Police-issued license and permit laws, unless drafted to require issuance to those not prohibited by law from owning guns, are routinely used to prevent lawful gun ownership among "unpopular" populations.
* Public housing residents, approximately 3 million Americans, are singled out for gun bans.
* "Gun sweeps" by police in "high crime neighborhoods" whereby vehicles and "pedestrians who meet a specific profile that might indicate they are carrying a weapon" are searched are becoming popular, and are being studied by the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] as "Operation Ceasefire."
* Some U.S. cities with high minority populations, such as Washington, D.C., are singled out for gun bans.
* "Project Exile" began in the U.S. city of Richmond, Virginia and mandated that people arrested for technical firearms violations (note: not for violent crimes committed with a firearm, but for technical violations of the law) be tried in federal court where they would be subject to lengthy mandatory minimum sentences rather than in state court under the more lenient Virginia laws. As with many other restrictions this was aimed primarily at the city's Black residents. It has since been copied in many other cities.

The [[Ku Klux Klan]] began also as a gun-control organization.<ref>http://www.examiner.com/article/kkk-began-as-gun-control-organization-confirms-racist-roots-of-gun-control</ref>

== Sexism of gun control ==

Firearms, especially lower recoiling ones such as many handguns, allow any person to wield enough power to stop another person from attacking them.<ref name="genderDiscrimination1">http://www.learnaboutguns.com/2008/03/19/firearms-rights-are-a-gender-equality-issue-too/</ref> Many women (quite reasonably) fear the threat of attack by a physically stronger man, and a firearm could prevent many of these attacks, but gun bans leave these women vulnerable. Take the case of the “North Side Rapist” in Chicago, a city where hand guns are banned, as an example: The rapist broke in to the women's homes, and at least one of the women heard him break in and then climb the stairs. Had this woman had a handgun, she almost certainly could have stopped the rapist before it was too late. This would have prevented her from enduring such a horrific crime, as well as preventing the rapist’s future victims from experiencing the same thing. Instead, Chicago law prevented her from being able to defend herself, and gave the advantage to the rapist/home-invader. This is not an isolated incident, and similar events happen every day across the county.

== Elitism of gun control ==

Many of the most ardent American anti-gun politicians, such as Chicago’s Mayor Daley, are protected by taxpayer-sponsored armed body guards, but deny law abiding citizens the right to defend themselves with a gun.<ref name="classDiscrimination1">http://www.learnaboutguns.com/2008/04/16/a-double-standard-anti-gun-politicians-and-their-gun-toting-bodyguards/</ref> These politicians seemingly believe themselves to be part of an elite group who deserve to be protected against violent criminals, while ordinary law-abiding citizens are left with less-effective means to defend themselves, and must instead rely on the police arriving in time.

== Gun control outside the United States ==
{{See also|Gun Control in Nazi Germany}}
Gun control advocates cite foreign countries to argue that gun control can reduce crime, but such comparison can be difficult due to the presence of other factors. For example, they cite [[Singapore]] as having gun control and a lower crime rate than the United States, but Singapore has a population of 5 million people and one of the highest literacy and average wealth in the world. It lacks many of the freedoms found in the United States and strictly imposes harsh physical punishment, such as caning and the [[death penalty]], for crimes that are not punished so harshly in the United States. The real issue of the security in Singapore is its tight criminal control, not the gun control itself.

Gun control supporters also cite [[Gun Control in Japan|Japan's gun control laws]], which severely restrict gun ownership and crime rates are relatively low. But [[Japan]] also lacks many freedoms and diversity which exist in the United States, and Japan has strong cultural deterrents to crime. Ironically, Japan is home to [[Tokyo Marui]], the world's largest airsoft gun manufacturer, which designs airsoft guns that are made to the same scale and with the same materials as the real counterpart and which have been mistaken by police for real guns.

In the [[European Union]], gun control is more strict than in the United States, but gun ownership differs widely between member states, from 36 per 100 people in [[Cyprus]] to one per 100 in [[Poland]]." In [[Switzerland]], on the other hand, gun ownership is quite widespread, which no doubt contributes to its reputation as a peaceful and neutral country.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/09/27/switzerland.shooting Gun control in Switzerland]</ref> In November 2007, the [[European Parliament]] passed legislation to tighten and harmonize gun control across the EU, and oblige each member state to set up a computerized database of firearms, as it "hoped to prevent Europe from becoming a gun-friendly culture like the United States". Parliament wanted to limit cross-border trade from states with less control to those with tougher laws, such as from [[Lithuania]], where replica guns can cost as little as [[Euro|€]]100 (US$150), to the United Kingdom, where most replicas are outlawed.

In Australia, gun violence has always been significantly lower than other types of violence.<ref>http://www.gunsandcrime.org/aussiegc.html</ref> Australia has not experienced considerable violence problems with legally purchased guns. It has always had a much lower homicide rate than the more violent culture in the United States.<ref>In Australia the gun related homicide rate is 0.44 per 100,000 of population. In the US it is about 8 times as high at 3.72 per 100,000 of population.</ref> From 1979 to 1996, 11,110 Australians died by gunshot representing an annual average of 617. In the seven years after new gun laws were announced (1997 to 2003), the yearly average almost halved, to 331. In the decade up to and including Port Arthur There have been 11 mass shootings where 100 people were shot dead and another 52 wounded, while in In the 10 years since 1996 and the new gun laws, not one mass shooting (more than five victims) has occurred in Australia (although in 2002 a gunman killed two and wounded four at Monash University).<ref name="theage.com.au"/>

Gun control began in Australia in response to fears that guns would be used by home-grown Communist Revolutionaries.<ref>http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1083528 This study discusses the parallel policies of early-mid 20th century Britain and Australia.</ref> The most restrictive reforms were made in 1996 and 2002, following highly publicized shootings.<ref name="ReferenceA">http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/a-safer-place-after-howards-gun-buyback/2006/04/27/1145861484114.html</ref>

Both sets of reforms (1996 and 2002) were lead by Prime Minister [[John Howard]] of the Coalition (Australia’s conservative government). Howard was well known as an anti-gun advocate.<ref name="ReferenceB">http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/anger-lingers-among-those-who-lost-their-firearms/2006/04/27/1145861489398.html</ref> The move offended gun supporters, many of whom had traditionally supported the Coalition.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Despite the loss of this voting group, Howard won elections following both reforms (in 1998 and 2004).

There is controversy over the success of Australia’s gun restrictions. Studies suggest overall gun violence has decreased since the 1996 and 2002 bans.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> However, Australia’s bike and drug gangs, the main perpetrators of gun violence, still easily access illegal firearms.<ref>http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/a-disarming-cause/2006/04/27/1145861489519.html</ref> Further, the overall homicide rate remains constant.<ref>http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/a-safer-place-after-howards-gun-buyback/2006/04
/27/1145861484114.html?page=2</ref>

== Gun Control and Genocide ==

Gun control "contributes to the probability of its government engaging" in [[genocide]], including the three worst instances in the 20th century:<ref>"[A] society's weapons policy might be one of the institutional arrangements that contributes to the probability of its government engaging in some of the more extreme varieties of outrage. ... [I]t is [] an arresting reality that not one of the principal genocides of the twentieth century, and there have been dozens, has been inflicted on a population that was armed." [http://ls.wustl.edu/WULQ/75-3/753-4.html Washington University Law Quarterly]</ref>

*From 1911, [[Turkey]] imposed gun control and then, from 1915 to 1918, killed 3.5 million out of 5 million Ottoman Christians, including 1.5 million out of 2 million Armenians, 750,000 out of 1 million Assyrian Christians, and 250,000 million out of 1 million Pontic Greeks.

*In 1917, the [[Soviet Union]] imposed gun control and over the next 24 years about 20 million defenseless dissidents were killed.

*In 1938, [[Nazi Germany]] imposed gun control and then from 1942-1945, Europe under its control led by [[Adolf Hitler]] killed 6 million out of 9 million European Jews,<ref>https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10008193</ref> with 3 million going to the death camps and another 3 million in war, as well as 2 million Poles, and 27 million Soviet civilians.<ref>http://www.self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/World_War_II_casualties_of_the_Soviet_Union</ref> The American Gun Control Act of 1968 is modeled off the Nazi Gun Control Act of 1938, while the FOID (Firearms Owner’s ID), adopted by Illinois in 1968, is modeled off Nazi gun licensing.<ref>http://mobile.wnd.com/2012/12/the-nazi-roots-of-u-s-gun-control-laws/</ref>

*In 1935, [[China]] established gun control, and then from 1966-1976, 35 million political dissidents were killed in [[Mao Zedong]]'s Cultural Revolution. In ''Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung'', Mao said, “Every Communist must grasp the truth; Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."

*In 1975, [[Cambodia]] established gun control and between 1975 and 1979, three million out of nine million Cambodians were exterminated.

*In 1970, [[Uganda]] imposed gun control. Between 1971 and 1979 300,000 Christians and political oppositionals were killed.<ref>http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/66751/gun-control-amin/dave-kopel#</ref>

"The Nazis made only two important changes to the Weapons Law that was in place when they came to power. First, they forbade Jews from owning guns or any other weapon. Second, they exempted members of the Sturmabteilung (SA) and many Nazi party officials from the law's strictures."<ref name=polsby/> The German Firearms Act of 1937 stated "No civilian is to have a firearm without a permit and permits shall not be issued to persons suspected of acting against the state. ''For Jews, this permission will not be granted.'' Those people who do not require permission to carry weapons include the whole of the SS, and the SA - including the Deaths Head group, and the officers of the Hitler youth." <ref name="Volokh">[http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a38d04d5c7c40.htm The Journalist's Guide to Gun Policy Scholars and Second Amendment Scholars], Professor Eugene Volokh, FreeRepublic.com, March 15, 2000</ref>

Adolf Hitler said, "The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered eastern peoples to have arms. History teaches that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so." <ref name="Volokh" />

[[Josef Stalin]], former dictator of the [[USSR]] and murderer of over 20 million people, infamously supported gun control in the fear that his evil regime might be torn down and so only soldiers could have firearms.

== Gun Control and Dictators ==

"One man with a gun can control 100 without one" - [[Vladimir Lenin]]

"This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future." - [[Adolf Hitler]], 1935.

"A system of licensing and registration is the perfect device to deny gun ownership to the bourgeoisie." - [[Vladimir Lenin]]

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas?” - [[Joseph Stalin]]

"All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party." [[Chairman Mao]]

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing." - quoted in [[Hitler]]'s Tischegesprache Im Fuhrerhauptquartier 1941-1942.

"If the opposition disarms, well and good. If it refuses to disarm, we shall disarm it ourselves." - [[Joseph Stalin]]

== Gun Control and young mass murderers ==

{{Main|Young mass murderers}}

Strict gun control failed and still fails to prevent mass murderers from starting killing sprees while the victims are unable to defend themselves.

Compare the cases of Pekka-Eric Auvinen ([[Finland]]) and Robert Steinhäuser ([[Germany]]) with the case of Matthew Murray. The latter was stopped by an armed citizen before he could harm more victims; Auvinen killed 8 people and Steinhäuser killed 16. Both Finland and Germany have gun control laws.

U.S. Senator from [[West Virginia]] [[Joe Manchin]] supported legislation to establish universal background checks across the nation. He pushed it after the [[Sandy Hook massacre]], despite the fact that even he admitted that the legislation would not have stopped the massacre, since the shooter stole the weapons he used.<ref name="Hawkins">Hawkins, Awr (April 21, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/21/joe-manchin-trump-fortitude-make-senate-pass-gun-control/ Joe Manchin: Trump Has the ‘Fortitude’ to Make Senate Pass Gun Control]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 22, 2017.</ref> Background checks have been shown to be ineffective in preventing other shootings as well.<ref name="Hawkins"/>

==See also==
* [[List of state constitutions containing a RKBA provision]]

==Further reading==
*Charles, Robert (March 28, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/03/28/if-second-amendment-falls-our-entire-bill-rights-falls.html If the Second Amendment falls, our entire Bill of Rights falls]. ''Fox News''.

==External links==

=== Opposed to gun control ===
*[http://www.2asisters.org/ Second Amendment Sisters]
*[http://www.nra.org/ The National Rifle Association]
*[http://www.nrapublications.org/AC/index.asp Armed citizens defending themselves.]
*[http://www.a-human-right.com/ A Human Right] Discussion of the human right to self-defense with a firearm.
*[http://www.learnaboutguns.com/ Learn About Guns] Firearm information and politics.
*[http://www.gunowners.org/ Gun Owners of America] A no-compromise pro-gun lobby in Washington, D.C.
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/gun-control/ What Liberals Say - Category: Gun Control]
*[http://www.guncite.com/ GunCite: Gun Control and Second Amendment Issues]
*[http://jpfo.org/ Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership]
*[http://nssf.org/ National Shooting Sports Foundation]
*[http://concealedcampus.org/ Students for Concealed Carry]
*[http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/the-long-racist-history-of-gun-control-in-america/ The Long, Racist History of Gun Control in America]

=== In favor of gun control ===
*[http://www.guninformation.org/ Gun Control and the Second Amendment]
*[http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-switzerland.htm Myth: Switzerland proves that high gun-ownership doesn't increase murder]
*[http://www.bradycampaign.org/ Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence]
*[http://www.vpc.org/ Violence Policy Center]
*[http://www.lwv.org/ League of Women Voters]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Second Amendment topics}}

[[Category:Gun Free Zones]]
[[Category:Gun Control]]
[[Category:United States Political Terms]]
[[Category:Second Amendment]]

Democrat Party

2018-10-16T23:31:17Z

AschlaflyIsQuick:

:''For the political party in Thailand, see [[Democrat Party (Thailand)]]''
'''Democrat Party''' is what far-right claim is the grammatically correct term for the [[Democratic Party]]. The Republican Party is not "[[democratic]]," and proper nouns like "Democrat" are converted into adjectives by adding "ic" as a suffix. For example, it is not the "Republicanic Party," or the "Libertarianic Party," or a "Smith-ic Wedding." yet many Democrats have never heard the term "Democrat Party." and perhaps they don't care In fact, the Democrat Party is '''''no less''''' democratic than the other political parties.

In the 1800s, the Democratic Party was predominantly pro-states-rights. Today, the Democrat Party is predominantly pro-equality.

==History of usage==
"Democrat Party" has a long history of usage by critics of the Democratic Party — mostly Republicans, but also third party leaders like [[Ralph Nader]].<ref>See "Transcript: Ralph Nader on 'Meet The Press' Sunday, May 7, 2000" at [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/050800-03.htm](Nader repeatedly uses the term "Democratic Party" in the transcript); "Presidential candidate Ralph Nader makes stop in Minnesota; sees little difference between Bush, Kerry," Oct 27, 2004, at [http://www.hometownsource.com/2004/October/27nader.html]</ref> The history has been traced by scholars and commentators to the early 20th century.<ref>including Feuerlicht (1957), Lyman (1958), Safire (1993), Sperber and Trittschuh (1962), Numberg (2005) and Hertzberg (2006).</ref> The earliest known use of the term, according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', was in Britain in 1890: "Whether a little farmer...is going to rule the Democrat Party in America."<ref>under "Democrat" 4 citing ''Spectator'' 15 Nov. 1890 p 676.</ref> The term was used by [[Herbert Hoover]] in 1932, and in the late 1930s by Republicans who used it to criticize Democratic big city machines run by powerful political bosses in what they considered undemocratic fashion. Republican leader [[Harold Stassen]] said in 1940, "I emphasized that the party controlled in large measure at that time by [Frank] Hague in New Jersey, [Tom] Pendergast in Missouri and Kelly-Nash in Chicago should not be called a 'Democratic Party.' It should be called the 'Democrat Party.'"<ref>Hertzberg (2006) citing Safire</ref>

The noun-as-adjective has been used by numerous Republican leaders since the 1940s and appears in most GOP national platforms since 1948.<ref>''National Party Platforms, 1840-1996'', editors Kirk H. Porter, and Donald Bruce Johnson, (1996).</ref> In 1947 the Republican leader Senator [[Robert A. Taft]] said, "Nor can we expect any other policy from any Democrat Party or any Democrat President under present day conditions. They can not possibly win an election solely through the support of the solid South, and yet their political strategists believe the Southern Democrat Party will not break away no matter how radical the allies imposed upon it."<ref>Robert Taft, ''The Papers of Robert A. Taft'', edited by Clarence E. Wunderlin, Jr., 2003, 3:313.</ref> President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] used the term in his acceptance speech in 1952 and in partisan speeches to Republican groups.<ref>''Washington Post'', October 28, 1958, page A8.</ref> Ruth Walker notes how [[Joseph McCarthy]] repeatedly used the phrase "the Democrat Party," and critics argue that if McCarthy used the term in the 1950s then no one else should do so.<ref>Walker (2005).</ref>

==Current usage==
In recent decades, however, the Republican Party has sometimes used the phrase "Democrat Party" in referring to its opposition. The Republican Party web site www.gop.com gets 82 Google hits for "Democrat" and 350 hits for "Democratic".<ref>See [http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&num=10&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=Democrat+Party&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=www.gop.com&as_rights=&safe=images] and [http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&num=10&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=Democratic+Party&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=www.gop.com&as_rights=&safe=images]</ref> The White House since 2001 has often used the noun-as-adjective when referring to the opposition party, and President Bush has used it almost exclusively.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126757,00.html "Bush Courts Black Voters at Urban League"] AP July 23, 2004; [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/2/1/212536/7288 List of 356 uses of Democrat as an adjective by President Bush]</ref> Likewise it is in common use by former House Majority Leader [[Tom DeLay]],<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,92971,00.html "DeLay: Democratic Party Unfit to Lead"], [[Fox News]], July 26, 2003.</ref> House Minority Leader [[John Boehner]],<ref>[http://www.slate.com/id/2156949/fr/rss/ "Pelosi's Big Day"], [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]], January 4, 2007.</ref> Senator [[Chuck Grassley|Charles Grassley]],<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181052,00.html "Alito: No Person Is Above the Law"], [[Fox News]], January 9, 2006.</ref> Congressman [[Steve Buyer]]<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/18/transcripts/index7.html "Transcript: House debates articles of impeachment"], [[CNN]], December 18, 1998.</ref> and others. George W. Bush spoke the phrase "Democrat majority" in his [[2007 State of the Union Address]].<ref>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070123-2.html Official 2007 State of the Union Transcript]</ref> (The advance copy that was given to members of Congress read "Democrat''ic'' majority".)<ref name="Copeland">{{cite news | first=Libby |last=Copleand |title = President's Sin of Omission? (Dropped Syllable in Speech Riles Democrats) | date = 2007-01-25 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012402469.html | publisher = [[The Washington Post]] | accessdate = 2007-03-31}}</ref> Bush joked about his leadership of the "Republic Party" the following month.<ref>Noam H. Levey [http://www.latimes.com/news/la-ex-bush3feb04,1,4457343.story?ctrack=1&cset=true "Bush reaches across Partisan divide"]; LA Times, February 4, 2007</ref>

Aside from partisan usage, the term can also be found used in non-partisan media. [[Media Matters for America]] has documented the occasional use of "Democrat Party" by CNN, ''The New York Times'', ''The Wall Street Journal'', ''The Chicago Tribune'', and the Associated Press. Abroad the term is occasionally used by the [[BBC]].<ref>[[Media Matters for America]], August 16, 2006. [http://mediamatters.org/items/200608160005 "GOP strategists christen 'Democrat (sic) Party' -- and the media comply"] On BBC see [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4259291.stm], on ''[[USA Today]]'' see [https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-11-reid_x.htm]; on [[Fox News]] see [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227961,00.html]</ref>

