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Liberals want to blame rightwing 'misinformation' for our problems. Get real

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  • Liberals want to blame rightwing 'misinformation' for our problems. Get real

    He makes great points, and recognizes that there is a liberal push to censor, even if they try to figure out ways to soften the terminology:

    Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/19/rightwing-misinformation-liberals

    One day in March 2015, I sat in a theater in New York City and took careful notes as a series of personages led by Hillary Clinton and Melinda Gates described the dazzling sunburst of liberation that was coming our way thanks to entrepreneurs, foundations and Silicon Valley. The presentation I remember most vividly was that of a famous TV actor who rhapsodized about the wonders of Twitter, Facebook and the rest: “No matter which platform you prefer,” she told us, “social media has given us all an extraordinary new world, where anyone, no matter their gender, can share their story across communities, continents and computer screens. A whole new world without ceilings.”

    Six years later and liberals can’t wait for that extraordinary new world to end. Today we know that social media is what gives you things like Donald Trump’s lying tweets, the QAnon conspiracy theory and the Capitol riot of 6 January. Social media, we now know, is a volcano of misinformation, a non-stop wallow in hatred and lies, generated for fun and profit, and these days liberal politicians are openly pleading with social media’s corporate masters to pleez clamp a ceiling on it, to stop people from sharing their false and dangerous stories.

    A “reality crisis” is the startling name a New York Times story recently applied to this dismal situation. An “information disorder” is the more medical-sounding label that other authorities choose to give it. Either way, the diagnosis goes, we Americans are drowning in the semiotic swirl. We have come loose from the shared material world, lost ourselves in an endless maze of foreign disinformation and rightwing conspiracy theory.

    In response, Joe Biden has called upon us as a nation to “defend the truth and defeat the lies”. A renowned CNN journalist advocates a “harm reduction model” to minimize “information pollution” and deliver the “rational views” that the public wants. A New York Times writer has suggested the president appoint a federal “reality czar” who would “help” the Silicon Valley platform monopolies mute the siren song of QAnon and thus usher us into a new age of sincerity.

    These days Democratic politicians lean on anyone with power over platforms to shut down the propaganda of the right. Former Democratic officials pen op-eds calling on us to get over free speech. Journalists fantasize about how easily and painlessly Silicon Valley might monitor and root out objectionable speech. In a recent HBO documentary on the subject, journalist after journalist can be seen rationalizing that, because social media platforms are private companies, the first amendment doesn’t apply to them … and, I suppose, neither should the American tradition of free-ranging, anything-goes political speech.

    In the absence of such censorship, we are told, the danger is stark. In a story about Steve Bannon’s ongoing Trumpist podcasts, for example, ProPublica informs us that “extremism experts say the rhetoric still feeds into an alternative reality that breeds anger and cynicism, which may ultimately lead to violence”.

    In liberal circles these days there is a palpable horror of the uncurated world, of thought spaces flourishing outside the consensus, of unauthorized voices blabbing freely in some arena where there is no moderator to whom someone might be turned in. The remedy for bad speech, we now believe, is not more speech, as per Justice Brandeis’s famous formula, but an “extremism expert” shushing the world.

    ...

    What explains the clampdown mania among liberals? The most obvious answer is because they need an excuse. Consider the history: the right has enjoyed tremendous success over the last few decades, and it is true that conservatives’ capacity for hallucinatory fake-populist appeals has helped them to succeed. But that success has also happened because the Democrats, determined to make themselves the party of the affluent and the highly educated, have allowed the right to get away with it.

    There have been countless times over the years where Democrats might have reappraised this dumb strategy and changed course. But again and again they chose not to, blaming their failure on everything but their glorious postindustrial vision. In 2016, for example, liberals chose to blame Russia for their loss rather than look in the mirror. On other occasions they assured one another that they had no problems with white blue-collar workers – until it became undeniable that they did, whereupon liberals chose to blame such people for rejecting them.

    ...

