This is the 14th year that PolitiFact has handed out it's lie of the year winner. This year, it's Putin's series of lies justifying his attack on Ukraine. He had plenty of help from Americans such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. I thought it'd be a separate thread rather than combine with existing Ukraine thread because I've included a link to its past winners, from death panels to 'you can keep your doctor' to the Jan. 6 riot. But, first, this year's winner: PolitiFact - Lie of the Year 2022: Putin’s lies to wage war and conceal horror in Ukraine PolitiFact - They were whoppers: A look back at PolitiFact’s Lies of the Year, 2009 to 2021
It's interesting to me to look back at some of the previous lies of the year to see how time and further disclosures have either amplified or muted the significance of what PolitiFact at the time classified as the Lie of the Year. It underscores the basic problem we face which is trust in our institutions and media has been significantly damaged by lies and manipulative propaganda.
I don't have an opinion one way or the other on Politifact's choice except that I don't trust Politifact they are definitely a left leaning source and tend to choose stories and facts accordingly.
Politifact is not very truthful. They are shoddy writers that do hardly any investigative journalism. Here's an excerpt from an article dated March 2018: Commentary: Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem | Reuters So Politifact is nothing more than a far-left propaganda site. All you have to do is research 15 minutes and find all sorts of facts about Ukraine's neo nazi problem.
There were some Politifact's other lies of the year. You think these are examples of a left-leaning bias? 2013: 'If you like your health care plan, you can keep it' 2011: ‘Republicans voted to end Medicare
That's definitely a lie by Putin. Had he not just said, "Ukraine will not become part of NATO because I do not want the American military on my border," then it wouldn't be the lie of the year.
The American military is already on his border in the Baltics, Poland, Japan, Turkey, Norway, and soon to be Finland. And Ukraine was not getting ready to be admitted to NATO. His war is strictly for conquest. Every other reason was just an excuse.
Item 1: since 1990 NATO has expanded by 16 countries and moved 1,000 km East. Item 2: Biden, Blinken and Austin have voiced out loud the US’ long-standing aim of regime-changing Putin and weakening Russia. But Putin’s a hothead.
I've noticed how much more difficult it is to find negative info about the Democrats than it is Republicans by doing searches on Politifact. But if you don't want to take my word here are just a couple of opinions from sites you seem to trust. PolitiFact Media Bias Rating PolitiFact - Wikipedia An independent 2013 analysis from the nonpartisan Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University showed results consistent with the findings of the aforementioned 2011 study, concluding that PolitiFact was three times as likely to rank statements from Republicans as “Pants on Fire,” and twice as likely to rank statements from Democrats as “Entirely True.” The disparity in these evaluations came despite roughly equally attention paid to statements made by representatives of the two parties: 50.4 percent for the GOP, versus 47.2 percent for the Democrats, with 2.4 percent attention paid to statements from independents.[56] I trust Spider.
If he had made that argument, while still untrue given the actual borders, it would have made his pre-War negotiations that much stronger, if not compelling. He has changed his theme for invasion so many times that people can’t keep track. Putin cares not for truth, he cares only for political messaging. It’s the very essence of his training.