Some state and local Democratic organizations use the noun-as-adjective on their web pages in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Indiana.<ref>[http://www.jeffcodems.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=117&Itemid=2 ''Chair's Newsletter--March 31-April 11, 2006'']. Jefferson County Democratic Party. Retrieved 2007-01-26. [http://www.il-democrats.org/DeWitt/calendar.html ''DeWitt County Democrat Party'']. Retrieved 2007-01-25. Indiana. [http://democrat.whitleynet.org/ ''Whitley County Democrat Party'']. Retrieved 2007-01-25. [http://www.ksdp.org/node/3044] regarding "The Kansas House Democrat Caucus" and "The Democrat Leadership Team" in 2007. On Missouri see [http://missouridems.org/calendar/] for "February 15, 2007: Saline County Democrat Club" and "March 2, 2007: Missouri Democrat Days."</ref> Lyman (1958) noted that "Democrat party" is common local usage in Maryland. In Indiana numerous "Democrat clubs" have filed incorporation with the Secretary of State, indicating widespread non-controversial usage among local Democrats.<ref>In Indiana there are 34 incorporated groups with "Democrat" as part of their legal name (versus 226 that use "Democratic"). These seem to be active local clubs. (Brown County is the official county organization). Alphabetically the first few are as follows: 17th District Democrat Club, Inc.; Indianapolis, 17th Ward Democrat Club Inc.; Andrew Jackson Democrat Club Of Tippecanoe County; Bloomfield Democrat Incorp.; Brown County Democrat Central Committee Corporation; City Of Portage Democrat Club; Clark County Democrat Men's Club, Inc.; Clinton County Democrat Club Inc., etc. Source: [https://secure.in.gov/sos/bus_service/online_corps/name_search_results.aspx?search_name=democrat&search_type=exact&client_id=&search_mode=search&submit.x=0&submit.y=0].</ref>
===Democrats using "Democrat" as adjective===
Although nationally prominent Democrats carefully avoid "Democrat party," they have started to use "Democrat" as an adjective, as in the phase, "not a Democrat or Republican problem." Thus Vice President-elect Joe Biden, speaking of the [[recession of 2008]], said "This is not a Democrat or Republican problem, we’ve got ourselves a problem." Likewise Rep. Charles Rangel in prepared remarks said regarding the recession of 2008, "This is not a Democrat or Republican problem, but an American problem."<ref>see [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/tag/cnn-political-producer-alexander-marquardt/ Biden Statement of Dec. 2, 2008]; also see [http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=release&ID=862 Rangel statement of Feb. 13. 2009]</ref>

Regarding the New Jersey budget crisis, "It’s not a Democrat or Republican problem," said Governor Jon Corzine.<ref>see [http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=corzines_choice June 20, 2008 interview.]</ref>

President Obama used "Democrat" as an adjective parallel to "Republican" in formal remarks at the White House in 2009:
:[Executives] "understand that what makes an idea sound is not whether it's Democrat or Republican, but whether it makes good economic sense for their workers and companies."<ref>Barack Obama, "Remarks by the President on the Economy after Meeting with Business Leaders, January 28, 2009," [http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceos_at_the_white_house/ online]</ref>

==Issues of grammar==
Some believe that the use of the noun "Democrat" as an adjective is ungrammatical.<ref>Copperud (1980)</ref> Using a noun as a modifier of another noun is not grammatically incorrect in modern English in the formation of a compound noun, i.e. "shoe store," "school bus," "peace movement," "Senate election," etc. Americans commonly speak of "the Iraq war" rather than "the Iraqi war."<ref name=walker>Walker (2005); [https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0812097203&id=efMpTxl3n2cC&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=%22nouns+used+as+adjectives%22&sig=7SOy_ENpfdI1iBit9e4yF36KwGM ''Master the Basics: English''] by Jean Yatets, 1996, page 64.</ref>

In American history many parties were named by their opponents (Federalists, Loco-Focos, Know Nothings, Populists, Dixiecrats), including the Democrats themselves, as the Federalists in the 1790s used "Democratic Party" as a term of ridicule.<ref>Nunberg (2006); Safire, (1993), 176, 391-2, 595-6; Sperber and Trittschuh. 118-9, 150, 231-2.</ref>

The use of "Democrat Party" could be part of a broader linguistic trend. As one linguist explained, "We're losing our inflections – the special endings we use to distinguish between adjectives and nouns, for instance. There's a tendency to modify a noun with another noun rather than an adjective. Some may speak of "the Ukraine election" rather than 'the Ukrainian election' or 'the election in Ukraine,' for instance. It's 'the Iraq war' rather than 'the Iraqi war,' to give another example."<ref>Walker (2005)</ref>

==Response==
Members of the Republican Party, from political commentators to President Bush himself, made especially extensive use of the term "Democrat Party" during the run-up to the 2006 midterm elections. In response to the growing use of the epithet in late 2006, a corresponding epithet for the Republican Party, the "Republic Party", began to circulate in liberal parts of the blogosphere; the previous Republican waves of usage had inspired the "Publican Party", but this failed to catch on.<ref>Feuerlicht, 1956</ref>

Democrats complained about the use of "Democrat" as an adjective in the 2007 State of the Union address by President Bush. "Like nails on a chalkboard," complained Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta. Political analyst Charlie Cook attributed its usage to force of habit rather than a deliberate epithet by Republicans: "They have been doing it so long that they probably don't even realize they're doing it."<ref>Copeland</ref> On February 4, 2007, Bush joked in a speech to House Democrats, stating "Now look, my diction isn't all that good. I have been accused of occasionally mangling the English language. And so I appreciate you inviting the head of the Republic Party."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/03/AR2007020300701.html ''Washington Post'' Feb 4, 2007 at]</ref> Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-[[NY]]) repeatedly invoked the phrase "The Republic Party" on the floor of the House in February 2007 while lambasting Congressional Republicans.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsqprEihjXg Youtube - Anthony Weiner Rips the "Republic Party"].</ref>

Another corresponding noun-as-adjective response has also begun to circulate on the Internet: "The Republicans Party."<ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1018-02.htm][http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/10/28/112436.php][http://www.ironweedfilms.com/node/525]</ref> Members of the Democratic Underground have proposed that "Republicon Party" be used as a counter to the Republican adoption of Democrat Party as a putdown.<ref>[http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3190412 Democratic Underground thread]</ref>

==Objections in the [[Lamestream media]]==
Complaints about the term "Democrat Party" can be found in the [[lamestream media]]. ''New Yorker Magazine'' commentator Hendrik Hertzberg wrote: "There’s no great mystery about the motives behind this deliberate misnaming. 'Democrat Party' is a slur, or intended to be - a handy way to express contempt. Aesthetic judgments are [[Subjectivism|subjective]], of course, but 'Democrat Party' is jarring verging on ugly."<ref>Hertzberg (2006)</ref>

==References==
* Roy H. Copperud, ''American Usage and Style: The Consensus'' 1980, pages 101-102.
* Ignace Feuerlicht. "Democrat Party," , ''American Speech'', Vol. 32, No. 3 (Oct., 1957), pp. 228–231 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-1283%28195710%2932%3A3%3C228%3ADP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 online in JSTOR]
* Bryan A. Garner, ''A Dictionary of Modern American Usage'' 1998, p. 196.
* Hendrik Hertzberg. [http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/060807ta_talk_hertzberg "The 'IC' Factor"] ''The New Yorker'', August 7, 2006.
* John Lyman, "Democrat Party," ''American Speech'', Vol. 33, No. 3 (October 1958), pp. 239–40 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-1283%28195810%2933%3A3%3C239%3ADP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T in JSTOR] notes term as used by some Democrats in Maryland.
* ''Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage'', 1994, pp 328–29, page 667.
* Geoffrey Nunberg. [http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~nunberg/democrats.html "The Case for Democracy"] in "Fresh Air" commentary, January 19, 2005 (radio broadcast).
* Geoffrey Nunberg, ''Talking Right: How Conservatives Turned Liberalism into a Tax-Raising, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, New York Times-Reading, Body-Piercing, Hollywood-Loving, Left-Wing Freak Show'' 2006.
* William Safire, ''Safire's New Political Dictionary'' (1993).
* Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh. ''American Political Terms: An Historical Dictionary'' (1962) pages 117-23.
* Walker, Ruth. [http://blogs.csmonitor.com/verbal_energy/2005/01/index.html "Republicans, Democrats, and the Afghan on the couch"] ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'', January 27, 2005
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904EFD61538F934A2575BC0A962948260 "Democrats Find Ally In Republican Camp"], ''UPI'', August 17, 1984.
* Democratic Underground http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3190412 March 31, 2007
====notes====
<references/>

[[Category:Democratic Party]]

Liberal myths

2018-10-16T23:27:59Z

AschlaflyIsQuick: clarification

Obama's Religion

2018-10-16T23:26:06Z

AschlaflyIsQuick:

This article examines the evidence concerning the former U.S. President [[Barack Obama]]'s religion.
==Evidence in favor of Obama being a Muslim==
Opinion polls taken in 2010 and 2012 showed that one in five [[America]]ns suspected that Barack Hussein Obama was a [[Muslim]].<ref name=pew13>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Little-Voter-Discomfort-with-Romney%E2%80%99s-Mormon-Religion.aspx|title=Little Voter Discomfort with Romney’s Mormon Religion|date=July 26, 2012|accessdate=January 6, 2013|work=Pew Research Center|quote= Currently, 17% of registered voters say that Obama is Muslim}}</ref><ref name=pew10>[https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41248.html August 2010 Pew Research poll]</ref> '''''The following is a partial list of examples suggesting that Obama is a Muslim''''':
[[Image:OBAMA MUSULMAN.jpg|right|thumb|'''Then-Senator Obama wearing traditional African garb''', a gift from his hosts while visiting Kenya<ref>[http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obama-wore-muslim-gear-during-kenya-trip]</ref> Obama was disappointed that even in his parental homeland, the native Kenyans seemed to extend "white privilege" to tourists and visitors.]]
*Obama pursued a foreign policy toward the Arab world that was so pro-Muslim that only a Muslim commander-in-chief could have authorized it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nikitas3.com/7000/obama-foreign-policy-pro-muslim-disaster/|title=Obama Foreign Policy is a Pro-Muslim Disaster|date=August 8, 2014|accessdate=June 3, 2014}}</ref>
*Obama addressed the United Nations on September 25, 2012 to affirm support for freedom for religious worship. He said "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. But to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is denied."<ref>http://www.mediaite.com/tv/obamas-tragic-pander-the-future-must-not-belong-to-those-who-slander-the-prophet-of-islam/</ref><ref name="obamawhitehouse.archives.gov">{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/09/25/remarks-president-un-general-assembly|title=Remarks by the President to the UN General Assembly|accessdate=June 2, 2017}}</ref>
*In a rare speeches from the [[Oval Office]], on Dec. 6, 2015 Obama devoted much of his 14-minute presentation to promoting [[Islam]] to the [[American]] people.
*Obama said the Muslim call to prayer is "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset," and recited "with a first-class [[Arabic]] accent" the opening lines: [[Allah]] is Supreme! ... I witness that there is no god but Allah ...."<ref>http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=78309</ref>
*Obama said that "[[John McCain]] has not talked about [[my Muslim faith]],"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGdkqfBICw]</ref> in an interview with [[George Stephanopoulos]]. George Stephanopoulos—who had previously been a high-ranking Democrat in the [[Clinton Administration]]—then suggested that Obama change his answer to refer instead to "Christian faith."<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/07/obama-verbal-slip-fuels-his-critics/?page=all Christina Bellantoni, "Obama’s verbal slip fuels his critics", ''Washington Times'']</ref>
*Obama declared in prepared remarks, "The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim-majority country - I know, because I am one of them."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-By-President-Obama-To-The-Turkish-Parliament/|title=REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA TO THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT|date=April 6, 2009|accessdate=January 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>http://middleeast.about.com/b/2009/04/06/obama-in-turkey-at-the-gates-of-islam.htm</ref>
*He has said that "Islam can be compatible with the modern world."<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971 Barack Obama's Christian Journey | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008]</ref>
*In early 2016, after issuing public statements praising Justice [[Antonin Scalia]] and the former [[First Lady]] [[Nancy Reagan]], President Obama attended a memorial service at the Supreme Court for Scalia but did not attend the [[Christian]] funeral services for either. Islam is unique among belief systems in disfavoring entry into a church.<ref>disfavors or even prohibits entering churches. [https://islamqa.info/en/111832] However, "[s]ome Muslim legal scholars assert that attending the funeral of a non-Muslim friend or relative can be wholly consistent with Islamic principles." [http://people.opposingviews.com/haram-attend-nonmuslim-funerals-7543.html]</ref>
*When Obama recited the [[Gettysburg Address]], he used a draft that omitted the words "under God," even though historical evidence is that Lincoln inserted and spoke those words.<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/11/why-president-obama-didnt-say-under-god-while-reading-gettysburg-address/355288/ - a [[liberal]] article providing an implausible excuse for Obama, as it commonly does</ref>
*Obama's wife [[Michelle Obama|Michelle]] does not accompany him to Muslim nations because [[Sharia law]] would require her to wear a head covering as the wife of a Muslim man in a Muslim nation; on a presidential trip she was with him until [[France]], but then returned home.
*From ages six to 10, Obama lived in the [[Islam]]ic country of [[Indonesia]], where he attended a Catholic school and later a public school. Fewer than 1% of Muslims convert to Christianity in areas with high concentrations of Muslims.<ref>http://www.religionnewsblog.com/17736/barack-obama-2</ref><ref>http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina31103.htm. During the third and fourth grades, Obama learned about Islam for two hours each week in religion class, according to the LA ''Times''. [http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.obama16mar16,0,1634059,print.story?coll=bal_news_nation_promo Campaign downplays his connection during boyhood in Indonesia, Baltimore Sun, March 16, 2007]</ref> Although Obama attended a [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] school while in Indonesia, he was a part of the Muslim society there.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012400371_pf.html</ref> But high Muslim retention rates are in areas with high concentrations of Muslims. In the United States, the retention rate for those raised a Muslim is 76%.<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-atheists-have-lowest-retention-rate-compared-to-religious-groups-78029/ Study: Atheists Have Lowest 'Retention Rate' Compared to Religious Groups]. Christian Post</ref> In addition, Obama spent most of his childhood in multicultural Hawaii. Presently, Hawaii has 5,000 or so Muslims — less than 1 percent of the state’s population.<ref>[https://apnews.com/d296daac0ed546b89e18dde2a6f87d12/travel-ban-challenge-puts-hawaiis-few-muslims-spotlight Travel ban challenge puts Hawaii’s few Muslims in spotlight]</ref>
[[File:Dollard why believe Obama.png|thumbnail|right|300px]]
*Obama's middle name (Hussein) references '''Husayn''', who was the grandson of [[Muhammad]].<ref>A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles. Qum: Ansariyan Publications. 2004.</ref><ref>al-Qarashi, Baqir Shareef (2007). The life of Imam Husain. Qum: Ansariyan Publications.</ref> Only after Obama became politically ambitious did he declare himself to be a [[Christian]], yet he never replaced his [[Muslim]] name "Hussein" with a Christian one as some do when they undergo a religious conversion. For example, when the Italian journalist Magdi Allam recently converted to Christianity, he took a new name: "Cristiano".<ref>http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=30814</ref> When Saul became a Christian, he changed his name to "[[Saint Paul|Paul]]"; when the famous boxer Cassius Clay converted to [[Islam]], he took the Muslim name of [[Muhammad Ali]]. "It is common for those converting to a new religion to change their name on conversion"<ref>http://www.ukdp.co.uk/pages/religiousconversion.php</ref> or adopt a Christian name at [[baptism]].<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/christian-name</ref> Obama also used his middle name when sworn in as President. However, even if he were actually a [[Muslim]], he would ''not'' necessarily have to change his name according to Muslim tradition.<ref>.http://zawaj.com/articles/do-muslim-converts-have-to-change-their-names.html</ref>
*Obama's unusual selection of [[Chuck Hagel]], a former Republican senator most sympathetic to Muslim positions in the Middle East, to be Secretary of Defense despite intense objections by both political parties. Iranian State Press approves of the choice.<ref>[https://freebeacon.com/iran-state-tv-praises-obamas-anti-israel-hagel-selection/ Iran State TV Praises Obama’s ‘anti-Israel’ Hagel selection]</ref>
*Obama seems to emotionally hold a Muslim view about Israel, in contrast with Americans who have been educated as Obama has. Obama never visited Israel during his first term as president despite repeated criticisms of his failure to do so, he oddly waited many days before even mentioning the rocket attacks on Israel in late 2012, and he appears very uncomfortable even discussing issues related to Israel on television.
*Obama stated that the ''Autobiography of [[Malcolm X]]'', which was co-written by Alex Haley, inspired him in his youth.<ref>For example, Obama writes in his own autobiography, "Only Malcolm X's autobiography seemed to offer something different. His repeated acts of self-creation spoke to me. The blunt poetry of his words, his unadorned insistence on respect, promised a new and uncompromising order, martial in its discipline, forged through sheer force of will. ... [E]ven as I imagine myself following Malcolm's call, one line in the book stayed with me. He spoke of a wish he'd once had, the wish that the white blood that ran through him, there by an act of violence, might somehow be expunged."[https://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/does_obama_know_america.html] https://youtu.be/yeDuOR6vkLM</ref>
*It was reported in 2008 that in 1996 then state Senator Obama hired several staffers belonging to the Nation of Islam.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2008/06/66167/#! Nation of Islam activists on Obama camp payroll, WND, June 3, 2008]</ref>
*Obama raised nearly $1 million and campaigned for a [[Kenyan]] presidential candidate who had a written agreement with [[Muslim]] leaders promising to convert Kenya to an Islamic state that bans Christianity.<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78324] Text of the agreement, as three images: [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78323]</ref>
*Obama's claims of conversion to Christianity arose after he became politically ambitious, lacking a date of conversion or baptism.<ref>In his book, Obama oddly claims to have been baptized without giving his age or date, and later gave a date that postdates his political ambition (1992); he is claimed to have joined the United Church of Christ in 1988.[http://www.ucc.org/barack-obama-candidate]</ref>
*Obama required that a religiously affiliated college take the extraordinary action of concealing with wood the monogram "IHS", which represents the name of Jesus, during a speech by Obama there.
*In 2007, while Obama was a candidate, the White House military office assigned him the [[Secret Service]] code name "Renegade".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601079.html?hpid=topnews|title='Renegade' Joins Race for White House|date=June 17, 2007|work=Washington Post|accessdate=January 8, 2013}}</ref> "[[Renegade]]" conventionally describes someone who goes against normal conventions of behavior, but its first usage was to describe someone who has turned from their religion. It is a word derived from the [[Spanish]] ''renegado'', which originally meant "Christian turned Muslim."<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/3452281/Renegade-and-Renaissance-Obama-to-replace-Trailblazer-and-Tempo-Bush-in-the-White-House.html</ref>
*In the book ''Obama,"Renegade"'' his friends say that "he actually really wasn't much of a churchgoer." <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/06/16/wolffe-president-missed-rev-wright-s-racist-rants-because-he-wasn-t-much- Wolffe: President Missed Rev. Wright’s Racist Rants Because 'He Wasn’t Much of a Churchgoer'] NewsBusters.org, June 16, 2009</ref>
*On the 2008 campaign trail, Obama was reading "The Post-American World" by [[Fareed Zakaria]],<ref>http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=fa8cf1bf-2cc8-4d6e-b72d-a07d406e19ff</ref> which was a general discussion of US foreign policy that was on the non-fiction best-seller lists for weeks.<ref>http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-08-09/news/the-interpreter/</ref> Although Zakaria had Muslim ancestors, he is a non-Muslim educated at Yale with a Ph.D. from Harvard.
*Contrary to [[Christianity]], the Islamic doctrine of [[taqiyya]] allows adherents to deny they are Muslim if it would be dangerous not to.
*Obama was thoroughly exposed to Christianity as an adult in [[Chicago]] prior to attending law school, yet no one at law school saw him display any interest in converting. Obama unabashedly explained how he became "churched" in a 2007 speech: "It's around that time [while working as an organizer for the Developing Communities Project (DCP) of the Calumet Community Religious Conference (CCRC) in Chicago] that some pastors I was working with came around and asked if I was a member of a church. 'If you're organizing churches,' they said, 'it might be helpful if you went to a church once in a while.' And I thought, 'I guess that makes sense.'"<ref>[http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=15363 Obama, ACORN, and the churches] SperoNews, October 7, 2008</ref>
[[File:Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi in Dimashq.jpg|left|175px|thumb|''"I really endorse and support the policies that he has adopted,"'' [[Libya]]n leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]] said of President Barack Obama as reported by the ''[[Washington Post]]''.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042604170.html ''Man's worst friend?''] By Dana Milbank, ''Washington Post'', April 27, 2010.</ref> Obama had Gaddafi murdered by jihadists<ref>https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/01/gaddafi_and_obama_one_of_them_was_fighting_islamist_terrorists_in_libya.html</ref> after Gaddafi betrayed Islam and forged an alliance with the infidel West.<ref>https://youtu.be/rpT7fJChBRo</ref>]]
*Obama is mentioned as helping to organize the 1995 [[Million Man March]] led by black [[Muslim]] leader [[Louis Farrakhan]] from the [[Nation of Islam]].<ref>[http://www.nowpublic.com/world/obama-organized-farrakhan-s-million-man-march, Obama Organized Farrakhan’s ‘Million Man March’, NowPublic.com, April 2, 2008 ]</ref>
*Obama visited "more than one [[mosque]]" in [[Kenya]] while on a political trip there but did not visit any churches, although there are a large proportion of churches and even a National Temple in Kenya.<ref>http://islamizationwatch.blogspot.com/2010/01/kenyan-delegation-visits-sderot-israel.html</ref>{{dead link}}
*Obama enjoyed a bigger increase in voter support in 2008 (compared to 2004) by Muslims than by any other voting group, including blacks;<ref>http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/2873/</ref> "Muslim turnout in the U.S. elections reached 95 percent, the highest Muslim turnout in U.S. history."<ref>http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/2008/11/is_obama_the_muslim_worlds_sup.html</ref>
*Obama rarely attends church or has church services in the White House. "President-elect [[Barack Hussein Obama]] has yet to attend [Sunday] church services since winning the [[White House]] earlier ..., a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors."<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15902.html</ref><ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-obama-religion26-2008dec26,0,1910913.story</ref>
*In 2009, Justice [[John Roberts]] failed to administer the [[oath of office]] correctly while Obama placed his hand on a Bible. To avoid any claims that Obama was not the real President because of mis-stating the oath, Roberts dropped by the White House to re-administering the oath the next day, but no Bible was used for that private re-do of the oath. In 2013, the oath was administered properly while Obamas hand was on a Bible.
*At the [[G-20]] summit in April 2009, Obama bowed deeply to [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] King Abdullah, a Muslim who is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEUif1--r38&feature=player_embedded Video of Obama bowing almost to King's waist]</ref> [[Image:Obamabow.jpg|thumb|right|250px|'''President Obama bowing to the King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia''', Custodian of the Islamic Holy Places - April 2009]] Obama later stated, "We have to change our behavior in showing the Muslim world greater respect."<ref>http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/07/barack-takes-a-bow/</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71N34K9EVLU</ref> The White House denied it was a bow, and President Trump was put in a similar situation when the King presented him with a medal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/20/trump-mocked-obama-for-bowing-to-a-saudi-king-and-then-he/?utm_term=.c34da4a06d16|title=Trump mocked Obama for bowing to a Saudi king. And then he …|work=Washington Post|date=May 20, 2017|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref>
*In 2006, Obama gave an irreverent speech about using the Bible in public policy. It resembled a stand-up comedy act, with Obama making fun of the books of the [[Torah]], the [[Ten Commandments]], the [[Sermon on the Mount]] and other key Biblical passages.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmS_vULPxw</ref>
*In 2012, Obama participated in a $40,000 per plate fundraiser on [[Holy Thursday]], which many devout Christians would find to be inappropriate.
*On September 25, 2012, in his address to [[United Nations General Assembly]], Obama said that "'''The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam'''."<ref>FOX News: [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/25/transcript-obama-address-to-un-general-assembly/ Transcript: Obama address to U.N. General Assembly] (September 25, 2012)</ref> This outrageous comment was predictably ignored by the [[lamestream media]], but rightly highlighted by Conservative commentators.<ref>FOX News: [http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/09/26/media-ignore-obama-attack-on-those-who-slander-prophet-islam/ Media ignore Obama attack on ‘those who slander the Prophet of Islam’] (September 26, 2012)</ref>
*Obama's spiritual mentor of 20 years, Rev. [[Jeremiah Wright]] explained in an interview "that Barack Obama was steeped in Islam when he first met him," <ref>[http://thenewamerican.com/component/k2/item/12165-obama-called-our-most-toxic-president?Itemid=667 Obama Called Our Most "Toxic" President, New American, July 20th 2012]</ref> and said he “made it comfortable” for Obama to accept Christianity without having renounce his Islamic background.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/05/jeremiah-wright-i-made-it-comfortable-for-obama-to-accept-christianity-without-having-to-renounce-islam/ Jeremiah Wright: I “Made It Comfortable” For Obama to Accept Christianity Without Having to Renounce Islam (Video Report), The Gateway Pundit, may 10, 2012]</ref>
*[[Obamacare]] has a provision enabling groups that have a religious objection to the individual mandate and who have forfeited the benefits of Social Security (such as the Amish) to claim a religious conscience opt-out of the individual mandate.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/5000A 26 U.S.C. 5000A (d)(2)(A)]; [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/1402 26 U.S.C. 1402(g)(1)]; [https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110225035 "RM 10225.035 SSNs for the Amish and Mennonites (and Other Religious Exempt Communities)"]</ref> Muslims would not be eligible for a religious exemption from the individual mandate,<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2010/04/137221/ Does your faith free you from forced Obamacare?]</ref> although other online commentators speculate that Muslims would be eligible for a religious exemption.<ref>[http://frontpagemag.com/2011/eric-burns/muslims-exempt-from-obamacare/ Muslims Exempt from ObamaCare? FrontPage Magazine, Oct. 14, 2011]</ref>
*Obama further impedes the Christian faith on gay rights, telling military chaplains a statutory provision that would allow military chaplains to opt-out of performing gay marriages is “unnecessary and ill-advised,” but he signed the bill into law anyway.<ref>[http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/obama-calls-conscience-clause-for-military-chaplains-ill-advised.html Obama calls Conscience Clause for Military Chaplains “Ill-Advised”, Fox News, January 3, 2013]</ref>
*On more than one occasion, Obama verbally attacks the economic livelihood of [[Las Vegas]] for unknown reasons, and Obama has also criticized state lotteries despite being heavily favored by most [[Democrats]]. The reason may be that [[gambling]] is forbidden in the [[Koran]].<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203169.html Lawmakers upset over Obama's 2nd anti-Vegas remark, WashingtonPost, February 2, 2010]</ref>
*Obama supports a military invasion of Syria.{{fact}} This would involve working with the insurgency, which includes [[Al Qaeda|Al'Qaeda]]. Al'Qaeda killed over 3,000 Americans on our own soil, and was the main enemy in the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush years.