    Or perhaps this new taste for censorship is an indication of Democratic healthiness. This is a party that has courted professional-managerial elites for decades, and now they have succeeded in winning them over, along with most of the wealthy areas where such people live. Liberals scold and supervise like an offended ruling class because to a certain extent that’s who they are. More and more, they represent the well-credentialed people who monitor us in the workplace, and more and more do they act like it.

    What all this censorship talk really is, though, is a declaration of defeat – defeat before the Biden administration has really begun. To give up on free speech is to despair of reason itself. (Misinformation, we read in the New York Times, is impervious to critical thinking.) The people simply cannot be persuaded; something more forceful is in order; they must be guided by we, the enlightened; and the first step in such a program is to shut off America’s many burbling fountains of bad takes.

    Let me confess: every time I read one of these stories calling on us to get over free speech or calling on Mark Zuckerberg to press that big red “mute” button on our political opponents, I feel a wave of incredulity sweep over me. Liberals believe in liberty, I tell myself. This can’t really be happening here in the USA.

    But, folks, it is happening. And the folly of it all is beyond belief. To say that this will give the right an issue to campaign on is almost too obvious. To point out that it will play straight into the right’s class-based grievance-fantasies requires only a little more sophistication. To say that it is a betrayal of everything we were taught liberalism stood for – a betrayal that we will spend years living down – may be too complex a thought for our punditburo to consider, but it is nevertheless true.

    © Copyright Original Source


  • #2
    The political right doesn't, and never did, control the national MSM like the leftist BlueAnon brigade does. Qanon was only relegated to certain niche social media platforms on the internet, and never got MSM backing, ever. In fact, the broader public probably never would have even known about Qanon had it not been for the MSM's negative spotlight on it. Jussie Smollett conspiracy, Russiagate conspiracy, Russian bounties conspiracy on the other hand was given national attention and validation from the very start.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by seanD View Post
      In fact, the broader public probably never would have even known about Qanon had it not been for the MSM's negative spotlight on it.
      To be honest, even as someone who keeps myself reasonably informed, I still don't have a good idea as to who or what Qanon actually is or what they believe.
      Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
      But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
      Than a fool in the eyes of God


      From "Fools Gold" by Petra

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post

        To be honest, even as someone who keeps myself reasonably informed, I still don't have a good idea as to who or what Qanon actually is or what they believe.
        Because it's pretty much an amorphous social media meme overlapped with other social media memes. The basic premise is that there are good and moral folks in intelligence (controlled by the Trump faction) covertly fighting the bad and immoral folks (controlled by the anti-Trump faction). This is what primarily grabbed the political right because it sounded so reassuring against what was happening in the intelligence community in the last four years. Everything else (pizzgate, etc.) was just add-on memes.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by seanD View Post

          Because it's pretty much an amorphous social media meme overlapped with other social media memes. The basic premise is that there are good and moral folks in intelligence (controlled by the Trump faction) covertly fighting the bad and immoral folks (controlled by the anti-Trump faction). This is what primarily grabbed the political right because it sounded so reassuring against what was happening in the intelligence community in the last four years. Everything else (pizzgate, etc.) was just add-on memes.
          In this article, Doc Brown says this (but annoyingly, does not specify the source from which he quotes):

          As conveniently summarized by a secular news site (with reference to the larger Q conspiracy), "QAnon purports that America is run by a cabal of pedophiles and Satan-worshippers who run a global child sex-trafficking operation and that former President Trump is the only person who can stop them. The information supposedly comes from a high-ranking government official who posts cryptic clues on 4chan and the even more unfettered site 8chan under the name 'Q.'"

          Accordingly, "It claims the military, supposedly eager to see the deep state overthrown, recruited Donald Trump to run for the president. But the deep state, which controls the media, quickly tried to smear him through 'fake news' and unfounded allegations of collusion with Russia. It goes on to insist that despite the deep state's best efforts, however, Mr. Trump is winning, and that Q is releasing sanctioned leaks to the public in order to galvanize them ahead of 'The Storm,' which is the moment when the deep state's leaders are arrested and sent to Guantanamo Bay. QAnon believers have called this process 'The Great Awakening.'"

