Our Rationale—Why Fact “Keepers”

This page outlines our basic rationale for the creation of this site. You can help by contributing content you feel is important to this frameworks of ideas.

American politics has always been strongly influenced by propaganda from all sides, but over the past 40 years there has arisen a concerted, well-funded and effective effort to discredit liberal values and weaken efforts to promote those values and act upon them. So-called “conservative”[1] commentators and news services have poured out a flood of lies far and wide which, among other things, have produced a political atmosphere that made possible the election in 2016 of a sociopathic con artist.

As president, Trump posed a clear danger to democracy in the US by his disregard of norms of presidential behavior and of legal precedents regarding limitations on presidential power, by his support of foreign influence in US elections, by his “Big Lie” about the outcome of the 2020 election, and ultimately by his incitement of an armed and violent insurrection on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump also strengthened the hand of Vladimir Putin, arguably the greatest menace to peace in the world community, while weakening Putin’s opponents by diminishing US international influence and attempting to de-fund NATO.

Grave as they are, those dangers are not the greatest threats currently faced by America and the world. There are five in particular which are, or border upon, existential:

1. Global climate change
2. The increasing wealth gap
3. Environmental degradation
4. Money-driven corruption of the political process and of government
5. “Us vs. Them” mentality, often manifested as racism

Each of these threats has grown more ominous over the past four decades, with “conservatives” blocking efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and safeguard the environment while passing laws that exacerbate the wealth gap, empower wealthy and vested interests with ever greater influence in government, and suppress minority votes, and, therefore, minority rights to justice and equal opportunity.

The liberal movement is certainly not perfect, but it is nonetheless the political force with the greatest chance of putting American government on a track that could significantly reduce the danger of the above five threats and improve the game of life on Earth. Liberals generally embrace beliefs and actions that would

1. Reduce CO2 emissions towards the goal of net zero carbon economies by the use of clean energy sources and sustainable agricultural and industrial practices.
2. Distribute wealth across the population through 1) tax policies which ensure that those who benefit the most from government services and societal structure provide the most financial support to those services and that structure, 2) higher wages to lift families out of poverty, and 3) pro-innovation and business policies that foster growth of a high-standard of living middle class
3. Actively regulate manufacturing, agricultural, energy-production, and waste disposal operations so as to support the ability of the natural environment to support human life and diverse ecosystems.
4. Generate laws and active oversight that prevent wealthy individuals and organizations with vested interests from influencing politicians and government to tilt the commercial and legal landscape in their own favor.
5. Promote adoption of diversity, equity and inclusion policies by government, business and education entities so as to make opportunity and justice equally available to all.

The purpose of Fact Keepers is simple—to provide individuals who share the above objectives with information that can be used to 1) expose the lies of those who advocate for destructive and anti-democratic policy and actions, and 2) promote liberal values and the good works of liberals. The articles and memes you will find on the site are all easily shareable, and we encourage you to add to them by uploading proposed new content on our contributors page.

Last, but certainly not least, Facts—out affinity for them. Where did the concept of Factkeepers come from? It was probably Kellyanne Conway’s fault when she coined the phrase “alternative facts” as a description for Trump’s outright lies. Facts are funny things. By themselves they have no way be being valued or ranked for importance. To understand the weight of facts they have to be compared to other facts and contrasted to falsehoods. Facts in other words have to be evaluated.

That’s where Factkeepers comes in. We like facts and feel that we can nurture them and keep them alive by giving them perspective. The fact that 2777 people died of COVID-19 as a piece of data is a fact and is true. What gives it perspective is the other facts around that datum: those people all died on one day, January 21, 2022. “Alternative” ideas about the pandemic are still being produced everyday. “It is just a flu.” “Vaccines are evil.” These are not facts, but people believe them. We try to illustrate and shed light on why. There are facts that explain stupidity too.

Lives depend on facts and understanding them.

We appreciate your support.

[1] In all likelihood traditional conservatives would not embrace the encouragement of hatred and resentment that the new conservative movement is built on. Hence the quotes.