Obama tries to downplay his [[Islamic]] background by claiming that his [[Kenya]]n [[Muslim]] birth father was a "confirmed [[atheist]]" before Obama was born, but in fact less than 1% of Kenyans are atheists, agnostics, or non-religious.<ref>http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_14.html</ref> He also described his Indonesian step-father Lolo Soetoro as following "a brand of [[Islam]] that could make room for the remnants of more ancient animist and Hindu faiths.".<ref>Obama, Barack (2004) [1995], ''Dreams from my father: a story of race and inheritance''. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 1-4000-8277-3., p. 37.</ref> For most of his childhood, Obama was lived with his maternal grandparents who were Methodists. There is apparently no evidence of any Christian activities or local church participation by Obama while he was a student at Harvard Law School from 1988 to 1991. Finally, Obama abruptly left his United Church of Christ congregation in Chicago in 2008, when it became politically controversial, without first finding another church to join. On April 7, 2009, Obama toured a mosque in [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]].<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.c2e3700ab4e271bc32827b0fccfe560b.421&show_article=1</ref>{{dead link}}

== Counterexamples to Obama being a Muslim ==
:''Main article: [[Counterexamples to Obama being a Muslim]]''
[[File:Evergreen-chapel-tree-of-knowledge.jpg|thumb|left|Evergreen Chapel at Camp David]]
While campaigning for president in 2008, the rumor led Obama to publicly state that he was [[Christian]] in an interview he gave to ''Christianity Today'' magazine.<ref name=ct/> Obama asserted, "I am a Christian and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals. There is one thing that I want to mention that I think is important. Part of what we've been seeing during the course of this campaign is some scurrilous e-mails that have been sent out, denying my faith, talking about me being a Muslim, suggesting that I got sworn in at the U.S. Senate with a [[Qu'ran]] in my hand or that I don't pledge allegiance to the flag. I think it's really important for your readers to know that I have been a member of the same church for almost 20 years, and I have never practiced Islam. I am respectful of the religion, but it's not my own. One of the things that's very important in this day and age is that we don't use religion as a political tool and certainly that we don't lie about religion as a way to score political points. I just thought it was important to get that in there to dispel rumors that have been over the Internet. We've done so repeatedly, but obviously it's a political tactic of somebody to try to provide this misinformation."<ref name=ct>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/104-32.0.html?start=2|title=Q&A: Barack Obama|date=January 2008|work=Christianity Today|accessdate=January 4, 2013}}</ref>

Obama is a welcomed member of the [[United Church of Christ]]. In 2007, the UCC magazine quoted him as saying:
<blockquote>You come to church in the first place precisely because you are of this world, not apart from it, Obama wrote. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away, because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey. It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity UCC on 95th Street in the Southside of Chicago one day and affirm my Christian faith.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucc.org/barack-obama-candidate|title=Barack Obama, candidate for President, is 'UCC'|date=February 8, 2007|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref></blockquote>

Obama also discussed his religious views each year in a speech at the annual National Prayer Breakfast.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/02/remarks-president-national-prayer-breakfast|title=Remarks by the President at the National Prayer Breakfast|date=February 2, 2012|accessdate=May 30, 2017|quote=I wake up each morning and I say a brief prayer, and I spend a little time in scripture and devotion. And from time to time, friends of mine, some of who are here today, friends like Joel Hunter or T.D. Jakes, will come by the Oval Office or they’ll call on the phone or they’ll send me a email, and we’ll pray together, and they’ll pray for me and my family, and for our country.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/05/remarks-president-national-prayer-breakfast|title=Remarks by the President at National Prayer Breakfast|date=February 5, 2015|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref>

The Obama family has attended several Protestant churches since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2009, including Shiloh Baptist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church. The Obamas also worship at Evergreen Chapel at [[Camp David]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1908437,00.html|title=The Obamas Find a Church Home — Away from Home|work=Time Magazine|date=June 29, 2009|accessdate=May 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/us/as-the-obamas-celebrate-christmas-rituals-of-faith-stay-on-the-sidelines.html|last=Parker|first=Ashley|title=As the Obamas Celebrate Christmas, Rituals of Faith Become Less Visible|work=The New York Times|date= December 28, 2013|accessdate=June 3, 2017|quote=Part of Mr. Obama’s decision to largely opt out of religious services reflects a desire to avoid disruptions by his Secret Service detail and security requirements, echoing concerns of Ronald Reagan, who presidential historians say rarely went to church.}}</ref><ref>Gilgoff, Dan. "[http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/god-and-country/2009/06/30/time-report-white-house-reaction-raise-more-questions-about-obamas-church-hunt TIME Report, White House Reaction Raise More Questions About Obama's Church Hunt]," ''U.S. News & World Report'', June 30, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2017.</ref><ref>"[http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/04/22/first-lady-we-use-sundays-for-naps-if-were-not-going-to-church/ First Lady: We Use Sundays For Naps If We're Not Going To Church]," ''CBS DC'', April 22, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2017.</ref>

[[Donald Trump]], who later was elected U.S. President, investigated both the rumor that Obama was born outside the United States and that he was a Muslim. He concluded that the rumors were started by Obama's 2008 primary opponents and that they were false.<ref name=trump>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/16/trump-clinton-trade-barbs-over-obama-birther-movement.html|title=Trump says Obama born in US, ‘period’ – after new ‘birther’ dust-up|date=September 16, 2016|work=Fox News|accessdate=May 26, 2017}}</ref>

There are direct refutations of the claims made above by those seeking to spread the "Obama is a Muslim" rumor.
__TOC__

=== Public eating of pork and drinking of alcohol and smoking ===

[[File:Pig.jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|Very few Muslims eat pork and drink alcohol as the Koran does not permit it.]]

Many Muslims drink beer, but there is a misconception that the [[Koran]] forbids it. In fact, only some alcoholic drinks are prohibited in Islam. (Koran 2:173; 2:219; 5:90-91; 6:118-119,121). The Koran forbids the eating of pork (Koran 2:173).

Barack Obama has been seen eating [[Spam]],<ref>
*[http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20248609,00.html Barack Obama Snacks on Hawaiian Spam Sushi]
*[http://archive.boston.com/news/politics/gallery/073009_beer_summit_obama/ Obama beer summit]
*[https://www.google.com/search?q=obama+wine&rlz=1C1PRFG_enUS744US744&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia1rns9Y_UAhWBUiYKHTj2CTcQ_AUIBygC&biw=819&bih=510#tbm=isch&q=obama+beer 1st set of pictures of Obama drinking alcohol]
*[https://www.google.com/search?q=obama+wine&rlz=1C1PRFG_enUS744US744&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia1rns9Y_UAhWBUiYKHTj2CTcQ_AUIBygC&biw=819&bih=510 2nd set of pictures of Obama drinking alcohol]
</ref> which is most popular in [[Hawaii]] where Obama grew up,<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/Menuism/why-do-hawaiians-love-spam-so-much_b_1901306.html Why is spam so popular in Hawaii], Huffington Post</ref> and which Muslims are not allowed to eat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/23/larger-implications-of-ob_n_153200.html|title=Larger Implications Of Obama’s Taste For Spam Uncovered|date=Jan 23, 2009|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America certifies the foods that Muslims are allowed to eat, and neither Hormel nor Spam is on the list. http://www.ifanca.org/Pages/Certified-Products.aspx</ref>

Pictures of Obama drinking alcohol can be found [https://www.google.com/search?q=obama+wine&rlz=1C1PRFG_enUS744US744&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia1rns9Y_UAhWBUiYKHTj2CTcQ_AUIBygC&biw=819&bih=510#tbm=isch&q=obama+beer HERE] and [https://www.google.com/search?q=obama+wine&rlz=1C1PRFG_enUS744US744&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia1rns9Y_UAhWBUiYKHTj2CTcQ_AUIBygC&biw=819&bih=510 HERE.]

The first Muslim [[fatwa]]s discouraging the use of tobacco dates from 1602,<ref>{{cite news|title=How tobacco firms try to undermine Muslim countries' smoking ban|url=http://www.observerbd.com/2015/04/21/84683.php|accessdate=May 29, 2017|publisher=[[The Bangladesh Observer]]|date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> and Muslim leaders continue to discourage smoking for health reasons. Observant Muslims do not smoke, although smoking is increasing among young people in predominantly Muslim countries. Obama has smoked for most of his life, although he has tried to quit since becoming President.

=== Donations to Charity ===
Zakat, one of the five pillars of Islam,<ref name=pillars/> requires all Muslims to give at least 2.5% of their income to charity or other good causes. The publicly released Obama tax returns show that he and Mrs. Obama give an average of less than 1% of their income to charity.

=== Homosexuality ===
People spread the rumor that candidate Obama was a Muslim to create a fear that he would advance a Muslim agenda as President. The fact that he went on to advocate same-sex marriage and homosexuals in the military shows that the fear was unfounded.

As in the [[Bible]], the [[Koran]] has anti-homosexuality passages (Koran 7:80-81; 26:165) and so does the [[Hadith]]. Among Islamic scholars, there is a consensus that homosexuality is unnatural and sinful. There are Islamic countries that have anti-homosexuality laws, as do some States in the United States. So, President Obama's actions as President undercut the claim that he is a Muslim.
=== Praying five times a day ===

Devout Muslims pray five times a day facing Mecca.<ref name=pillars>[https://www.islam-guide.com/ch3-16.htm Five Pillars of Islam]</ref> No Secret Service agents have reported that he prayed toward Mecca while in the White House or under their protection.

=== Obama and the month of Ramadan ===

Every year during the month of Ramadan devout Muslims fast from dawn until sundown and during this time they abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.<ref name=pillars/> No former Secret Service agents have reported that Obama observes Ramadan.

===Pilgrimage to Mecca===
Devote Muslims travel to Mecca on a religious pilgrimage.<ref name=pillars/> Only Muslims are allowed access to the holy sites in Mecca. Despite all of the power and access of the Presidency, Obama never attempted to travel to Mecca.
=== Obama, Muslims and dogs ===

Muslims commonly (though not all Muslims) have a very low opinion of dogs and consider them impure due to their interpretation of the Koran. For example, the ''International Business Times'' reported in 2014: "Owning a dog in Iran could result in 74 lashes under a new law passed by the Iranian government." <ref>[http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/why-does-islam-dislike-dogs-1474897 Why does Islam dislike dogs?], International Business Times</ref> Obama's family owns a dog.
===Other point-by-point rebuttals===
====Oval Office Address following San Bernadino attack====
The first section of this article states, "from the Oval Office, on Dec. 6, 2015 Obama devoted much of his 14-minute presentation to promoting Islam to the American people." The purpose of the Oval Office address was to discuss an attack in San Bernadino that killed 14 Americans. Obama condemned the attack and explained what the government was doing to prevent future attacks. He called for preventing terrorists on the no-fly list from buying guns and for an assault weapons ban. He asked for legislation for "stronger screening for those who come to America without a visa so that we can take a hard look at whether they’ve traveled to warzones." He did have a paragraph (which was very similar to President Trump's speech in May 2017) that said:
<blockquote>Here’s what else we cannot do. We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what groups like ISIL want. ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world -- including millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology. Moreover, the vast majority of terrorist victims around the world are Muslim. If we’re to succeed in defeating terrorism we must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate.<ref>https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/12/06/address-nation-president</ref></blockquote>
So, the claim is false, and does not show President Obama to be a Muslim.
====Sec. of Defense Chuck Hagel and invading Syria====
The first section of this article argues that because President Obama appointed [[Chuck Hagel]] as Secretary of Defense, Obama must be a Muslim. Hagel was confirmed by a 58–41 Senate vote. Two possible reasons why Hagel was nominated are that as a Republican, he would be easier to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate and that he was a veteran who later was active in Congress on defense issues.

The first section of this article argues that Obama must be a Muslim because "Obama supports a military invasion of Syria." In fact, the Obama administration negotiated a deal where Syria put their chemical weapons under Russian control, avoiding any need for an invasion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-i-understand-american-people-arent-with-me-on-syria-strike/|title=Obama: "I understand" American people aren't with me on Syria strike|date=Sept. 11, 2103|work=CBS News|accessdate=May 30, 2017}}</ref> Obama did not want to invade Syria and worked to avoid it.

If Obama were a Muslim pushing a pro-Muslim agenda in the mid-east, there should be clear differences with the policies of his Christian successor, Donald Trump. However, it appears that their approach to the mid-east are similar. Both want to work with mid-east countries to eliminate the terrorist movements there and to bring stability to the region.

==== Liberal Christianity and liberalism ====
The first section of this article states without support, "Obama's background and outlook are Muslim, and fewer than 1% of Muslims convert to Christianity." In fact, during Obama's formative years, he was raised by his maternal grandparents, who were Methodist. He was never a Muslim, the percentage of Muslims who convert to Christianity is not relevant. Obama was raised with a liberal and Christian outlook, not a Muslim one.

For 20 years, Obama attended the United Church of Christ which taught [[liberation theology]]. His daughter was baptized in this church. [[Barack Obama]] left the congregation in Chicago and rarely attended any church while in [[D.C.]], out of concerns that security precautions would inconvenience the other worshipers. When the Obama family spent their weekends at [[Camp David]] in Maryland, they worshiped at the Evergreen Chapel.

==== Obama took the backup oath of office without a Bible ====
For the planned 2009 public ceremonial swearing in Obama used a Bible. However, the Chief Justice misstated the oath, and dropped by the White House to administer it a second time just to remove any questions. In 2013, "President Obama is putting a symbolic twist on a time-honored tradition, taking the oath of office for his second term with his hand placed not on a single Bible, but two -- one owned by Martin Luther King Jr. and one by Abraham Lincoln. "<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/10/obama-to-use-2-bibles-when-takes-oath-office.html Obama to use 2 Bibles when he takes oath of office]</ref> Contrary to fake news rumors, he did not use a Koran.