          Of course, there is some truth in the myth of these fantasies, enough to fuel the imaginations of the faithful. But in the end, this is nothing less than conspiratorial nonsense.


          That's the best explanation I've heard. I think it probably explains some of the crazy ideas of my best friend's sister. (But I doubt she frequents 4chan or 8chan.)

          I have this itchy feeling in my brain that this may be a modern analog of the old scams infidel pranksters used to see how gullible Christians could be.
          Geislerminian Antinomian Kenotic Charispneumaticostal Gender Mutualist-Egalitarian.

          Beige Federalist.

          Nationalist Christian.

          "Everybody is somebody's heretic."

          Social Justice is usually the opposite of actual justice.

          Proud member of the this space left blank community.

          Would-be Grand Vizier of the Padishah Maxi-Super-Ultra-Hyper-Mega-MAGA King Trumpius Rex.

          Justice for Ashli Babbitt!

          Justice for Matthew Perna!

          Arrest Ray Epps and his Fed bosses!

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by NorrinRadd View Post

            In this article, Doc Brown says this (but annoyingly, does not specify the source from which he quotes):

            As conveniently summarized by a secular news site (with reference to the larger Q conspiracy), "QAnon purports that America is run by a cabal of pedophiles and Satan-worshippers who run a global child sex-trafficking operation and that former President Trump is the only person who can stop them. The information supposedly comes from a high-ranking government official who posts cryptic clues on 4chan and the even more unfettered site 8chan under the name 'Q.'"

            Accordingly, "It claims the military, supposedly eager to see the deep state overthrown, recruited Donald Trump to run for the president. But the deep state, which controls the media, quickly tried to smear him through 'fake news' and unfounded allegations of collusion with Russia. It goes on to insist that despite the deep state's best efforts, however, Mr. Trump is winning, and that Q is releasing sanctioned leaks to the public in order to galvanize them ahead of 'The Storm,' which is the moment when the deep state's leaders are arrested and sent to Guantanamo Bay. QAnon believers have called this process 'The Great Awakening.'"

            Of course, there is some truth in the myth of these fantasies, enough to fuel the imaginations of the faithful. But in the end, this is nothing less than conspiratorial nonsense.


            That's the best explanation I've heard. I think it probably explains some of the crazy ideas of my best friend's sister. (But I doubt she frequents 4chan or 8chan.)

            I have this itchy feeling in my brain that this may be a modern analog of the old scams infidel pranksters used to see how gullible Christians could be.
            If your BF's sis doesn't frequent those sites you mentioned then she must have gotten it later at some site that amassed the memes into one "news story" website like this one. That isn't how the memes originally started, and they weren't as initially structured as your article states. Most of the memes were based on some semblance of fact, like the whole pedophile thing was based on the revelations of Epstein and his connections to the Clintons, which later spun into the whole Satan worshiping/pizzagate nonsense. The idea that the anti-Trump perpetrators were about to get arrested was also fueled by the investigations of Barr and Durham (which actually had me fooled at first). My theory is that Q, at least in the later stages, was some sort of government psyop, and the involvement with Barr and Durham (who kept egging on the pro-Trump adherents in the media with their so-called preliminary investigation findings) somewhat supports that view.

            Comment


            • #7
              Interesting... and liberals think all Republicans believe all of that? Prior to this, the most I knew about qanon is that one of my favorite conservative political blogs had a standing rule that anybody who even so much as mentioned qanon would be instantly perma-banned without question, which seems to be the correct response.
              Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
              But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
              Than a fool in the eyes of God


              From "Fools Gold" by Petra

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
                To be honest, even as someone who keeps myself reasonably informed, I still don't have a good idea as to who or what Qanon actually is or what they believe.
                They appear to morph an awful lot or else the MSM just makes stuff up. Or both.

