THE USA

The third presidential debate yesterday, was arguably the one most focused on policy. There were a number of questions on set topics. These topics were: The Supreme Court; Immigration; The Economy; Fitness To Be President; Foreign Hotspots; National Debt; and Closing Statements (which the candidates did not expect).

SUPREME COUIRT

Hillary Clinton said that the issue was what kind of country the USA should be? She mentioned women's rights and LGBT. On abortion, she believed it was a woman's choice. Donald Trump said he supported the 2^nd Amendment, was proud of the NRA's endorsement, and was pro-life. He believed it was wrong to terminate a pregnancy close to 9 months.

IMMIGRATION

Trump said that the USA needed strong borders and that amnesties were a disaster. He pledged to get the criminal illegal immigrants out and reiterated the need for a wall. Clinton prioritized keeping families together, and wanted a path to citizenship for 'undocumented people', of whom she said there were 11 million.

In response to a direct question from the modulator about a previous statement of wanting an 'open hemisphere' including open borders, Clinton launched into an attack on the Russian president, Putin, who she claimed was trying to help Trump. The debate on immigration ended with an argument about who was to be most trusted on nuclear weapons and the importance of defence alliances.

Clinton did not properly answer the questions put to her and sought to distract the debate onto other issues by churning out allegations against Trump and Putin.

THE ECONOMY

Clinton said that 'when the middle class thrives, America thrives' and that her economic proposals would create 10 million new jobs whereas she accused that Trump's proposals would lose 3 million jobs. Clinton said that her proposals would not add 'a penny' to the debt.

Trump described Clinton as a disaster, that the Democrats had doubled the national debt, and that jobs were 'being sucked out of the economy' due to bad trade deals. He pointed out that the US growth rate was very low and that there was a need to get it up. He said that the USA's growth rate was around 1%, compared with 8% for India and 7% for China.

Clinton no longer denied ever having been in favour of the Trans Pacific Partnership, and said that she opposed it now and would do so as president. She said she would not tolerate Chinese dumping of steel, and would appoint a trade prosecutor to enforce trade agreements. Trump pointed out that she had been in power for 30 years and that if she meant it she would already have done it.

Clinton ended the debate by accusing Trump of racial discrimination in his businesses and how she supported women's rights whereas Trump was insulting to women.

FITNESS TO BE PRESIDENT

Trump pointed out that the recent claims from a number of women made against him were false and their stories had been debunked. He criticized Clinton for causing trouble and using rioters and false allegations.

Clinton said that Trump believed the belittling women made him bigger, had been insulting to women and that this was who Trump is. She declared that the USA was great because it is good and that there was a need to stand up against Trump.

Trump countered that Clinton had broken the law when she deleted 33,000 emails, had lied to the FBI and had run a crooked campaign.

Clinton attacked Trump referring to Trump's comments about some Muslim parents (Khans who Clinton had promoted), John McCain, a judge, and his comments about women. She said this was a pattern and was not who America is.

Trump countered by saying that the Clinton Foundation, which Clinton described as a world renowned charity, was a disreputable enterprise that had done a lot of harm in Haiti, was being used to fund Clinton and her campaign, and, despite all Clinton's talk of LGBT and women's rights, was grubbing up monies from Saudi Arabia where homosexuals risked being killed and women were treated very badly.

FOREIGN HOTSPOTS

There was a debate about Iraq and Syria. Clinton committed that US troops would not be deployed in Iraq. Trump said that he believed Iran was a danger and was gaining dominance in Iraq.

Trump said that the USA did not know who the rebels in Syria are. He pointed out the threat posed by allowing in Syrian refugees who were extremists and wanted a safe haven in the Middle East to accommodate them. Clinton said that the US should not let in unvetted people and considered Muslim communities in the US to be in the front line in the fight against extremism.

NATIONAL DEBT

It was pointed out by the moderator that at 77% of GDP, the national debt was the highest it has ever been since WWII.

Trump said that with faster growth of 5-6% and by taking negotiating better trade deals the USA would be better able to fund its spending and bring the debt down. Clinton said that the wealthy needed to pay more and of the need to rebuild the middle class.

Clinton accused Trump of criticizing Ronald Reagan's trade deals, which Trump readily accepted. He said he spoke out because he considered them to be bad deals and he had been proven right.

Trump said there was an urgent need to replace Obamacare, which he said was quickly running out of funds and premiums were already rocketing. Clinton said there was a need for more funding, would tax the wealthy, and committed that there would be no reduction in benefits.

CLOSING STATEMENTS

Clinton said that she was reaching out to everyone and would stand up against powerful interests.

Trump said there was a need for change and promised to make 'America Great Again'.

The outcome of the debate was that Trump had held his own and had shown considerable knowledge of the key issues in contention. Clinton did not have a monopoly on wisdom – despite what she likes to pretend.

The English Rights Campaign will pick up on some matters. To deal immediately with Trump's comment about not knowing who the Syrian rebels are, the favoured group for the West is the Free Syrian Army. This group has received funding from Western countries. Even so, it has virtually ceased to exist not least because of a failure to expand its size and due to defections to other Islamist groups who then benefited from Western weaponry.

In March 2013, the extent of the barbarity of the Syrian civil war was demonstrated by the rebel commander Khaled al Hamad (also known as Abu Sakkar) of the Free Syrian Army who was videoed eating the heart and liver of a dead Syrian soldier. Hamad said: 'I swear to God, you soldiers of Bashar, you dogs, we will eat from your hearts and livers! O heroes of Bab Amr, you slaughter the Alawites and take out their hearts to eat them!' He was not disciplined. These are the moderates.

There was no mention of Clinton's 'basket of deplorables' assertion. This was highly convenient for Clinton. Unlike tittle-tattle of what Trump might have said many years ago, this was a statement of political intent by Clinton. It is a reflection of her politics and the type of policies she will pursue. When she speaks of America being good and who America is, she means political correctness. Her deplorables statement is what she means by being good. She holds tens of millions of ordinary Americans in open contempt and believes others should do likewise.

Trump made an important point about the Clinton Foundation being funded by the Saudis. Despite her proclamations of wanting women's and LGBT rights, such does not prevent Clinton from grubbing up monies from some of the most backward and anti-LGBT and anti-women's rights regimes around. She is hypocritical.

Clinton's economic policy is focused more on taxing the wealthy than on increasing the productive capacity of the US economy. She is evasive and backtracking on her commitment to the various trade deals with which she is associated. Trump has consistently demanded trade reform as a means of revitalizing the US economy. He is determined to increase the US growth rate. Clinton regards the trade issue as an embarrassment and is not to be trusted at all.

Clinton's track record, her deplorables attack on ordinary Americans, her commitment to a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, and that fact that she changed the topic in the debate all show that she is untrustworthy regarding immigration. Trump has remained consistent in his determination to build his wall and stop illegal immigration.

For those who wish to 'Make America Great Again', then The Donald remains the one to vote for.