==== Absence at Scalia's and Nancy Reagan's funerals ====
The first section of this article claims that Obama did not attend the funeral services for Scalia and Nancy Reagan because as a Muslim, he does not like to enter churches. The first section did not say that President Obama ''was invited'' to attend the Scalia or Nancy Reagan funerals. President Obama did pay tribute to the legacy of Nancy Reagan in his weekly television address of March 12, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/12/weekly-address-legacy-nancy-reagan|title=WEEKLY ADDRESS: The Legacy of Nancy Reagan|date=March 12, 2016|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref> Barack and Michelle Obama also issued an official statement of condolences.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/06/statement-president-and-first-lady|title=Statement by the President and the First Lady|date=March 6, 2016|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref> Mrs. Obama attended the funeral which was held under a tent at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California and not in a church.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/us/politics/nancy-reagan-funeral.html|title=At Nancy Reagan’s Funeral, Honoring the Queen of a Republican Camelot|work=NY Times|date=March 11, 2016|accessdate=June 1, 2017}}</ref> Regarding Scalia, President Obama issued a proclamation that flags should be flown at half-staff.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/13/presidential-proclamation-death-antonin-scalia|title=Presidential Proclamation: Death of Antonin Scalia|date=February 13, 2016|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref> President Obama also issued a statement<ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/13/remarks-president-passing-us-supreme-court-justice-antonin-scalia|title=Remarks by the President on the Passing of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia|date=February 13, 2016|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref> and attended a memorial service held at the Supreme Court, with Vice President Biden attending the official funeral the next day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/us/politics/antonin-scalia-funeral-supreme-court.html?_r=0|title=Funeral for Scalia Will Be Held Saturday|date=Feb. 16, 2016|accessdate=May 28, 2017|work=New York Times}}</ref>

Obama's absence at the funerals of [[Antonin Scalia]] and Nancy Reagan might be explained by his busy schedule or by his desire not to disrupt the funerals with the added security that the Secret Service brings to any Presidential event. Also, to preserve continuity of government, the President, Vice President and the cabinet avoid attending the same public events to reduce creating terrorism targets. In any case, the kind words he said upon their passing is not evidence of President Obama being a Muslim.

To the extent that the first section of this article claims that President Obama was reluctant to enter churches, there are numerous counter-examples. While in Chicago, he was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ for 20 years. As a community organizer, many of his meetings were held in churches. While President, he attended services at Shiloh Baptist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church.

====== Attended other funerals======
On August 28, 2009, Obama gave a eulogy at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston for Senator Edward Kennedy who was Catholic.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/29/edward-kennedy-funeral-president-obama|title=
President Obama leads US political elite at Senator Ted Kennedy's funeral|date=Aug. 29, 2009|accessdate=May 30, 2017|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

On September 30, 2016, Obama traveled to Israel and attended the funeral of former Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres who was Jewish.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jaffe|first1=Greg|title=Obama will travel to Israel for Shimon Peres's funeral|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/28/obama-will-travel-to-israel-for-shimon-peres-funeral/|accessdate=September 29, 2016|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 28, 2016}}</ref>

On December 10, 2013, President Obama traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa to speak at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/12/10/remarks-president-obama-memorial-service-former-south-african-president-|title=Remarks by President Obama at Memorial Service for Former South African President Nelson Mandela|date=December 10, 2013|accessdate=May 30, 2017|quote=Mandela led ...so men and women could stand up for their God-given dignity.}}</ref>

On June 6, 2015, President Obama delivered the eulogy at the pulpit of the St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington, Delaware for Beau Biden.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/06/politics/beau-biden-funeral/|title='A man of character': Obama delivers emotional eulogy for Beau Biden|date=June 6, 2015|accessdate=June 1, 2017}}</ref>

Obama attended the funeral of Senator Daniel Inouye who was a United Methodist (Some United Methodists practice theological liberalism while others are religious conservatives).<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Daniel_Inouye_Principles_+_Values.htm Daniel Inouye on Principles & Values]</ref> While the Scalia and Reagan funerals may not be a counter-example to the Muslim rumor, the Peres, Biden and Inouye funeral are.

When a racist shot up the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and killed eight people, President Obama traveled to Charleston to deliver the eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney who was among those killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/26/remarks-president-eulogy-honorable-reverend-clementa-pinckney|title=Remarks by the President in Eulogy for the Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney|date=June 26, 2015|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref>

President Obama traveled to Joplin, Missouri, to speak at a memorial service for those who died in a storm.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/29/remarks-president-memorial-service-joplin-missouri|title=Remarks by the President at a Memorial Service in Joplin, Missouri|date=May 29, 2011|accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref>

==== Views on Israel ====
The first section of this article makes the vague subjective claim that "Obama seems to emotionally hold a Muslim view about Israel." All of President Obama's public foreign policy statements were carefully vetted and delivered without emotion. President Obama visited Israel on March 20, 2013 and September 30, 2016.
==== Obama's ring ====
The first section of this article claims, Obama's "ring has Islamic inscriptions." The statement is sourced to World Net Daily, which did not actually examine the ring, but rather blurry enlargements of photos of the ring. It suggests that the pattern on the outside of the ring is in the form of Arabic symbols, rather than claiming there is an engraved message on the inside of the band. Snopes featured a clear, closeup of the ring and showed that the design is a series of loops and not Arabic symbols.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/weddingring.asp|title=Obama’s Wedding Ring|date=October 8, 2014|accessdate=May 30, 2017}}</ref>
==== Muslim call to prayer ====
The first section of this article claims, "Obama said the Muslim call to prayer is 'one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset,' and recited 'with a first-class Arabic accent' the opening lines: Allah is Supreme! ... I witness that there is no god but Allah ...." citing a WND web posting that in turn referenced an Obama interview with ''New York Times'' reporter Nicholas Kristof in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/opinion/06kristof.html|title=Obama: Man of the World|work=New York Times|date=March 6, 2007|accessdate=May 30, 2017}}</ref> Kristof wrote a column in 2008 making reference to it in terms of "Mr. Obama has spoken respectfully of Islam" but denied being a Muslim himself.<ref name=kristof>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/opinion/09kristof.html|title=Obama and the Bigots|work=New York Times|date=March 9, 2008|accessdate=May 30, 2017}}</ref> Just because a person praises the sound of a religious practice does not mean that the person has accepted the content as his own personal religious belief. By analogy, a person can also recite a television advertising jingle from memory without wanting to ever buy the product.
==== Protecting freedom of religion ====
At times, the first section of this article had taken a quotation out of context from President Obama's September 25, 2012 address to the United Nations General Assembly. In the weeks prior to that speech, ISIL propagandists had released a video to create the impression that the United States was anti-Muslim. The video that was falsely attributed to the US government, drew widespread protests in the Arab world. Obama's address drew upon that tension to discuss the importance of the right of free exercise of religion worldwide. The end of the speech turned to the future with a series of statements each with "The future must not belong to..." which advocated religious tolerance.<ref name="obamawhitehouse.archives.gov"/>
==== Accepting Islams' role in the modern world ====
The first section of this article argues that Obama must be a Muslim because he once wrote, "Islam can be compatible with the modern world." There are pluralistic modern societies where Muslims live side-by-side with Christians. Indeed, given America's founding values have included religious freedom, modern American society is a successful example. Obama did not write Islam ''is always'' compatible with the modern world. Only radical Islamic terrorists believe that Islam cannot be compatible with the modern world, because that world embodies Western Judeo-Christian values.
==== Did not attend church as a President elect ====
The first section of this article quotes Politico as saying Obama did not attend church since the 2008 election. That article was correct, but it was published on November 23, 2008, just three weeks after the election. A second article is footnoted that states the Obamas did not attend church on Christmas 2008. Both articles explain that the Obamas did not want to disrupt local services with a large security detail and procedures. Because the Obamas later began to attend services at the Evergreen Chapel of Camp David, this does not prove that Obama is a Muslim.
====Female genital mutilation====
Some Muslims practice [[female genital mutilation]], and the practice was widespread in Indonesia when Obama lived there. However, the Obama Administration took many actions against the practice, signing a 2013 law tightening the prohibition against FGM, and supported the [[United Nations]]' efforts against FGM. There is nothing to suggest that the Obama family practiced FGM.

== Possible closet atheist/agnostic ==

There are several reasons to doubt that Obama is an atheist. Very few Africans or African Americans are atheists, for example, and even fewer still who were raised in multi-cultural Hawaii and Indonesia as was Obama. He has displayed none of the common characteristics of atheists, such as [[evolution syndrome]], a "wannabe" desire to be accepted intellectually, belief in an [[Old Earth]], obesity, or a lack of ambition. His favorite science fiction movies show no propensity towards atheism.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/14/obama-favorite-sci-fi-tv-shows-movies</ref>

[[File:arrogant_obama.jpg|right|200px|thumbnail|Charles Krauthammer said [[Barack Obama]] is arrogant narcissist who essentially worships himself.<ref name="Krauthammer: Obama 'narcissist'">[https://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/charles-krauthammer-barack-obama-narcissist-110975 Krauthammer: Obama 'narcissist'], Politico</ref> ]]
=== Liberal Christianity and religious syncretism and universalism ===
[[File:Obama Wright.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|For 20 years, Obama attended a church which practiced [[liberal Christianity]]. The Reverend [[Jeremiah Wright]] was pastor of that church.]]
Obama is a [[liberal]]. Liberals often practice religious [[syncretism]] and are often [[Universalism|universalists]] (or near universalists) who believe that there are many religious roads to heaven and few if any people go to [[Hell]].

=== Obama isn't especially religious ===

Barack Obama isn't particularly religious. As noted above, he was the first president to host an [[Atheist organizations|atheist organization]] at the White House.

Obama is a [[narcissism|narcissist]] who essentially often worships himself.<ref name="Krauthammer: Obama 'narcissist'"/> His first campaign was rightly criticized for making Obama into some messiah-like figure.{{fact}} Atheists are known for being very arrogant (see: [[Atheism and arrogance]]). Obama is known for being arrogant (see: [[Barack Obama and liberal elitism]]). On the other hand, the traits of arrogance and narcissism are not exclusive to atheists.

Furthermore, Obama's lack of religiosity/devoutness is not surprising as this is frequently a characteristic of people who attend [[liberal Christianity]] type churches like Obama has done. Liberal churches are bleeding members profusely due to people's lack of commitment to the Christian faith.{{fact}}

To compound matters, Obama's mother, Ann Durham, was a [[secular humanism|secular humanist]] which is a type of [[Atheism|atheist]].

=== Purported worldviews of parents and grandparents ===

Obama's birth father, Barack Hussein Obama Sr, was an ex-Muslim who became an [[Anglican]] at the young age of six years old.<ref>Jacobs (2011), [https://books.google.com/books?id=EHw1Jy4ZvcYC&pg=PA26#v=onepage&q&f=false p. 26]: Her brother Baraka, as she [Hawa Auma] recalls, converted to Christianity when he was about six years old and changed his name to the more Christian-sounding Barack because the Christian missionaries at the early schools that he attended insisted that he do so.</ref> He later became an atheist. Barack Obama declared in a ''Time'' magazine article entitled "[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1546579,00.html My spiritual journey]": "My father was almost entirely absent from my childhood, having been divorced from my mother when I was 2 years old; in any event, although my father had been raised a Muslim, by the time he met my mother he was a confirmed atheist, thinking religion to be so much superstition."

Kenya is the home country of Barack Hussein Obama Sr., but Obama Sr. had virtually no influence on the raising of his son. Obama's mother remarried, and ultimately, Obama was raised by his maternal grandparents. In Barack Obama's memoir, ''Dreams From My Father'', he describes his great-grandparents as "stern [[Methodism|Methodist]] parents who did not believe in drinking, playing cards, or dancing.". Obama's stepfather was an athetist.

According to both Obama's father's sister and Obama, Obama's father became a Christian when he was six years old. Obama's father attended an Anglican missionary school according to Obama's father's sister, when he became a Christian.<ref>Jacobs (2011), [https://books.google.com/books?id=EHw1Jy4ZvcYC&pg=PA26#v=onepage&q&f=false p. 26]: Her brother Baraka [Obama Sr.], as she [Hawa Auma] recalls, converted to Christianity when he was about six years old and changed his name to the more Christian-sounding Barack because the Christian missionaries at the early schools that he attended insisted that he do so.</ref>

Since colonial times and to this day, schools run by Christian missionaries in Africa have had a reputation of having the best schools in various areas of Africa and some Muslim parents send their children to these school in order to receive a better education.<ref name="Muslim World League website article">[http://themwl.org/global/content/universities-and-islamic-institutions-east-africa Muslim World League website article]</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37321355 Kenyan Muslims can wear hijab at Christian schools - court], BBC</ref> There have been Muslim children who attend these schools who have become Christians.<ref name="Muslim World League website article">Kenyan Muslims can wear hijab at Christian schools - court, BBC</ref> As far as evidence that Obama Sr. received a strong education as a youth, Obama Sr. is a Harvard University graduate, and Harvard had a highly competitive admissions process.

As far as Kenya, a 2015 study estimates some 70,000 Christian believers from a Muslim background in the country, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism.<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/16338087/Believers_in_Christ_from_a_Muslim_Background_A_Global_Census Johnstone, Patrick; Miller, Duane (2015). "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census". IJRR. 11: 14]</ref>

In a ''Al Jazeera'' interview the prominent Muslim cleric Ahmad Al Qataani indicated the number of Muslims in Africa diminished greatly in the last century and that 6 million African Muslims were converting to Christianity every year.<ref name="americanthinker.com">[https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2006/05/six_million_african_muslims_le.html In Africa Alone Everyday, 16,000 Muslims Leave Islam]</ref>

The Muslim cleric Ahmad Al Qataani specifically declared:
{{Cquote|Islam used to represent, as you previously mentioned, Africa's main religion and there were 30 African languages that used to be written in Arabic script. The number of Muslims in Africa has diminished to 316 million, half of whom are Arabs in North Africa. So in the section of Africa that we are talking about, the non Arab section, the number of Muslims does not exceed 150 million people. When we realize that the entire population of Africa is one billion people, we see that the number of Muslims has diminished greatly from what it was in the beginning of the last century. On the other hand, the number of Catholics has increased from one million in 1902 to 329 million 882 thousand (329,882,000). Let us round off that number to 330 million in the year 2000.

As to how that happened, well there are now 1.5 million churches whose congregations account for 46 million people. In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity. Everyday, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Ever year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity. These numbers are very large indeed <ref name="americanthinker.com">[https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2006/05/six_million_african_muslims_le.html In Africa Alone Everyday, 16,000 Muslims Leave Islam]</ref>}}

John L. Allen, Jr., editor of the Catholic news website Crux, wrote:
{{Cquote|Africa is the zone of Christianity’s greatest growth. It is already the world’s most populous Christian continent, with slightly more Christians today than there are in North America, and the numbers are burgeoning. The Pew Forum projects that by 2050, sub-Saharan Africa will have 1.1 billion Christians, almost twice as much as its nearest rival for adherents, Islam.<ref>[https://cruxnow.com/faith/2015/12/30/africa-christianitys-greatest-growth-and-greatest-threat/ Africa: Christianity's greatest growth, and greatest threat] by John L. Allen, Jr., Crux</ref>}}

Many people, but certainly not all, follow the steps of their parents when it comes to their religious faith or their lack thereof. Admittedly though the retention rate for people raised on atheist household is low in the United States (around 30%) so Obama's parents' atheism is not as big of a factor as many people might suppose (see: [[Atheism and its retention rate in individuals]]).

=== Atheist organizations ===

Liberal Christians and atheists sometimes work together on various public policy issues (see: [[Atheism and liberal Christianity alliances]]).

There is significant conflict between [[atheism]] and [[Islam]] and Islamic governments imprison/censure atheists and Islamic zealots kill atheists (see: [[Atheism vs. Islam]]). Muslims generally have a very low opinion of atheism. The Obama administration is the first administration to meet with an atheist group. It meet with the Secular Coalition for America which is a coalition which represents the [[American Atheists]], the American [[Secular Humanism|Humanist]] Association, and the Military Association of Atheists and [[Freethought|Freethinkers]].<ref>[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2010/02/atheists-meet-with-white-house-officials/1#.VypYTzEn_7Y Atheists meet with White House officials], USA Today</ref>

=== Summary of argument that Obama is a closet atheist/agnostic ===

Given that Obama isn't particularly religious, his parents' irreligion and the toxicity of being an atheist in terms of electability to a political office in the United States (see: [[Views on atheists]]), there have been accusations that Obama is a [[closet atheist]]/closet [[agnosticism|agnostic]].<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-a-rizvi/barack-obama-closeted-non_b_692751.html Barack Obama: Closeted Non-Believer?], Hufington Post</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/24/bill-maher-obama-hes-drop-dead-atheist/ Bill Maher on Obama: ‘He’s a drop-dead atheist’], Washington Times</ref>

==Reaction of others==
:''See also: [[Debate:Is Obama a Muslim?]]''
Many people believe that politics is the motive behind the attacks on President Obama's religious beliefs. By questioning Obama's stated Christian beliefs, a political opponent can call him an untrustworthy liar without being direct. Polling data suggests that if Obama's primary opponents could convince the public that he was a Muslim, it would hurt his electability. In a 2007 Gallup poll, 94 percent of Americans said they would vote for a black candidate for president and 88 percent for a woman. However, only 34 percent of respondents in a 2006 ''Los Angeles Times'' poll said they could vote for a Muslim for president.<ref name=kristof/>

A survey in March 2008 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that ten percent of American voters believed that then-Senator Barack Obama was Muslim. 16% of conservative Republicans, 16% of white evangelical Protestants and 19% of rural Americans believed Obama, who at the time was a Presidential candidate, was Muslim.<ref>USA Today, ''Poll: 1 in 10 think Obama is Muslim'', Posted 4/1/2008, by Daniel Burke, Religion News Service, retrieved 10/16/2008.[https://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-04-01-obama-muslim_N.htm]</ref> In a later survey, in July 2008, the number had risen to 12% of American voters who thought Obama was a Muslim. Interestingly, 37% of those who thought he was Muslim intended to vote for him.<ref>Pew Research Center, ''12% - Still Think Obama is Muslim'', retrieved 10/16/08 [http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=509]</ref>

According to September 2015 survey data, 39% say he is Protestant, 29% say he is Muslim, 11% of people say Obama's not religious, 4% say he is Catholic, and 14% that they just don't know. Among college-educated people, 63% say he is Protestant.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2015/09/13/politics/barack-obama-religion-christian-misperceptions/ Misperceptions persist about Obama's faith, but aren't so widespread], CNN</ref> And of course, in the United States, where many people are religious (especially African Americans who are very commonly Obama supporters), Obama supporters are more likely to say he is religious.

So, it is not surprising that investigators hired by Donald Trump found that the rumors originated with President Obama's primary opponents.<ref name=trump/>

==See also==
* [[Debate:Is Obama a Muslim?]]
* [[Muslim agenda of the Obama administration]]
* [[Mystery:Why Do Some Oppose the Likelihood that Obama Is Muslim?]]
* [[Islam and tolerance|Islam and Tolerance]]

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUJ2wu0iX4 Montage: Obama Praises Islam]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Islam]]

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUJ2wu0iX4 Montage: Obama Praises Islam]

[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:Islam]]

Liberal denial

2018-10-16T23:25:32Z

AschlaflyIsQuick:

[[Image:Obama messiah.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cover of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' Magazine, one of many published "halo-effect" photos of Barack Obama, the first African-American president in the USA]]
'''Liberal denial''' is the claim by conservatives that some [[liberals]] have a tendency to conceal, [[denial|deny]], or [[Censorship|censor]] the facts for ideological reasons. The root cause of liberal denial is a desire by conservatives to marginalize and exclude anyone opposing orthodox conservative viewpoints from society and ultimately to ensure that a divided America remains. See '''conservative denial'''.