                I'm always still in trouble again

                "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                Comment


                • #9
                  The most common process i see is a pressure campaign to get someone fired or deplatformed. When this is attacked the response is companies can do what they want. Ignoring that the person they just attacked had that same right. And the company they pressured and threatened had the same right before pressure.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by CivilDiscourse View Post
                    The most common process i see is a pressure campaign to get someone fired or deplatformed. When this is attacked the response is companies can do what they want. Ignoring that the person they just attacked had that same right. And the company they pressured and threatened had the same right before pressure.
                    For most of those on the left the only time that companies can do what they want is when they tow the liberal line.

                    I'm always still in trouble again

                    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                    "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                    "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      It used to be liberals who fought for free speech over companies. They argued that company towns couldn't limit free speech on company property (i.e. the town)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by CivilDiscourse View Post
                        It used to be liberals who fought for free speech over companies. They argued that company towns couldn't limit free speech on company property (i.e. the town)
                        The entire free speech movement arose from liberal students at Berkeley in the 60s. Now, just like with being against racism and anti-Semitism, the left has kicked that to the curb.

                        I'm always still in trouble again

                        "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                        "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                        "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                          The entire free speech movement arose from liberal students at Berkeley in the 60s. Now, just like with being against racism and anti-Semitism, the left has kicked that to the curb.
                          The fact the corporate and military establishment was in opposition against the left in the 60s, just goes to show you how vastly different the left is today than the left was back then. In fact, it's nothing like the left was in the past. Though they certainly do manufacture fake racism problems to try and emulate it.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by seanD View Post
                            The fact the corporate and military establishment was in opposition against the left in the 60s, just goes to show you how vastly different the left is today than the left was back then. In fact, it's nothing like the left was in the past. Though they certainly do manufacture fake racism problems to try and emulate it.
                            That last sentence brought to mind something that the liberal atheistic science historian and founder of The Skeptic Society (and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic), Michael Shermer, wrote several months ago regarding his concerns over suppressing free speech. He has become an outspoken critic of the cancel culture and its desire to silence all opposing views.

                            He just published a book called Giving the Devil his Due (with the Devil here being a reference to the phrase "devil's advocate") in which he strenuously argues against the censorship that is becoming increasingly pervasive, and in which he noted that because of how much moral progress there has been over the past few centuries, with most of the big moral issues having already been fought and won,[1] that this leaves millennials with much smaller causes to champion.

                            Hence their outrage is disappropriate when compared to the causes of the past and they essentially tend to make mountains out of molehills to justify it. He also attacks the resulting culture of victimhood where one can gain status by claiming to be oppressed even if their case pales in comparison to the oppression of the past.




                            1. at least here in the West, though to hear your average SJW tell it, the problems exist primarily in the West
                            .

                            I'm always still in trouble again

                            "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                            "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                            "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                              That last sentence brought to mind something that the liberal atheistic science historian and founder of The Skeptic Society (and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic), Michael Shermer, wrote several months ago regarding his concerns over suppressing free speech. He has become an outspoken critic of the cancel culture and its desire to silence all opposing views.

                              He just published a book called Giving the Devil his Due (with the Devil here being a reference to the phrase "devil's advocate") in which he strenuously argues against the censorship that is becoming increasingly pervasive, and in which he noted that because of how much moral progress there has been over the past few centuries, with most of the big moral issues having already been fought and won,[1] that this leaves millennials with much smaller causes to champion.

                              Hence their outrage is disappropriate when compared to the causes of the past and they essentially tend to make mountains out of molehills to justify it. He also attacks the resulting culture of victimhood where one can gain status by claiming to be oppressed even if their case pales in comparison to the oppression of the past.




                              1. at least here in the West, though to hear your average SJW tell it, the problems exist primarily in the West
                              .
                              I think it's deeper. Youths of the 70s, 80, 90s, and early 2000s weren't anything like the youths of today, nor were they this angry, irrational, authoritarian, and politically active. I think that "youths today have no real meaning or they're just bored" argument might be a surface issue, but there's definitely a lot of external issues and exploitation, though for what purpose and by whom remains the million dollar question.

                              Comment

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