In an effort to undermine credibility of opposing arguments, far-right pundits may accuse far-left people of denying parts of history.
Examples of '''liberal denial''' as claimed by conservatives:

# Liberals continue to deny that [[Donald Trump]] legitimately defeated [[Hillary Clinton]] for president in 2016, and earlier that [[George W. Bush]] defeated [[Al Gore]] for president in 2000 (e.g., Joe Biden denied it in remarks on June 12, 2013; Al Gore himself denied it in remarks on August 4, 2017).
# [[European migrant crisis|Mass immigration to Europe from the Middle East]] has brought an increased threat and the greater occurrence of [[terrorism]]. Yet European leaders deny the threat of [[Islam]]ic terrorism, and terrorist attacks have shown how poorly prepared and secured their countries and facilities are.<ref name="Denial">Scarborough, Rowan (May 23, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/23/manchester-bombing-reveals-europes-denial-of-islam/ Europe’s denial of Islamic terrorism threat perplexes security specialists]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 24, 2017.</ref> When attacks occur, the leaders often state that they "are a part of daily life", and they refuse to admit that the motive of the terrorists is Islamic radicalism.<ref name="Denial"/> This is likely due to [[political correctness]] and the blindness that comes with liberalism and their pet goal for a utopian [[one-world government]] where nations and borders are abolished.
# Lies about a false armed robbery were spread by the [[liberal media]] in smearing the gracious host of the [[2016 Summer Olympics]], and yet [[liberals]] did not fully correct and apologize for the lies even after [[Brazil]]ians worked hard to uncover the truth.
# [[Terrorism]] was not mentioned once during the entire first day of the [[Democratic National Convention]] in 2016, while increasing numbers of widely reported terrorism occurred in Florida, France, and elsewhere.
# [[Obama]] refused to mention ISIS, radical Islam, or Islamic extremism in his comments on the worst attack since [[9/11]]—a mass murder committed by an admitted supporter of ISIS in a Florida nightclub in June 2016.
# Liberals deny that the much-publicized "proof" of the [[general theory of relativity]] in 1919 was, in fact, scientific misconduct by [[Arthur Eddington]] who "cherry-picked"<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-brooks/scientists-behaving-badly_b_1448729.html</ref> his data to reach his desired result, which would have him expelled from any Ph. D. program worth its salt today.
# Liberals deny the lack of racial diversity on the women's [[World Cup]] 2015 team, which had an all-white coaching staff and an all-white starting line-up.
# Falsification of a theory, for which a [[Nobel Prize]] has been awarded, is never admitted by the English [[lamestream media]].<ref>http://en.yibada.com/articles/26197/20150412/nobel-prize-physics-2011-falsified-universe-dark-energy-expanding-rapid.htm</ref>
# Multiple murders committed by an atheist is neither a hate crime nor terrorism, but a rarely occurring murder committed by a Christian must be both.
# Liberals deny whenever there is a cold winter, as well as the fact that the world has not significantly warmed for many years.
# Liberals deny that violent [[video games]] incite and train [[young mass murderers]] to go on unspeakable killing rampages.
# Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the mass murderer who perpetrated the [[Boston Marathon]] bombing, likely committed a gruesome triple murder in 2011 on the 10th year anniversary of [[9/11]], but liberals refuse to admit it, and the U.S. government insists the investigation is still ongoing.
# Liberals refuse to admit that "crime [has become] a major part of [[South Africa]]n life, be it violent robberies or drive-by shootings."<ref>http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-11-15-south-africas-criminal-underworld-is-the-media-reporting-the-real-story/#.UqNvpMRDtHS</ref>
# Liberals deny that [[Abraham Lincoln]] developed a strong faith in the [[Lord]] in the last few years of life, as proven by his declaration of [[Thanksgiving Day]] as an official holiday, his insertion of "under [[God]]" into the [[Gettysburg Address]], and in his personal comments.<ref>http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/faithquotes.htm</ref>
# Liberals deny that a shutdown of the federal government is a good thing.
# Liberals deny that some disciples likely wrote down teachings of Jesus while he was living, as a means to deny Jesus's words. (Ironically, liberal theologians then use those same "red letter" words to make the claim that, since Jesus never mentioned homosexuality anywhere in them, all other Biblical condemnation of the topic can be ignored - while those same theologians choose to ignore that the words of Jesus are also the words of God and that Jesus, in pointing out that the only acceptable sexual relations are that of one man and one woman in marital union, ''did'' in fact condemn homosexuality.)
# Liberals deny even the possibility of women having different aptitude for math than men, even though every [[Fields Medal]] recipient has been male, nearly every Putnam fellow has been male, and the highest achievers on the SAT math exam are predominantly male.
# Liberals deny that the [[Apostle Paul]] wrote most of the epistles which, in their opening, clearly state that he was the author. Similarly they deny that the [[Apostle John]] was the author of the gospel account bearing his name, all three epistles bearing his name, and the Book of Revelation (they usually concede the gospel account was his, are divided on the epistles, and almost universally deny his authorship of Revelation).
# Liberals deny that human intelligence inevitably and demonstrably declines from generation to generation, and that if there were another 100 generations into the future, the people of that time would not be able to understand simple concepts.
# Liberals deny the very real existence of [[fetal pain]] during [[abortion]].
# Liberals deny that there are only two genders – male and female – and that they are born different<ref name="5ScientificFacts">Bokhari, Allum (April 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/04/23/5-scientific-facts-the-science-march-refuses-to-acknowledge/ 5 Scientific Facts The ‘Science March’ Has Yet to Acknowledge]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 30, 2017.</ref>
# Liberals deny the very real existence of [[Hell]], which [[Jesus]] referenced more than Heaven.
# Liberals deny how they censor the [[Bible]] from their daily activities, and encourage the censorship for others too.
# For nearly three months after his death, liberals denied that [[Hugo Chavez]] had died.
# Liberals deny the [[Nobel Prize]] is an award given by liberals to other liberals, sometimes even granted in an awkward manner to punish a critic of liberal falsehoods.<ref>For instance, a Nobel Prize was granted to an understudy of [[Fred Hoyle]] to punish him.</ref>
# Liberals deny how they deify government officials, similar to how communists continue to deify Stalin, Lenin, and Castro.<ref>For example, they have adulated [[Ted Kennedy]] despite his paucity of achievements.</ref>
# Liberals deny how fellow travelers engage in [[deceit]], or at least refuse to admit it.
# Liberals deny they are [[liberal]] and that most of the media are [[liberal]].
# Liberals deny that [[Hollywood values]], [[professor values]], and general [[liberal]] values have consequences for their believers and any victims of the believers.
# Liberals deny that they have censored [[prayer]] in [[public school]].<ref>A [[public school]] student who once "tape recorded a teacher making religious remarks to his students" to complain about it then later objected to a textbook explaining how prayer is censored from [[public school]] schools by court decisions. [http://abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=4614012]</ref>
# Liberals deny that a woman significantly reduces her risk of [[breast cancer]] by having children rather than [[abortions]]
# Liberals deny that about half of promiscuous people carry sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and that those STDs cause infertility.<ref>"Among those who admitted having sex, the rate was even more disturbing -- 40 percent had an STD."[http://www.tulsaworld.com/lifestyle/article.aspx?articleID=20080312_1_C12_hUShe15125]</ref>
# Liberals deny that the strident promoters of [[evolution]] generally have weaker credentials than advocates of [[intelligent design]]<ref>See, e.g., [[Richard Sternberg]]</ref>
# Liberals deny that college faculties at nearly every American school are dominated by [[liberals]] and have virtually no [[conservatives]].
# Liberals deny that [[Homosexuality]] shortens lifespan or increases risk fo disease for a wide variety of reasons.
# Liberals deny that reducing the number of guns, which are primarily defensive weapons, results in an increase in crime.
# Liberals deny that [[Hitler]] and the [[Nazi]] party were in fact [[Liberals]] (anti-Semitism is a well-documented characteristic of [[Liberal Christianity]] as is the [[PETA]]-like Green wing of the Third Reich.<ref>[http://www.spunk.org/texts/places/germany/sp001630/peter.html Fascist Ecology: The "Green Wing" of the Nazi Party and its Historical Antecedents]</ref>).

== Liberal denialism and Donald Trump ==
''See also:'' [[Liberal denialism and Donald Trump]]

After the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, many liberals went into in denial that [[Donald Trump]] was going to be the President of the United States. Before the election, liberal media outlets took the line that Donald Trump could not win the [[Republican]] primary and could not win the presidential election.<ref>
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/09/the-wrongest-media-predictions-about-donald-trump/?utm_term=.febb2623a89f The wrongest media predictions about Donald Trump The wrongest media predictions about Donald Trump], ''Washington Post'', 2016</ref>

== General Denial ==
Generally, liberals deny that:

'''Abortion'''
# Choosing [[abortion]] over childbirth increases the risk of [[breast cancer]].
# They support taxpayer-funded [[abortion]].
# A child in a mother's womb has rights established by the [[Constitution]].
# A person is not insane for disagreeing with abortion and homosexuality.

'''Atheism'''
# People like [[young mass murderers]] who take [[atheistic]] beliefs to their logical conclusions are not delusional but are true believers.
# [[Young mass murderers]] fit the profile of [[public school]]-trained [[atheism]].
# Atheism is a nontheistic religion, not an absence of religion.
# Atheists were and still are responsible for the deaths of millions of people through the decades. Nevertheless, liberals resort to [[moral equivalence]] by falsely making the same claims about [[Christianity]], ridiculously exaggerating the numbers of people murdered by those claiming to be Christian while conveniently ignoring that Christian teachings forbid murder.

'''Crime'''
# [[Gun control]] motivates people to commit more gun-related [[crime]]s.
# Illegal immigrants contribute to crime and poverty in the towns and cities they occupy.
# Legalizing drugs will increase crime because drug addiction causes thievery and murder.
# A [[border wall]] is the most effective and, ultimately, the most peaceful way to protect the large southern border separating the U.S. and Mexico from illegal immigrants.
# Aggressive interrogation is often the best way to obtain answers from [[terrorists]].
# Socially dangerous people exhibit a well-documented pattern of reading habits.

'''Economics'''
# Reducing taxes stimulates the [[economy]].
# Privately run [[transport]] is more efficient than government-run transport.
# [[Labor union|union]]s interfere with [[employment]] opportunities.
# Free trade strengthens global democracies.
# Americans can drill oil to avoid high gas prices.
# Americans can't fully replace oil with green technologies; both oil and green technologies are needed to solve energy crises.

'''Education'''
# [[Homeschoolers]] are more likely to succeed than those who attend [[public school]].
# A school having few to no [[conservative]] teachers and a majority of [[atheists]] and/or [[liberals]] is a [[liberal]] school.
# [[Liberals]] attempt to intimidate and ostracize [[conservatives]], particularly in school environments and some occupations.<ref>See [[liberals and friendship]].</ref>
# The [[liberal]] ideology is pushed on unsuspecting others, particularly young people.
# [[Lawrence Summers]] was fired as President of [[Harvard]] for making a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] suggestion about women and mathematical aptitude.

'''Environment'''
# Modern technology can make [[coal]] clean.
# Modern drilling methods result in minimal environmental impact, even if they were implemented in uninhabited lands such as the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]].
# Companies like [[Exxon]] should pay billions of dollars in damages to the general public ''in addition'' to the money they spend to clean up industrial accidents and to recompense those directly affected.
# [[Selective logging]] keeps forests healthier by reducing the risk of wildfire.
# High food prices are not caused by [[ethanol]] production but rather by the million acres of crop land and pastureland that have been taken out of production in the interest of wildlife conservation.
# The life of a human is more important than the life of an animal or plant.

'''Health and medicine'''
# [[Socialized medicine|State run health care]] has lead to Islamic terrorism in Britain and would do so in the US.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMu6wCqdeyQ ''FOX News analyzes the new terror in state healthcare.''</ref>
# Obesity is a bigger problem than hunger in the Western world.
# Eating [[meat]] and [[dairy]] is important for physical and mental health.
# Using [[marijuana]] or other mind- or mood-altering drugs has lasting negative psychological effects.
# [[Universal health care]] is inferior medical care and will lead to crowding in hospitals.
# Girls and women in sports have debilitating ACL knee injuries at 3-4 times the rate of men,<ref>''Compare'' [http://www.universityhealthmatters.com/article.php?artid=50] (with an explanation of why there is a big difference) ''with'' [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/health/18knee.html?ex=1204088400&en=3a5abfaa6104ac63&ei=5070&emc=eta1 New York Times] (downplaying the difference and pretending that no one knows why). The New York Times denies overwhelming evidence, including the following:
:"Female athletes, particularly basketball players, are far more likely than their male counterparts to suffer ACL [Anterior Cruciate Ligament] injuries." Stephen Hargis, "Girls have more torn ACLs," Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee), D1 (Feb. 4, 2005). According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the risk of women tearing their ACL is 1 in 100. This number drops significantly to only 1 in 500 for men. See Nikki Usher, "Knee injury takes toll on girls playing soccer five times more likely than males to suffer a torn ACL," Philadelphia Inquirer, A01 (Nov. 29, 2004). "Compared with guys, female athletes run an eight-times-greater risk of tearing the ACL, a fibrous band that connects the shinbone (tibia) to the thighbone (femur). Basketball, soccer and other sports that require cutting moves or jump shots can put athletes at risk." Kathleen Fackelmann, "Girls face higher knee injury risk," USA Today, 15B (Aug. 24, 2004). Timothy Hewett, PhD, the lead researcher on a definitive study at the Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center at the University of Cincinnati, says this is "close to a billion-dollar problem in girls and women in the USA. ... Even after girls have recovered from the acute injury, the changes in the joint may set the stage for osteoarthritis of the knee ...." ''Id.'' That obvious suspicion was quickly confirmed: a study subsequently published in Arthritis & Rheumatism demonstrated that "more than half of ... 103 soccer players, who were ages 14 to 28 at the time of the ACL injury, suffered osteoarthritis of the knee at the time of the study -- about 12 years later." Kathleen Fackelmann, "Girls' knee injuries have later consequences," USA Today, 9D (Oct. 7, 2004). "Many of the women, who were about 31 by that time, also said they had pain or some other disability that made it hard to conduct daily activities." ''Id.''</ref> and are vulnerable to other injuries<ref>"Amber Scull ruptured her spleen after she was tackled during a practice drill at Nature Coast Tech in Brooksville 2 1/2 months ago. Had she [not] arrived at the hospital 30 minutes later, doctors told her mother, she might have died." [http://www.sptimes.com/2004/01/06/news_pf/Sports/Girls_face_dangers_on.shtml]</ref>

'''History'''
# America's [[founding fathers]] were devout Christians.
# The American model of [[democracy]] succeeded because it was founded on [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Christianity]].<ref>[http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/cultural_apologetics/snyder-democracy1.html Calvinism and the Success of Liberal Democracy, by John Snyder]</ref>
# The [[Democratic National Party]] founded the [[Ku Klux Klan]] and supported it for decades, and that the Democrats not only championed slavery of blacks before and during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], plus segregation and suppression of blacks for decades afterward, but still champion a form of slavery and suppression against blacks (in the form of the [[welfare state]]) and still have the same attitudes toward blacks today as they did 150 years, 100 years, and even 50 years ago.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2017/06/dsouza-dems-want-to-shift-blame-with-confederate-crusade/ D'Souza: Dems want to "shift blame" with Confederate crusade] at [[WorldNetDaily]]</ref>

'''Homosexuality'''
# [[Same sex adoption]] is harmful to children.
# Banning [[same-sex marriage|same-sex "marriage"]] is analogous to banning [[polygamy]].
# Opposing same-sex "marriage" is justified (though they try to prove otherwise by drawing absurd connections to decriminalized interracial marriage bans).
# Homosexuals can be switched back into heterosexuals. (See [[ex-homosexuals]])

'''Liberalism'''
# They are [[intolerant]] of opposing viewpoints and then try to stifle further discussion.
# [[Socialism]] and liberalism have the same political agenda.
# They suppress any criticism rather acknowledge it.
# They make sweeping generalizations about conservatives.
# Ideas do matter and can cause great harm, including liberal falsehoods.

'''Media'''
# The [[mainstream media]] is [[bias]]ed.
# Wikipedia has a systematic bias.
# Liberal media tycoons such as [[Ted Turner]] support population control.
# Restricting free speech by the [[Fairness Doctrine]] is actually neither fair nor democratic.

'''Politics'''
# [[Barack Hussein Obama]] ran the dirtiest campaign since [[Lyndon Johnson]].
# Former President Bill Clinton committed adulterous behavior while in office.
# Politicians who proclaim 'change' actually do not break very far from policies of the past.
# [[God]] and religion should be allowed a place in government.
# Removing [[Saddam Hussein]] from power was beneficial for Iraq.
# [[Ronald Reagan]]'s public exhortation, "[[Mikhail Gorbachev|Mr. Gorbachev]], tear down this wall," helped cause the nearly 30-year-old [[Berlin Wall]] later be torn down.
# They support [[Totalitarianism]].
# Their leaders engage in shocking wrongdoing, [[Liberal hypocrisy|hypocrisy]], and abuse of power<ref>See, e.g., leading [[liberal]] [[Eliot Spitzer]] and how fellow [[liberals]] downplayed or were silent about his misconduct.</ref>
# A [[vote]] for (yea) or a vote against (nea) is an absolute position.
# People can be held accountable for the statements uttered in a vote.
# Former President George W. Bush being in power did not cause Hurricane Katrina.
# Former President Bill Clinton was responsible for Rwanda inaction.
# The Democratic party discriminates against African-Americans.
# [[Fidel Castro]] could have died a decade earlier than his disclosed death date, specifically around the last time he was seen in public in 2006.

'''Religion'''
# [[Islam]]ic extremism is a threat to the [[Western civilization]]<ref>Leftist [[Sam Harris]] admitted and complained about this liberal denial [http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/REPOSITORY/610090301/1028/OPINION02 here].</ref>
# Faith and logic are compatible.
# Both God and Jesus, the Lord and Savior, exist (in the case of secular liberals). Some secular liberals do acknowledge that Jesus walked among humans, but they deny that he performed any miracles.
# Morality should be objective.
# [[Heavy metal]] music is generally sacrilegious and has themes such as mind- or mood-altering drugs, sexual perversion, and [[Satan]] worship.

'''Science'''
# Life begins at conception.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (November 5, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/11/05/abortion-lobby-denies-science-concerning-beginning-of-human-life/ Abortion Lobby Denies Science Concerning Beginning of Human Life]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 5, 2017.</ref>
# There are only two genders, and men and women are different, even from birth.<ref name="5ScientificFacts"/>
# Green energy is nowhere near as efficient as advertised.<ref name="5ScientificFacts"/>
# [[Entropy]] – including [[genetic entropy]] – is increasing, which confounds several liberal theories.
# Virtually all fossil evidence for evolution has been proven wrong and affirms Biblical creation.
# The intellectual justification for [[Hitler]]'s attempt to build a master Aryan race was the [[theory of evolution]].
# Evolution and human-caused climate change are scientifically dubious at best.
# There is scientific accuracy contained in the Bible.
# Climate forecasts 50 years from now are as inaccurate as 15 days from now.

'''Social issues'''
# More than 80% of child molesters are [[pornography]] addicts.
# [[Feminists]] censor discussion about differences between men and women, and boys and girls.
# The [[nuclear family]] is beneficial to children.
# [[Culture]] affects [[politics]] as well as people's views and lifestyles.
# The numerous premature deaths of [[Hollywood]] stars are the result of [[Hollywood values]]<ref>Liberal [[Wikipedia]] lists numerous [[actor]]s who died of drug overdoses, but will not acknowledge the role played by [[Hollywood values]], for which Wikipedia does not even have an entry. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_drug-related_deaths]</ref>
# That English will cease being the language of the United States in 20 years unless it is protected as the [[official language]] (and that this would be a loss if it happened).

Often, [[liberal]]s refuse to admit that they are [[liberal]]s in the hope of appearing more "reasonable". [[Hillary Clinton]] refused to admit in a presidential debate in 2007 that she is a [[liberal]]. Similarly, [[Michael Dukakis]] refused for a while to admit that he was a [[liberal]] during the 1988 presidential campaign. Only out of desperation did Dukakis admit that he was a [[liberal]], and even then, he admitted only that was a liberal like President [[Harry Truman]], who served 40 years earlier.

Liberals like to bash President George W. Bush as a war monger and cite [[President Bill Clinton]] for his eight years of peace and prosperity. Liberals will deny record low unemployment, more people owning their homes, and President Bush going after [[terrorists]] while protecting Americans from further attacks. Liberals will selectively forget that during Clinton's term, the [[Rwanda]] massacre, the bombing of the USS Cole, the war in the [[Balkans]], the two US embassies bombed in [[Africa]], the Kobar tower bombing in Saudi Arabia, the [[Somalia]] conflict, the missile strike against [[Afghanistan]], and the bombing campaign against Iraq all occurred. Moreover, [[liberals]] deny that Clinton's economic policy ignored a series of high-profile companies that eventually collapsed due to fraud: Enron, Tyco, Worldcom and Qwest.

As part of their denial, liberals often use the word "denial" pejoratively against conservatives. Alleging that conservatives are "[[racist]]" and "reject [[science]]", they use terms like "[[global warming]] deniers" and "[[climate change]] deniers" in an attempt to link conservative viewpoints with [[Holocaust denial]], [[Nazism]], [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]], and [[pseudoscience]].

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== See also ==
*[[ACLU]]
*[[Longest liberal denials]]

{{liberalism}}
[[Category:Liberal Traits]]

Biblical scientific foreknowledge

2018-10-16T23:24:33Z

AschlaflyIsQuick: additional info added

[[File:Newton.png|thumb|200px|alt=Isaac Newton, cornerstone of the scientific revolution, based his research on the scientific authority of the [[Bible]].|thumb|[[Portrait]] of [[Isaac Newton]], cornerstone of the [[scientific revolution]], based his research on the scientific authority of the Bible.]]

'''Biblical scientific foreknowledge''' is how the [[Bible]] shows a comprehension of and subliminal acceptance of [[science]] far ahead of its time. The Bible is a superb roadmap to future scientific discoveries. Unfortunately [[Bible denier]]s, including many [[Atheism|atheist]]s and [[evolution]]ists, refuse to read the Bible, and some claim their irrational [[Essay:Quantifying Openmindedness|closed-mindedness]] against the Bible could obstruct the advancement of science. After all, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - Winston Churchill

The [[Book of Genesis]] gives [[Biblical scientific foreknowledge#Anesthesia|an example of anesthesia]] long before man discovered it in 1846. And the underlying chaos and [[uncertainty]] in the physical world was explained in the Bible long before [[quantum mechanics]] confirmed it in the 1900s.
Furthermore, the '''[[Book of Genesis]] supports [[evolution]].''' It says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."<ref>https://www.conservapedia.com/Genesis_(ch.1)</ref> This refers to what scientists call the big bang theory, when the universe came into existence. After earth, God created life, first in the form of sea creatures, then in the form of mammals on land, and finally man in His own image. This refers to the evolution of life from simpler sea-dwelling organisms, to more complex land-roaming organisms, and then to humans, the most intelligent life-forms on the planet. Thus, many people miss the similarities between the Book of Genesis they adore and the science facts they despise.

'''Biblical scientific foreknowledge''' has an additional benefit: it guides a more precise translation of verses that describe scientific-related events, such as the reference to the universe in [[Epistle to the Hebrews (Translated)#1:10-11|Hebrews 1:10]], and the changing of [[Essay:Water into Wine|water into wine]] at the wedding feast.

==Geology==

===Massive flooding===
Atheist scientists long opposed a [[young earth]] [[creation|created]] by [[God]] where cataclysmic flooding, such as the [[Great Flood]] described in the Bible, shaped the landscape. However, ample [[counterexamples to an old earth]] exist and the discovery in the Northwest of "giant ripple marks, 50 feet high and 200-500 feet apart" proved that a cataclysmic flood in the region had indeed occurred thousands of years ago. As a result, "[a]mong geologists, the concept of a catastrophic flood came to be universally accepted by the late 1950s."<ref>[http://www.iafi.org/floods.html The Ice Age Flood Institute reports on the massive floods in the Northwest.]</ref>

===Continental drift===
[[Continental drift]] was proposed by [[creationist]] Antonio Snider-Pellegrini in 1859 based on [[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)#Chapter 1|Genesis 1:9-10]],<ref>http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c001.html Christian Answers explains Antonio Snider's divine inspiration</ref> which states, {{cquote|And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.}} Because land is no longer all in [[Pangaea|one place]], this implies that the continents have shifted over the six millennia to their current positions. [[Atheists]] and [[scientist]]s who hadn't seen the light of [[creationism]] were in [[liberal denial]] about this concept for a century, until finally accepting its truth. This is just more data that the Bible knew millennia before [[secular]] [[science]] caught up.
However, The Continents are still connected; under the ocean is land if you dry up the water. This interpretation of this verse is in error, the separation spoken of here is the waters under the sky (Firmament) and the water out in space (beyond the heavens). Comets prove this theory, as many of them contain ice, and today as much as 1% of terrestrial rain comes from extraterrestrial sources.

The most likely reason for the current position and shape of the land mass is the Flood of Noah. Pangea does not work without flipping, shrinking, and sometimes removing countries entirely. Any Biblical statements of continents is in Genesis 10:25 when Peleg is mentioned "for in his days was the earth divided" this in particular refers to the separation of what today is Russia, Japan, and Alaska, when the oceans arose, and also to the division of the peoples by languages, who migrated together according to their language after the confusing of tongues at the tower of Babel, obviously the migration took place before the oceanic divide which led to the natives of the Far West. Everyone laughed at Columbus, not because they thought earth was flat, but because they had forgotten the Far West (America) was there, and they thought he didn't have nearly enough supplies or a big enough ship to go to Asia the long way around, and they would have been right if he didn't hit the Caribbean first by complete accident. Recent findings of biblical stone tablets, in Byzantine script prove that trade between Europe and the Far West was common prior to the dark age which began in 400 or 500 AD.

===Underwater springs===
Only in modern times have scientists become aware of the enormous underwater springs feeding into the oceans, and the very deep valleys at the bottom of the oceans. However, the Bible repeatedly described this thousands of years earlier in [[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)#Chapter 7|Genesis 7:11]], which states, {{cquote|In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.}} Again, in 2 Samuel 22:16, the Bible states that, {{cquote|And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.}}
And Job 38:16 “Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the search of the depths?"

This is ''obvious'' proof to all but [[liberals]] that the Bible had foreknowledge of subcrustal oceans, something the ancient Jews could not have possibly known, and thus proof of the Bible's God-given accuracy and divine nature.

==Agriculture==

===Malthusianism===
Since Thomas [[Robert Malthus|Malthus's]] 1798 work, ''An Essay on the Principle of Population'', [[liberal]] intellectuals insisted that the world's population would grow faster than the [[food]] supply and result in mass starvation.

This [[liberal]] falsehood is contrary to the [[Multiplication of the loaves]], as set forth in Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:5-15. Multiple additional examples in both the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]s, as well as the example of [[William Bradford]] at Plymouth Colony,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bradford|first1=William|title=The History of Plimoth Plantation|date=1669|pages=135–136}}</ref> of the food supply increasing to be more far plentiful than expected, based on [[faith]] in [[God|God's]] powers and use of [[conservative]] [[economics]]. Indeed, in modern times [[obesity]] is far more prevalent and harmful than [[hunger]] worldwide, and food production far exceeds the ability to consume even in impoverished nations. Hunger remains a problem only in places with [[liberal]] and/or [[leftist]] political systems that impede food distribution or destroy the [[free market]].

As predicted by the [[Bible]] there is an abundance of food in the world, although distribution problems sometimes prevent the food from getting to everyone who needs it. Food inflation in the [[United States]] is very low, hovering around only 1% for the last three decades,<ref>https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/food-inflation</ref> which has kept overall inflation low.

==History==

=== Psychogenic hematidrosis ===

Psychogenic hematidrosis, which is sweat turning into blood, happens rarely but in the cases it does happen, it usually happens with death row inmates. In 70 percent of all studies that document this condition, the condition occurs in death row inmates.<ref name="youtube.com">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjXMsq6SscA Police Detective Examines the Resurrection of Jesus becomes Christian]</ref> In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus sweat blood (Luke 22:44). The early church was puzzled by the account of Jesus sweating blood given in Scripture and they didn't know what to make of it.<ref name="youtube.com"/>

=== Pleural effusion ===

The early church was puzzled by the blood and water that came out of Jesus' side when the soldier plunged his spear into him. The blood was not a problem in their understanding, but the water was. Medical science can now explain the water coming out of Jesus' side as being the result of pleural effusion.<ref name="youtube.com"/>

===Great Flood ice mummy===
[[File:The building of the ark.jpg|thumb|The building of the Ark by Bertram of Minden, ancient [[German Painting]].]]
According to the Bible, a [[Great Flood]] occurred around 3300 B.C., or about 5300 years ago. It involved a cataclysmic rainstorm of a magnitude never seen before or since. For centuries [[atheist]]s and [[liberals]] have mocked it, claiming that it was impossible. However, in 1991, an "ice mummy" was discovered in the [[Alps]]. Scientists located a remarkably preserved ancient body, including even the contents of his last meal, which was due to an extraordinary ice storm. By radiometric [[carbon dating]],<ref>http://www.nupecc.org/iai2001/report/B44.pdf Radiocarbon dating of the Iceman Ötzi with
accelerator mass spectrometry</ref> the scientists discovered that this massive ice storm occurred 5300 years ago, which perfectly matches the Biblical Great Flood.<ref>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/icemummies/iceman.html PBS on the "Iceman" in the Alps</ref> This is obvious proof of the Great Flood, as no natural occurrence could possibly explain how somebody came to be preserved by ice in the [[Alps]].

===Oldest Living Organism===

Bristlecone pine trees in California's White Mountains are the oldest living unitary organism. As predicted by the Bible, they are not as old as 6,000 years but are as old as 5,000 years,<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/US/photos/worlds-oldest-living-things-23385913/image-23386256</ref> roughly the time of the [[Great Flood]].

===False theories===
Jesus' recognition that the truth would remain hidden from arrogant "intellectuals" while simultaneously revealed to humbler, [[Essay:Quantifying Openmindedness|more openminded]] people. This foreshadowed the creation of theories to pull self-centered intellectual wannabees away from [[God]], such as the [[Theory of Evolution]], the [[Theory of Relativity]], the [[homosexual agenda]], the [[secular]] culture of [[abortion]], [[Communism]], and countless other [[liberal]] and atheistic ideas and ideologies.

===Mankind remains extant===
The Bible predicts that the end of [[mankind]] will not occur by chance, but rather at a time known only to God. Despite the extinction of many species each year throughout history, the expectation by scientists that Earth would have been hit by chance by a massive, extinction-causing meteor, and laws of probability that predict other immense catastrophes, mankind continues and Christianity grows just as Jesus predicted.

===Construction of ancient sky-high structures===

The Bible—the [[Book of Genesis]] chapter 11—explains how ancient people arrogantly sought to construct a sky-high "[[Tower of Babel]]" to try to reach [[Heaven]]. Then, in the 1900s, archaeologists discovered the great ziggurat of ancient Ur, located in present-day southern Iraq, having characteristics similar to the biblical description of the Tower of Babel.<ref>http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/BabyloniaThe_Ziggurat.htm</ref>

===Hometown of Goliath===

1 Samuel 17 of the Bible discusses the giant Goliath from a Philistine city named Gath, located in central Israel. In July 2015, archaeologists discovered its entrance in an excavation that began in 1899. They also uncovered evidence of a massive earthquake that occurred in the eighth century BC, as described in the biblical book of Amos.<ref>http://www.christiantoday.com/article/gates.to.goliaths.city.discovered/61124.htm</ref>

===Effect of Deafness on Speech===

For 2000 years after [[Christ]], scientists overlooked the close connection between hearing and speech, and the brain, and are just starting to discover this now.<ref>http://www.zdnet.com/article/deafness-can-have-unexpected-consequences-on-speech-patterns/</ref> But [[Jesus]] illustrated the connection when he cured a problem with speech primarily by opening someone's ears, after which the man "spoke plainly."<ref>Mark 7:34-35 ([[ESV]])</ref>

===Common DNA===
[[John 1-7 (Translated)#Chapter 1|John 1:3]] explains that "All things were made by Him; not one thing was made without Him." If something had been made without Him then creatures would exist that had completely different DNA from other creatures.

===Psychiatry===

[[Jesus Christ]] and [[Christianity|Christendom]] have emphasized the important of forgiveness and in the last few decades mental health specialists have increasingly seen the importance of forgiveness to alleviate anger/depression/bitterness and other emotional problems within individuals.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2755173/ Indian J Psychiatry. 2009 Apr-Jun; 51(2): 153–156. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.49459, PMCID: PMC2755173, ''Forgiveness: A note for psychiatrists'' by Prakash Gangdev]</ref>

Modern medicine now realizes that obsessing with one's past is a big cause of psychiatric problems.<ref>http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-flux/201104/5-ways-find-closure-the-past</ref> Jesus had the same insight 2000 years earlier: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the [[kingdom of God]]."<ref>Luke 9:62 ([[ESV]]).</ref>

See also: [[Atheism and anger]] and [[Atheism and bitterness]]

== The Bible and health practices ==

''See also:'' [[The Bible and health]]

Max Neuberger, writing in his "History of Medicine" states concerning the Mosaic laws:
{{cquote|The commands concern prophylaxis and suppression of epidemics, suppression of venereal disease and prostitution, care of the skin, baths,[17] food, housing and clothing, regulation of labour, sexual life, discipline of the people, etc. Many of these commands, such as Sabbath rest, circumcision, laws concerning food (interdiction of blood and pork), measures concerning menstruating and lying-in women, and those suffering from gonorrhoea, isolation of lepers, and hygiene of the camp, are, in view of the conditions of the climate, surprisingly rational.<ref name="Neuburger, Max 1910, p. 38">Neuburger, Max. History of Medicine. Oxford University Press, 1910, Vol. I, p. 38.</ref>}}

===Blood clotting on the eighth day===
In Genesis 17:12, God mandated that Abraham circumcise his sons on the 8th day after birth. In 1935, it was discovered that Vitamin K, together with prothrombin, causes blood coagulation, (important in any surgical procedure). On the 8th day, the amount of prothrombin present is elevated above 100% of normal and is therefore the only day in the male’s life in which this will be the case (normally). If surgery is to be performed, day 8 is the perfect day to do it as vitamin K and prothrombin levels are at their peak.

===Lifespan===
The Bible puts the maximum lifespan for man at 120 years (Genesis 6:3), the typical lifespan at 70 years and the typical for a good-living person at 80 years (Psalm 90:10).

Thousands of years after that was written, despite immense advances in medicine and technology, these figures remain remarkably accurate. The longest modern recorded life of a man is precisely 120 years (Shigechiyo Izumi), the average lifespan for a man is roughly 70 years, and the average for a good-living man is about 80 years.

[[Jeanne Calment]] lived to age 122, only two years past 120. She was said to have never worked and used olive oil on her skin, outliving all of her [[feminist]] counterparts.

===Oldest human ancestor===
The Bible suggests that the oldest maternal ancestor — [[Eve]] — first lived slightly more than 6000 years ago.<ref>http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/ussher.html</ref> The mutation rate of [[mitochondria]] indicates roughly the same date for the most recent common human ancestor.<ref>http://creationwiki.org/Mitochondrial_Eve_lived_only_6500_years_ago_%28Talk.Origins%29</ref>

===Anesthesia===
The first surgical operation described in the Bible was the removal of a rib from [[Adam]], which was performed by first putting Adam into an unconscious, "deep sleep-like trance."<ref>[[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)|Genesis 2:21]]</ref> This was the equivalent of anesthesia — thousands of years before anesthesia using inhaled ether was developed by William Morton in 1846. Had scientists and physicians been more [[Essay:Quantifying Openmindedness|openminded]] about Genesis 2:21 (perhaps they had considered it a miracle, and thus impossible for humans to achieve), they may have discovered anesthesia far sooner, and saved many more lives.

===Bloodletting hastens death===
At the time of Jesus and for centuries afterward, arteries and veins were thought to be filled with air, and blood was viewed as something to be used up rather than recirculate. Bloodletting—the practice of intentionally draining blood from a patient—was common medical practice through the time of [[George Washington]], hastening his death prematurely for reasons not understood until years later.<ref>http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37212.php</ref>

Most victims of crucifixion in Roman times languished on the cross for days. But the Bible describes how Pilate, who crucified many, was surprised at how quickly Jesus passed away. 2000 years later, scientific knowledge has advanced to understand that this was caused by his prior loss of blood during his scourging (being brutally whipped), a punishment typically given ''instead of'' crucifixion.

===Homosexuality and disease===
The Bible's prohibition against [[homosexuality]] predated knowledge about the [[Homosexuality and Health|many diseases and disorders associated with homosexuality]], and thus showed scientific wisdom prescient for its time.

===Eyesight===
The description in the [[Mark 1-8 (Translated)|Gospel of Mark 8:24]] for the sensation when one's eyesight is restored includes his perception of "trees walking." This perception was first confirmed nearly 2000 years later as physicians developed medical techniques for restoring eyesight.<ref>This newspaper account is not specific but describes the overall sensation of restored sight: [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-138886/Robot-eye-restore-lost-sight-20-years.html]</ref>

===Maximum human height===
Atheists thought the size of [[Goliath]] in the Bible to be absurdly large (over nine feet tall), until [[Robert Wadlow]] grew to nearly 9 feet tall and was still growing when he died at a young age in 1940.

===Leprosy===
Although leprosy is not as contagious as other infectious diseases, and some forms of it (such as tuberculoid or paucibacillary form are not contagious), Leviticus 13 and 14 set forth rules to prevent epidemics of this disease among the people of Israel. Western science did not catch up until, in 1663, such laws were introduced in America in an attempt to curb an outbreak of smallpox.

Centuries ahead of medical science, Jesus subsequently explained that leprosy was not as contagious as people thought.{needs citation}

===Hygiene===
Millennia before germ theory was proposed in the late 19th century, Leviticus 15 mandated hygiene laws that included bathing, washing of clothing, destruction of contaminated pottery and washing of hands.

In Matthew 15:2, Jesus then curbed compulsive hand-washing by explaining why it was no longer typically necessary (in a non-farming, non-medical context) with respect to man's digestive system.

===Digestive system===
It was common thought throughout history that infections and illness resulted from the digestive system, based on unclean hands or food. Jesus rejected that view, and declared hand-washing before meals to be typically unnecessary. It took many centuries before science caught up to the Bible on this.

It is part of the Jewish kosher law to not eat milk with meat. In some Jewish homes they have separate refrigerators for meat and milk products. It comes from Deuteronomy 14:21 "...Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk." There is evidence that the body has difficulty digesting both meat and milk at the same time.

Also, as part of the Jewish kosher law a pork is on the list of prohibited foods. Under cooked pork can transmit Trichinosis, a parasitic disease that can infect muscle tissue, the brain, and the central nervous system, among other [[parasite]]s and zoonotic diseases. [[Creation denial|Creation deniers]] can counter this point only with such desperate non-arguments as asking why God had to create trichinae at all and then allow them onto the [[Ark]].

=== Dietary ===
====Fetal Alcohol Syndrome====
Not discovered until 1973 by American physicians, fetal alcohol syndrome results from harm done to the unborn child in pregnancy due to the mother drinking alcohol. The Bible, thousands of years earlier, forbade the mother of [[Samson]] from drinking alcohol while pregnant, so that he could become a powerful leader:

:3The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4'''''Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink''''' and that you do not eat anything unclean. 5You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”<ref>Judges 13:3-5 (NIV).</ref>

====Animal Toxicity====
[[File:David Macht.jpg|thumbnail|right||200px|Dr. David Macht]]
In 1953 Dr. [http://www.creationwiki.org/David_Macht David Macht], a Johns Hopkins researcher, conducted toxicity tests on many different kinds of animals and fish and concluded that the toxicity of Levitically [[Mosaic law and unclean animals|"unclean" animals]] was higher than that of the [[Mosaic law and clean animals|"clean" animals]], and that the correlation with the description in Leviticus was 100%.<ref name=Macht1>Macht, David I., MD. "[http://members.dslextreme.com/users/hollymick/Macht1953.pdf An Experimental Pharmacological Appreciation of Levitcus XI and Deuteronomy XIV]." ''Bulletin of the History of Medicine'' 27(5):444-450, September–October, 1953. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>

Macht's study in terms of classifying kosher and non-kosher animals matched the kosher classification performed by James W. Atz, Ph.D., Curator and Dean Bibliographer in the Department of Ichthyology of the American Museum of Natural History, NY, NY and Adjunct Professor of Biology, Graduate School of Arts and Science on New York University. Dr. Atz's list of kosher and non-kosher animals was published by the Orthodox Union in Kosher Guide and in the Orthodox Union Kosher Consumer Directory.<ref name=Atz>Atz, James W., contrib. "[http://www.kashrut.com/articles/fish/ KASHRUT.COM - Kosher and Non-kosher fish]" Scharf Associates, 2008. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref> According to a list of kosher and non-kosher fish published by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, deciding what fish have scales, in the Orthodox Jewish community, appears to involve semantics as scales which are not visible to the human eye or scales that cannot be removed without tearing the skin are not considered "scales" in terms of the Torah law for determining which fish are kosher. It appears that Jewish religious authorities do appeal to well known Torah commentators.<ref name=Goldberg>Goldberg, Chaim. "[http://www.kashrut.com/articles/fishfaq/ Consumers’ FAQ’s on Kosher fish]." Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, 2004. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref> Also, Dr. Macht's classification of swans as kosher is in accordance with the research done at Ohr Somayach Institutions in Jerusalem, Israel.<ref name=ask1>"[http://ohr.edu/ask/ask210.htm Ask the Rabbi - Are swans kosher]?" Ohr Somayach Website, Ohr.edu, October 24, 1998. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>

Furthermore, Dr. Macht states in the peer reviewed journal ''Science'' that the toxicology test he used was a reliable method for detecting zoological toxins as it was a toxicology test sensitive to these type of toxins, and therefore one could conclude it was also suitable for testing the toxicity levels of fish, meat, and poultry.<ref name=Macht3>Macht, D.I. , Science 1930, 71 :302</ref> (The toxicological method that Dr. Macht used was also cited in the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine.<ref name=Macht2>Macht, D.I. and Macht, M.B. ''Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine'' 1941, 26: 597</ref>) In addition, Dr. Macht was an expert in cobra venom, which is a zoological toxin. Macht's conclusions, however, were challenged by three of his science community peers in a Seventh Day Adventist publication although one partially affirmed his study.<ref name=Harris>Harris, Lester E., Jr. "[https://archive.is/20070709234205/members.dslextreme.com/users/hollymick/web/ministry-1954-March-p37.htm This Question of Unclean Meats]." Ministry Magazine, March 1953, p37-38. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref> This was partly due to a likely unfamiliarity with what food is kosher and non-kosher. Also, perhaps they were unfamiliar with the toxicity test Dr. Macht used, and its apparent effectiveness in testing zoological toxins.

In the short term, eating non-kosher food often appears to have no dramatic ill effects in general. For example, the Arabs, who do not eat kosher, consider camel to be a delicacy. Clearly, non-kosher Arabs do not fall dead right after eating camel meat. However, the long term optimality of eating clean versus unclean meat is an unanswered question of science. Also, eating non-kosher foods clearly has some nutritional benefit. For example, shrimp and pork contain protein. The New Testament declares, {{Bible quote|For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.|book=1_Timothy|chap=4|verses=4-5|version=NKJV}}

In regard to the aforementioned verse, it could be argued that prayer does sanctify food. The Bible has plenty of verses regarding God's protection. Also, it could be argued that the benefits outweigh the costs in all foods and thus all food is good. Clearly there is some nutritional goodness in foods that the Torah declared unclean (for example, shrimp has protein). What foods are optimal from an empirically tested science viewpoint is often controversial. In short, in regard to eating strictly a kosher diet versus a non-kosher diet, science has no definitive answers at the present time. From a Christian theological point of view, it could be argued that food should not be an impediment to anyone making a decision to become a Christian. It should be noted that orthodox Christian believers in Biblical scientific foreknowledge believe that Christians can eat the food that was declared unclean in the Old Testament, and {{Bible ref|book=1_Timothy|chap=4|verses=4-5}} and {{Bible ref|book=Galations|chap=2|verses=7-16}} make this very clear.

In addition to the aforementioned study testing kosher and non-kosher foods for toxicity levels, Macht developed evidence indicating that combining meat and milk tended to be more toxic than either foodstuff alone.<ref name=Macht4>David I. Macht, Medical Leaves 1940; 3:174-184</ref> In addition, he compared conventional animal slaughtering versus kosher slaughtering and determined that kosher slaughtering produced less toxic meat.<ref name=Macht4/>

A 1985 study by Nanji and French found that there was a significant correlation between cirrhosis and pork consumption (Macht claimed that swine was more toxic than the animal meat the Bible called clean).<ref name=Nanji>Nanji AA, and French SW. "[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2858627&dopt=Abstract Relationship between pork consumption and cirrhosis]." ''Lancet'' 1985 Mar 23, 1(8430):681-3. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref> Modern pork production methods are different from ancient methods of raising pigs, so the result of this study might be hard to apply to the ancients or those who raise pigs by organic farming methods, without the use of hormones or antibiotics.

Jane Cahill reported in ''Biblical Archaeological Review'' that the toilets of a Jewish household in [[Jerusalem]] were examined and no [[parasite]]s or infectious agents were found.<ref name=Cahill>[http://cojs.org/cojswiki/It_Had_to_Happen,_Jane_M._Cahill,_Karl_Reinhard,_David_Tarler_and_Peter_Warnock,_BAR_17:03,_May/Jun_1991. It had to happen, Scientist Examines Ancient Bathrooms of Romans 586 B.C.] by Jane Cahill and Peter Warnock. BAR May/June 1991</ref>

Today, some "alternative medicine" practitioners do not recommend pork to their patients. Their reasons include the possible content of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides, and also the undiscriminating diet of the pig. Joseph Mercola, DO, who has a private practice in alternative general medicine, writes:{{cquote|Pigs are scavenger animals and will eat just about anything. Their appetite for less-than-wholesome foods makes pigs a breeding ground for potentially dangerous infections. Even cooking pork for long periods is not enough to kill many of the retroviruses and other parasites that many of them harbor.<ref name=Mercola>Mercola, Joseph, DO, ed. "[http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/12/are-there-deadly-superbugs-in-your-pork.aspx?source=nl Are There Deadly Superbugs In Your Pork]?" <http://www.mercola.com/>, July 12, 2008. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>}}

Dr. Mercola does not even recommend pasture-raised pork, because wild boars will often infect herds of pork with [[Trichinella spiralis]] or other parasites.<ref name=Mercola/>

===Feasibility of abiogenesis===
Although scientists dismissed ideas involving [[abiogenesis]], or the process from which life emerges from non-living material, as nothing more than archaic beliefs in [[spontaneous generation]], the Bible very clearly depicts an occurrence of this phenomenon, for beginning in Genesis 1:20, God creates life from nothing. It was not until the early 20th century that science finally began to accept the viability of abiogenesis, a view that the Bible had held for almost 2000 years, except that [[atheists]] falsely claim that abiogenesis is somehow possible without a creator. For addition information, please see [http://creation.com/origin-of-life origin of life]

===Awareness while unborn===
[[Abortion]] advocates argue that it is ok to terminate a baby while dismissing the pain inflicted by ending an innocent life. They argue that a fetus cannot feel pain because senses are incomplete. There is a heart-beating human in the womb that can feel even though still unborn and developing. In modern times, we now know the baby in the womb is alert, aware of their mother's emotions, recognizes voices, responds to stimuli and music. The Bible tells us the baby feels (1 Luke 44), ''"the babe leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice."'' The inwomb developing baby, John the Baptist, notices the presence of the unborn [[Lord]] in [[Mary]], and is excited. In addition (St. Paul to the Galatians 1:15), ''"God… from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace."'' Paul's very first thought, feeling awareness, began while unborn.

===Embalming===
[[Mark 9-16 (Translated)#Chapter 14|Mark 14:3-8]] describes an embalming process to preserve a body after death, which was not discovered in the West until 1867.

===Significance of blood===
The Old Testament teaches that the [[life]] of all flesh is its [[blood]] ({{Bible ref|book=Leviticus|chap=17|verses=13-14|version=KJV}}). Secular science remained ignorant of the properties and circulation of blood until the 17th century A.D.<ref>[http://wap.bible.org/nbw/deu12_notes.htm Net Bible: Notes] to [http://wap.bible.org/nbw/deu12.htm#1234 Deuteronomy 12:23] {{dead link}}</ref>

===Menstruation===
The Biblical laws concerning [[menstruation]], including the setting apart of the menstruating woman and the prohibition on intimacy during menstruation, address health concerns that were not known to secular science until the 20th century.<ref name="Neuburger, Max 1910, p. 38">Neuburger, Max. History of Medicine. Oxford University Press, 1910, Vol. I, p. 38.</ref> Also, modern science has only very recently discovered that following such rules dramatically reduces the rate of illegitimacy.<ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120604182027.htm How Religion Promotes Confidence About Paternity]</ref>

===Cloning and a Common X Chromosome===
{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=2|verses=21-22|version=KJV}} records that God made a [[woman]] out of one of [[Adam]]'s [[rib]]s. Secular scientists did not believe that [[cloning]] such a complex organism (apart from plants) was possible until 1997.<ref>[http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml Cloning Fact Sheet] {{dead link}}</ref> It should be noted, however, that this is not strictly 'cloning' as a clone would be identical to its original, most obviously in terms of its sex. Women can be cloned from the genetic material of men, but not the other way around, since women lack a Y chromosome. Women have the same X chromosome as men, but this was not discovered until the late 1800s. The Book of Genesis explained this thousands years earlier, describing how the first woman was created directly from man.

===Inbreeding===
Leviticus 18:7-11 elaborates in detail the relationships it regards as incestuous unions, to forbid inbreeding. Only in modern times has secular science caught up and been able to scientifically explain the harm to future generations of inbreeding.

==Cosmology==

===Distance of Oldest Star to Earth===

The Book of Genesis implies that the distance of the oldest star to Earth is how far light would travel during the age of mankind: about 6000 light-years. In 2014, a team of researchers discovered that the oldest star is indeed only 6000 light-years away.<ref>http://www.astrobio.net/pressrelease/6012/the-oldest-star-in-the-known-universe</ref>

===Planet formation===
Theories of an old universe insisted that planet formation did not occur until long after the origin of the universe, contrary to the [[Book of Genesis]]. It was not until 2012 that atheistic scientists recognized and reported that planets formed at the "dawn of the universe," within a small fraction of the universe's age.<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0330/Planets-found-at-dawn-of-universe-but-their-existence-is-a-mystery</ref>

===Extraterrestrial life===
For most of the 20th century, scientists typically believed in the existence of extraterrestrial life, despite the lack of any reference to it in the Bible. After spending many billions of dollars looking for such life, and investigating countless reports of UFOs, no such life has been found.

===Starlight Problem===
The [[Starlight Problem]] confounds atheistic theories about the universe: light has reached us from stars that are too far away to transmit the light within the age of the universe. But the Book of Genesis explains this easily: "let there be light" means that God created light, not merely stars.

===Number of stars===
The Bible repeatedly refers to the number of stars as being innumerable,<ref>''See'' Genesis 15:5, Jeremiah 33:22 and Hebrews 11:12.</ref> despite scientists insisting throughout most of history that there were only about 6000 stars. In the early 17th century [[Galileo]] turned a telescope to the heavens and discovered a great number of stars that had been previously invisible to the naked eye.<ref>http://galileo.rice.edu/lib/student_work/astronomy95/orionpleiades.html</ref>

Not until the 20th century did scientists discover the tremendous number of stars:<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/07/22/stars.survey/index.html</ref>

:There are "10 times as many stars as grains of sand on all the world's beaches and deserts," totaling "7 followed by 22 zeros or, more accurately, 70 sextillion.

But even that scientific estimate was much too low. On December 1, 2010, scientists admitted:<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/1201/Universe-might-hold-three-times-more-stars-than-previously-thought</ref>

:"a cosmic embarrassment of riches – ''the universe appears to hold three times the number of stars many [[astronomer]]s might have estimated only a year ago''."

===Uniqueness of stars===
Although the use of telescopes to chart the outer-reaches of God's heavenly creation was developed around the 16th century in Europe, the Bible accurately hypothesized that every star is unique.

"There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory"- 1 Corinthians 15:41 <ref>http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/science.shtml</ref>

===Spherical Sun and Earth===
The Book of Isaiah establishes that the true shape of the earth is a sphere:
{{cquote|He sits above the sphere of the earth, and its inhabitants look to him like grasshoppers. He stretches out the galaxies like a curtain, spreading them out like a tent to live under: - [[Isaiah 34-42 (Translated)#Chapter 40|Isaiah 40:22 (CBP]])}}

Likewise, with respect to the [[sun]], the Book of Proverbs 8:27 ([[ESV]]) states:
{{cquote|When he established the heavens, ... he drew a circle on the face of the deep}}

The Book of Isaiah was written circa the 8th century BC, and the Book of Proverbs even earlier. This was centuries before Greek philosophers, beginning with [[Pythagoras]], theorized the earth was round, and it was not discovered until 2012 that the sun is perfectly spherical. Astronomers were not able to conclude until well into the second millennium of [[Christ]] that the Earth is also a sphere.

===Earth free floating in space===
The book of Job states that God "hangs the [[Earth]] on nothing." It also contrasts with Greek Mythology's belief that [[Atlas]] holds up the Earth, or ancient Hindu and Native American myths that the Earth was on top of a gigantic turtle.

The Bible presaged the modern view that space is in fact empty, which wasn't known until the dawn of the 20th century when ether theories became disfavored.

===Cosmic Background Radiation===
[[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)|Genesis Chapter 1]] explains that God created light first, rather than merely stars. A "big bang" would result in light everywhere, without darkness, and without ripples in cosmic background radiation. Yet in the 21st century ripples were discovered in cosmic background radiation, which can only be plausibly explained by recognizing that light was created first.

===Meteoroids===
The Revelation of Saint John notes,
{{cquote|And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Revelation 8:8-9 (KJV)}}
This accurately describes meteoroids, essentially large chunks of rock lit on fire by the shock of entering the earth's atmosphere. They were not discovered until 1801, and their composition was not otherwise known until the 20th century.

===Stellar proper movement===
In [[Job]], a list of challenges are constructed in the form of questions, with the idea that man can't do it, but God can. Among these challenges, two are remarkable: one mentions the ''untying'' of Orion's belt, and the other is the ''binding'' of the Pleiades. Only recently, astronomers could measure the proper movement of those stars; Orion's belt is moving apart, with each star going in a different direction, while the Pleiades are moving together.

===Space flight===
Many theorize that the book of [[Ezekiel]] contains descriptions of spaceships and rockets, as they would have been described by someone thousands of years ago. [http://www.spaceshipsofezekiel.com/ Author Blumrich] has even published an entire book about this.

===Expanding universe===
The Bible explains, in 17 different verses, that God "stretched out" the heavens,<ref>http://www.creationists.org/God-streched-out-the-universe-bible-verses.html</ref> in other words, expanding the fabric of space-time from a smaller size to a much larger one. Scientists have discovered only in the last 100 years that, by studying the red shift of galaxies, the universe indeed appears to be expanding, or "stretching out."

==Meteorology==

===Water cycle, and the Six days of Creation Week===
The existence of the water cycle was widely unknown to pagan people's until imperial Roman times. But the Bible described the water cycle over a thousand years before that. In general, see [[Ecclesiastes]] 11:3, [[Job]] 26:8 and [[Amos]] 9:6.

There may be a more Biblically central reference to the water cycle: The reports in Genesis 1 of five things that God names (v. 5=two, v. 8=one, v. 10=two) seem to be consistent with five basic features of the geophysical half of Earth's life-support cycle. In Earth sciences, it is known that the total life-support cycle is irreducibly complex in relation to Earth's distance to the Sun, and this complexity maintained on an order of mere days' reserve: flora and fauna are interdependent, their interaction is necessary for the maintenance of the atmosphere, and if any one of those five features suddenly ceased, Earth would fail to support life in a matter of days.

==Physics==

=== Immense power within atoms alluded to in 2 Peter chapter 3 ===
[[Image:Abomb.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|The [[atomic bomb]] that was dropped on [[Hiroshima]] unleashed the equivalent of about 15 kilotons of TNT.]]
The immense power within atoms is alluded to in the Bible in 2 Peter chapter 3.<ref name="bcnn1wp.wordpress.com">[https://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/listen-breaking-prophecy-news-the-world-at-war-part-3-the-prophet-daniels-report-568-with-daniel-whyte-iii/ LISTEN: Breaking Prophecy News; The World at War, Part 3 (The Prophet Daniel’s Report #568 with Daniel Whyte III)]</ref>

Daniel White III declares:
{{Cquote|John Phillips notes that Peter’s prophecy of a great, end-times conflagration of the earth and its atmosphere uses precise terminology that accurately describes a nuclear explosion. Liddell and Scott’s Lexicon define the “elements” as “the components into which matter is divided” (or atoms), and the term “dissolved” comes from the basic Greek word meaning to “loose” that which is bound (as in nuclear fission). The term “great noise” is found nowhere else in the New Testament and signifies “a rushing sound of roaring flames.” The term “fervent heat” is derived from a Greek medical term denoting a fever. But Peter’s use of it in application to inanimate objects is the only such known usage anywhere in Greek literature. Thus, Phillips observes, “Peter describes in accurate terms the untying of the atom and the resulting rushing, fiery destruction which follows it.”<ref name="bcnn1wp.wordpress.com">[https://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/listen-breaking-prophecy-news-the-world-at-war-part-3-the-prophet-daniels-report-568-with-daniel-whyte-iii/ LISTEN: Breaking Prophecy News; The World at War, Part 3 (The Prophet Daniel’s Report #568 with Daniel Whyte III)]</ref>}}

===Impossibility of a Grand Unified Theory===
Billions of dollars and millions of hours have been wasted by scientists in futile pursuit of a "grand unified theory" for physics. But [[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)#Chapter 1|Genesis]] explains that the creation of light was done in a separate, initial creation, free of darkness or entropy, and thus incapable of theoretical unification with matter.

===Light and color===
Prior to the work of [[Isaac Newton]], white was considered to be the fundamental color of light, and other colors (such as red, green and blue) were formed by adding to white light. Under that traditional theory, the fullness of all light (a combination of all colors of light) would result in something other than pure white.

The transfiguration of Jesus is described with remarkable consistency in all three synoptic [[Gospel]]s: in the fullness of light Jesus and his clothing display an intense white, whiter than any bleach could produce. This illustrates what was not discovered and accepted until nearly 1700 years later: that white is the combination of other fundamental colors, and the purest white light is formed by a perfectly full combination (see [[Prism]]).

===Action-at-a-distance===
[[Jesus]] demonstrated [[action-at-a-distance]], as recounted in [[John 1-7 (Translated)|John 4:46-54]]. Scientists, particularly [[atheists]], denied the possibility of this phenomenon for thousands of years. When Newton proposed action-at-a-distance as the basis of gravity, scientists continued to reject it, but eventually accepted it as being true.

Later the [[Theory of Relativity]] again denied the possibility of action-at-a-distance, but [[quantum mechanics]] subsequently proved that it does occur.<ref>See also [[Counterexamples to Relativity]].</ref>

===Quantum mechanics===
The fundamental principle of [[quantum mechanics]] is that the underlying reality is in random fluctuation, or chaos, until there is intelligent observation of it. This is precisely what [[Luke 1-8 (Translated)#Luke 4:6|Luke 4:6]] reveals when it quotes the [[devil]] in saying that he has dominion over this world.

The world was an abyss of chaos at the moment of creation, as explained in the [[Book of Genesis]]. The order created by God is on a foundation of uncertainty. The discovery of this in subatomic particles in the 1900s, known as quantum mechanics, confirms the nature of the world as described in Genesis.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Chaff, Matthew 13:24-30, describes a fundamental uncertainty that does not resolve itself until there is observation over time. The authenticity of a simpler explanation of this parable at Matthew 13:36-43 has been challenged. The parable may refer to a profound and pervasive chaotic struggle between good and evil, or in quantum mechanics the uncertainty in position and energy.

====Observation of the wave function====
The second chapter of the [[Gospel of John]] describes the conversion of water into wine by [[Jesus]] at a wedding reception. [[John 1-7 (Translated)#Chapter 2|John 2:9]] states: "When the host of the wedding feast tasted the water, it had been made into wine." This passage implies that the drink was not wine until it had been tasted, or observed. The drink was a superposition of the state of wine and the state of water until it was observed as wine.

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus draws a then-unusual distinction between what is fixed and what is uncertain by declaring, "Whatever you make binding on earth will be binding in heaven, and whatever you set loose on earth will be set loose in heaven."<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Matthew_10-19_%28Translated%29&oldid=870778#Chapter_16</ref> This may describe the fundamental uncertainty that continues unless and until there is human observation that then causes the wave function to collapse into a particular ("bound") state.

====Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle====
Both the Old and New Testaments refer to a fundamental [[uncertainty]] that requires observation to resolve, akin to the [[Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle]] discovered in the 1920s:

* "The earth came to exist in an utterly formless and empty state." -- [[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)|Genesis 1:2]].
* "The master refusing to order the removal of the weeds sowed among the wheat because of the uncertainty in distinguishing between the two until later." -- [[Matthew 10-19 (Translated)|Matthew 13:24-30]].

====Wave-particle duality====
Wave-particle duality, not discovered by scientists until the 20th century, is when something is sometimes a wave and sometimes a particle. Subatomic particles have wave-particle duality; so does light.

This is the same as God being a "wave" as the [[Holy Spirit]], and also being matter in the form of [[Jesus]]. A open-minded appreciation of the wave-particle duality of the [[Trinity]] could have opened the eyes of scientists nearly 2000 years sooner to the fundamental wave-particle duality of nature discovered in the 1900s.

Wave-particle duality is also evident in the [[Gospel]] account of Jesus walking on water: [[Mark 1-8 (Translated)|Mark 6:45-54]]. A close reading of the passage reveals the wave-like (or light-like) characteristic of the walking on water:<ref>[[Mark 1-8 (Translated)|Mark 6:48-49]] (italics added).</ref>
{{cquote|he walked on the surface of the lake and came to the boat, ''nearly passing it''. But when they saw him walking on water, they thought it must have been ''a ghost'', and cried out.}}
Even today a more open-minded recognition of the truth of the [[Trinity]] would help scientists understand the reality of wave-duality.

====Quantum tunneling====
[[Quantum tunneling]] is the ability of particles to move through energy barriers even though ostensibly impossible based on classical laws of mechanical physics. This was not discovered by scientists until the 20th century.

Jesus proved this was possible in [[John 15-21 (Translated)#Chapter 20|John 20:26]], when he appeared before the [[Apostles]] in a closed room with completely shut doors.

===Classical relativity===
Romans 10:6-7: But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7"or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

Equating ascending into heaven to bringing Christ down is an example of the fact that there is no universal reference frame, and only relative speeds matter.

===Modern relativity===
The [[Theory of Relativity]] denies the possibility of action-at-a-distance. But several passages in the Bible, such as [[John 1-7 (Translated)|John 4:46-54]] and [[Matthew 20-28 (Translated)|Matthew 27:51]], describe simultaneous actions from afar.

The list of [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] has grown recently, and modern experiments in quantum mechanics have confirmed action-at-a-distance.

===Second Law of Thermodynamics===
The [[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)|Book of Genesis]] states that the darkness or chaos in the universe can never overcome the light, or order. This same concept was not discovered in physics until the development of the [[Second Law of Thermodynamics]], which holds that heat (or order or light) always travels in the direction of cold (or disorder or darkness), and never in the opposite direction.

[[Epistle to the Hebrews (Translated)#1:10-11|Hebrews 1:10-11]] explains that the universe shall "wear out" like a "garment", centuries before the discovery of the physical law that [[entropy]] is always increasing.

===Nature of air===
Until about 300 years ago, common knowledge believe that the air was "empty" and didn't weigh anything. But [[Job]] 28:25 states, "To establish a '''weight''' for the wind, And apportion the waters by measure" indicating that the divinely inspired author knew the air had substance and weight.

===Conservative forces===
James 1:17 describes the electromagnetic forces (light) as having no "shadow of turning." Not understood for nearly 2000 years, this predicts that electromagnetic forces are [[conservative]] such that their [[line integrals]] over a closed loop are zero.

==Mathematics==
''See main article: [[Math and the Bible]]''
===Zero===
Mathematicians in Western Europe did not discover [[zero]] until many centuries after the Bible was written. But there are hundreds of references to the concept of zero throughout the Bible.

=== Uncountable Sets ===

The existence of an uncountable set was not known in mathematics until [[Georg Cantor]] developed it in a paper published in 1891. But the so-called (and misnamed) [[Epistle to the Hebrews (Translated)#12:22|Epistle to the Hebrews]], which was possibly written by [[Jesus]], explains that the number of angels is uncountable.

===Banach-Tarski Paradox===
The only miracle described in all four [[Gospels]] is the multiplication of loaves and fish by Jesus, thought for thousands of years to be a mathematical and physical impossibility. But the 20th century discovery of the so-called [[Banach-Tarski Paradox]] proved a mathematical basis for creating identical copies of an object out of no extra material.

===Axiomatization of Arithmetic===
The full set of axioms for integer arithmetic may be found in the Bible. For example, [[Luke 9-16 (Translated)|Luke 12:52]] is a striking statement of the commutative law for addition: "For from this point forward there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three." This understanding presaged both later attempts at the axiomatization of arithmetic by Peano and the development of [[abstract algebra]] in the 19th and 20th centuries.

===Infinity===
Most thinkers scoffed at the concept of [[infinity]] for thousands of years, despite it being referenced in the Bible in many ways. See, e.g., Psalm 147:4-6 (God's "understanding is infinte"); [[Matthew 20-28 (Translated)#20:1|Matthew 20:1-14]] ([[parable]] of the wages for the workers in the vineyard); Matthew 16:26 (one's soul has an infinite value to him, and nothing else can be worth more).

But [[Georg Cantor]], deeply inspired by [[Christianity]], established a logical foundation for infinity that revolutionized all of mathematics as a result, with his development of [[set theory]] to accomplish his goal.

===Calculus===
The Bible emphasizes the importance of limits as a key distinction between this world and God; Calculus consists of relying on limits to derive useful results.<ref>[http://www.aiias.edu/ict/vol_27/27cc_225-239.htm Norie Grace Rivera-Poblete: "''God and Calculus''"], Institute for Christian Teaching Education Department of [[Seventh-day Adventist]], Prepared for the 27th International Faith and Learning Seminar held at Mission, Muak Lek Saraburi, Thailand December 3 – 15, 2000</ref>

James 1:17 states that the first and second derivatives of God's light (truth) is zero, more than 1600 years before calculus was discovered: "with [God] there is no variation or shadow of turning."<ref name="Shadow%252525252525252520of%252525252525252520Turning">[http://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/no-variation-or-shadow-of-turning-calculus-in-the-bible/ Nathan Albright: ''"No Variation Or Shadow Of Turning: Calculus In The Bible"''], Blog-Entry, Feb 24, 2011</ref>

===Arithmetic with Negative Numbers===

Negative numbers were not fully accepted by mathematicians until the 1800s,<ref>http://nrich.maths.org/5961</ref> including how a negative number dominates the result in multiplication with a positive number, to yield a negative outcome. Yet Jesus' parable of the sower and the seed, in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-8, and Luke 8:4-8, explained the same effect nearly 2000 years earlier.

=== Indeterminacy ===

The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God is "unsearchable". See Job 5:9 (God "does great things and unsearchable"); Job 26:1 ("God's Majesty Is Unsearchable"); Job 36:26 ("Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.") Psalm 145:3 ("Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable."); Proverbs 25:3 ("As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable."); Isaiah 40:28 ("Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable."); Romans 11:33 ("Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!")' Ephesians 3:8 ("to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ").<ref>All quotations are to the ESV of the Bible.</ref>

John 1:1 teaches that logic is part of God, and thus logic itself must also be "unsearchable". For many decades the finest mathematicians thought that the consistency of logic could be proven, until [[Kurt Godel]] (himself a frequent reader of the Bible) proved the indeterminacy, or "unsearchability", of mathematics.

==Sociology==

===Trolls===

The existence of malicious trolls on the internet is difficult to understand, until one reads Matthew 13:24-30 - the Parable of the Wheat and the Chaff.

===Crime===
Mark 4:22 says how nothing can be hid, neither can anything be kept secret. Empirical statistics show that the vast majority of crimes worldwide are solved.

==Zoology==

===Morality of animals===
[[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)|Genesis 3:1-10]] explains that only humans understand good and evil, and clothe themselves because of it. Repeatedly scientists have attempted to demonstrate that animals can understand morality also, but every attempt has failed. No animal (other than humans) has ever been found that clothes itself. However, as limited case, animals do demonstrate altruistic behavior.

===Existence of dinosaurs===
[[Dinosaur]] fossils were not discovered until the 19th century, but the book of Job describes enormous creatures called behemoth and leviathan, the descriptions being similar to dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. It may also have referred to another similarly giant now-extinct species. Other dinosaur like creatures mentioned are the cockatrice and satyr <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp</ref>

===Killing methods of lions===
Until the 1970s naturalists believed that lions killed their prey by biting through the neck or by breaking the neck with a swat of a paw, while the Bible says that lions suffocated their prey. (Nahum 2:12) It was not until the 1970s that it was discovered that the [[Bible]] was correct.<ref>http://ed5015.tripod.com/BLions87.htm</ref> Lions fit their mouth over the mouth and nose of their prey and hold it while it suffocates, in addition to other killing methods.

===Giant sea creatures and Jonah===
The [[Jonah (Translated)|Book of Jonah]] describes his survival in the belly of a giant sea creature for 2.5 to 3 days. Scientists declared this to be impossible due to powerful stomach acids that quickly break down any material and the lack of breathable air inside marine animals.

In 2010, scientists found the following materials intact in the belly of a gray whale that had died after being stranded on a Northwest beach:<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/19/pair-sweat-pants-garbage-beached-whales-stomach/</ref>

*a pair of sweat pants
*a golf ball
*over 20 plastic bags
*small towels
*duct tape
*surgical gloves

Of course, many sea creatures have gone extinct in the thousands of years since Jonah lived.

===Gender of worker ants===
Proverbs 6:6-8 correctly states the sex of worker [[ant]]s (female), using the correct one of the two [[Grammar#Gender|grammatical genders]] available in Biblical [[Hebrew]]. Secular entomologists would not discover that fact until the 19th century.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rzwSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA6&dq=ant+undeveloped+female+worker+date:1700-1850&lr=&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES#v=onepage&q&f=false The study of medicine, Volume 5 By John Mason Good]</ref>

=== Harvester ants ===

19th century [[Europe]]an naturalists were wrong about [[ant]] behavior - namely the issue of ants/harvesting (Harvester ants). The Bible was correct about ant behavior.<ref>http://ed5015.tripod.com/BWilliamsvsAnon71to73.htm</ref>

=== Hearing and snakes ===

The scientific consensus and the ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' both indicated that snakes can't hear.<ref>[http://creation.com/snake-charming-and-bible-accuracy Charmed, I’m sure!] by Calvin Smith</ref><ref>[http://ed5015.tripod.com/BCobra94.htm The Cobra and the Bible]</ref> The Bible said that snakes can hear. 21st century research showed that snakes can hear.

=== Vegetarian lion ===

The prophet Isaiah says that there will be a time when the [[lion]] will lay down with the lamb and the lion will eat straw like the ox (Isaiah 11:7 and 65:25). There was a vegetarian lion named Little Tyke that refused to eat meat.<ref name="The lion who would not eat meat">[http://creation.com/the-lion-that-wouldnt-eat-meat The lion who would not eat meat]</ref>
[[File:8790lion-wont-eat-meat.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|There was a vegetarian lion named Little Tyke that refused to eat meat.<ref name="The lion who would not eat meat">[http://creation.com/the-lion-that-wouldnt-eat-meat The lion who would not eat meat]</ref>]]
David Catchpoole wrote at the website of [[Creation Ministries International]]:
{{Cquote|From 1946 to 1955, A female African lion, born and raised in America, lived her entire lifetime of nine years without ever eating meat.1 In fact, her owners, Georges and Margaret Westbeau,2 alarmed by scientists’ reports that carnivorous animals cannot live without meat, went to great lengths to try to coax their unusual pet (‘Little Tyke’) to develop a taste for it. They even advertised a cash reward for anyone who could devise a meat-containing formula that the lioness would like. The curator of a New York zoo advised the Westbeaus that putting a few drops of blood in Little Tyke’s milk bottle would help in weaning her, but the lioness cub refused to touch it—even when only a single drop of blood had been added.

The more knowledgeable animal experts among the many visitors to the Westbeaus’ 100 acre (40 hectare) ranch also proffered advice, but nothing worked. Meanwhile, Little Tyke continued to do extremely well on a daily diet of cooked grain, raw eggs and milk. By four years of age she was fully grown and weighed 352 pounds (160 kg)...

Mr Westbeau’s observation of the lioness that ‘To condition her stomach she would spend an hour at a time eating the succulent tall grass in the fields’, is also a vivid reminder of the prophecies of Isaiah 11:7 and 65:25, ‘ … the lion will eat straw like the ox.’<ref name="The lion who would not eat meat">[http://creation.com/the-lion-that-wouldnt-eat-meat The lion who would not eat meat]</ref>}}

==Linguistics==
[[File:The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563.jpg|thumb|350px|The Tower of Babel by [[Pieter Bruegel the Elder]], 1563.]]
===Common descent theory===
The [[theory of evolution]] suggests that all languages are descended from a common ancestral language, and for a century (1860 to about 1960) scientists clung to that view. But now most linguists identify many different families of languages that have no common ancestor, just as described in Genesis 11 with the [[Tower of Babel]].

===Earliest Hebrew writings===
Skeptics have claimed that [[Hebrew]] writing did not exist before the 6th century B.C. But a recent Israeli archaeological dig dated four centuries earlier, in the 10th century B.C., included an artifact found at Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Elah Valley. This artifact contained a written inscription in Hebrew relating to "slaves, widows and orphans." Haifa University Professor Gershon Galil noted that this disproves the theory that the Bible could not have been written before the 6th century.<ref>http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2010/01/08/Bible-may-be-centuries-older-than-thought/UPI-21171262997765/</ref>

==Economics==
===Poverty===
Jesus stated that there will always be poverty,<ref>See Mark 14:7, Matthew 26:11 and John 12.8.</ref> yet [[liberals]] repeatedly insist that poverty can be eliminated with more government spending. Every attempt to eliminate poverty has failed just as Jesus predicted. In 1991 [[Ronald Coase]] won a [[Nobel Prize]] in [[Economics]] for the [[Coase Theorem]], which implies that government attempts to reduced poverty will interfere with efficient operation of the economy, and thereby reduce wealth.

===Socialism and Capitalism===
Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 says that [[capitalism]] is a gift from God:

"Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God give the him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God."

Similarly, Ecclesiastes 6:1-2 condemns [[socialism]]:

"There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease."

==Government and Politics==
''See also [[Biblical political foreknowledge]]''

===Nation-state===
Ancient Israel, as described in the [[Old Testament]], was a [[nation-state]] and that model was not utilized again until thousands of years later, well after the Renaissance in Western Europe. This model of a nation-state has become the modern standard worldwide.

===Separation of Powers===
The separation of powers adopted successfully by the [[U.S. Constitution]] in 1787, with the legislative, executive, and judicial branches having separate authority and jurisdiction, was first described in the Old Testament.<ref>See Jeremiah 17:19 and Isaiah 33:22.</ref>

===Liberal influence on the media===
The Third [[Three Temptations of Christ|Temptation of Christ]] is to bow down and worship the [[Satan]] in exchange for becoming ruler of the world. The media plays that role and its influence is predictably liberal and anti-[[Christian]].

==Engineering==
Biblical scientific foreknowledge about these engineering developments has been proposed:<ref>http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2191</ref>
{{cquote|automobiles (Joel 2:3-4); airplanes (Isaiah 31:5, also 40:31); submarines (Revelation 9:1-11); radio (Ecclesiastes 10:20); and television (Revelation 11:3-12)}}
Classical photography, using negative imaging, was predated by the [[Shroud of Turin]] with respect to the imaging on the Shroud likely due to the light of the [[Resurrection]]. The Shroud ([[Greek]]: σινδών - sindón) is mentioned in three Gospels: Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, Luke 23:53, while John 20:5-7 talks about a face cloth or napkin ([[Greek]]: σουδάριον - soudárion - perhaps the [[Sudarium of Oviedo]]), and a piece of fine linen ([[Greek]]: ὀθόνιον - othonion). The description by the eyewitness John implies that his sighting of the Shroud may have confirmed his [[faith]], though he doesn't mention its photograph-like image.<ref>John Calvin, who opposed the Catholic Church, wrote a book in 1543 criticizing all material evidence of Jesus and the martyrs. In it he claimed that because the negative image on the Shroud is not described in the Gospels, it must not be authentic. [[John Calvin]]: ''Traité des Reliques'', Geneve 1543, translated by Valerian Krasinski: ''A treatise on Relics'', Edingburgh 1854</ref>

==Alleged "contradictions"==
Biblical scientific foreknowledge is an underpinning of creation science, and is widely credited by Christian scientists and apologists, including the organizations [[Creation Ministries International]],<ref>http://creation.com/modern-medicine Creation Ministries International on "Modern" Medicine</ref> [[Answers in Genesis]],<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v17/i1/medicine.asp Answers in Genesis on "Modern" Medicine</ref> and [[CreationWiki]].<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible Scientific Foreknowledge]</ref>

Atheists and liberals unsuccessfully attempt to discredit the Bible based on science. Here are some examples:

===Value of Pi===
Two sections of the Bible (1 Kings 7, 23-26, 2 Chronicles, 4, 2-5) appear to indicate that the correct value of [[Pi]] is 3, whereas Pi is, in fact, an irrational number, equalling approximately 3.14159. Atheists, including [[Sam Harris]] and [[Richard Dawkins]], allege that this value indicates the fallacious nature of scripture.<ref>[http://richarddawkins.net/articles/139 The Richard Dawkins Foundation, ''Reply to a Christian'', Sam Harris -]</ref> However, a simple explanation of the claimed "contradiction" is that the Bible records the ratio of the actual object which Hiram created, not that of a mathematical [[sphere]]. The claim that it was round all about does not equate to a claim that it was a perfect sphere, as atheists have claimed.<ref>''Theology'', Volume 59, Issues 427-438, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (Great Britain), London, 1956, p. 23</ref>

Additionally, Pi to one significant digit is 3. Just because the measurement is given to only one significant digit, that does not mean it was precisely that amount.<ref>There are no instances in the Bible where fractions are used.</ref> Of course, since Pi is an irrational number, it would be impossible to give a truly precise measurement. Since decimal notation was not in use in Biblical times, there was no way to express Pi to greater accuracy in the language of the day.

===Bat as a bird===
A favorite [[evolutionist]] canard is that [[Leviticus 10-18 (Translated)#Chapter 11|Leviticus 11:13-19]] labels the [[bat]], a [[mammal]], as a [[bird]]. The [[KJV]] translation of "fowl" is simply incorrect, as the Hebrew term '' 'owph'' did not entail the "clade" of birds, but was a non-scientific category simply referring to ''any'' winged creature. A popular Jewish translation, used to explain the laws of keeping kosher, translates the term as "winged flying things."

===Rabbits, coneys, and cud===
In [[Leviticus 10-18 (Translated)#Chapter 11|Leviticus 11:5-6]], the Bible states, {{cquote|And the coney ''(or hyrax)'', because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.}} While rabbits do not, in fact, regurgitate food and re-chew it, they have the same jaw motions as animals that do<ref>http://carm.org/bible-difficulties/genesis-deuteronomy/do-badger-and-rabbit-chew-cud</ref> and thus appeared as cud-chewing to the Jews of Moses's time. Atheists and liberals love to misrepresent this passage only because they are in [[liberal denial]] of the truth.

===Number of legs of insects===
In [[Leviticus 10-18 (Translated)#Chapter 11|Leviticus 11:20-23]], the Bible states, {{cquote|All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.
Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the
grasshopper after his kind.

But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.}}While this may appear to indicate that insects have four legs (they have six), the passage is in fact referring to the manner in which the grasshopper moves. Grasshoppers have large back legs mainly used for jumping, and not for walking, which is when it uses its smaller four front legs. Thus, the ancient Hebrews were just describing things as they saw them, not according to scientific nomenclature.

==See also==
*[[Essay:Rebuttal to Biblical scientific foreknowledge]]
*[[Biblical political foreknowledge]]
*[[Christianity and Science]]
*[[The Bible]]
*[[Evolution]]
*[[Atheism]]
*[[Prodigal Son]]

==External links==
*[http://www.creationwiki.org/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Biblical scientific foreknowledge] by [[CreationWiki]]
*[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/10/scientific-consensus-and-evolutionary.html Jesus vs. the scientific consensus and evolution. Jesus wins!]
* "Ten of the Top Scientific Facts in the Bible", Living Waters Films with Ray Comfort. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2sMJMXDiH4]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Creationism]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Liberal Denial]]

{{Creation vs. evolution}}