Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

axisofeasy.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 345 posts

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#11

Post by oyra »

pen2l wrote: post #2

After a half hour long conversation with my neighbor last week of him trying to convince me that Bill Gates is behind coronavirus, please, for the love of our future, continue banning information that is blatantly put up on a bad faith basis. It's exhausting to see my mom and dad succumb to a new conspiracy every other day. I don't see how else we can curb this other than for the tech companies to start aggressively…

you have to be careful for what you wish for. get a book or two about soviet russia or nazi germany and learn how they 'loved their future' and baned and burned books. and what come out of it.

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#12

Post by jupp0r »

pen2l wrote: post #2

After a half hour long conversation with my neighbor last week of him trying to convince me that Bill Gates is behind coronavirus, please, for the love of our future, continue banning information that is blatantly put up on a bad faith basis. It's exhausting to see my mom and dad succumb to a new conspiracy every other day. I don't see how else we can curb this other than for the tech companies to start aggressively…

I agree with you that it’s tiring, but censorship is not an option. Just imagine the “official” sources being propaganda and the truth being censored. Official sources are already spreading conspiracy theories about COVID right now (made in a lab, etc). This sword has two edges. The only thing that helps is to teach people to detect false information, ie education.

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#13

Post by unwoundmouse »

pen2l wrote: post #2

After a half hour long conversation with my neighbor last week of him trying to convince me that Bill Gates is behind coronavirus, please, for the love of our future, continue banning information that is blatantly put up on a bad faith basis. It's exhausting to see my mom and dad succumb to a new conspiracy every other day. I don't see how else we can curb this other than for the tech companies to start aggressively…

I agree with the sentiment that we shouldn’t propagate disinformation as much as the next guy, but this is a strawman. Nowhere in the book does it say anything about Bill Gates behind covid, or any similarly ludicrous conspiracies. The book mentioned appears to be reasonable and fact based.

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#14

Post by np_tedious »

pen2l wrote: post #7
jki275 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't a conspiracy theory. It's a compilation of data that hasn't been widely reported.

The guy doesn't have a great record of being trustworthy. See https://www.drugpolicy.org/resource/letter-scholars-and-clin... -- a letter signed by over 100 scholars and researchers strongly condemning his previous book which says that marijuana is the culprit behind violence

That's an interesting article. I think I'd like to take a look first hand. Perhaps I'll buy some of his books so I can decide for myself. Where are they available?

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#15

Post by h2odragon »

pen2l wrote: post #2

After a half hour long conversation with my neighbor last week of him trying to convince me that Bill Gates is behind coronavirus, please, for the love of our future, continue banning information that is blatantly put up on a bad faith basis. It's exhausting to see my mom and dad succumb to a new conspiracy every other day. I don't see how else we can curb this other than for the tech companies to start aggressively…

Lots of people are looking for any story they can find to make all this make sense. The stories they're hearing don't make sense and keep changing, too. I don't think doubling down on the parochial "we'll tell you what to think, you can trust us" is going to win back their trust or make them any more willing to embrace the complexities and uncertainties they face. It'll definitely confirm that there's "seekrits they're not being told", however.

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#16

Post by swiley »

pen2l wrote: post #2

After a half hour long conversation with my neighbor last week of him trying to convince me that Bill Gates is behind coronavirus, please, for the love of our future, continue banning information that is blatantly put up on a bad faith basis. It's exhausting to see my mom and dad succumb to a new conspiracy every other day. I don't see how else we can curb this other than for the tech companies to start aggressively…

Making information unavailable justifies radical conspiracy theories and makes it harder to find trustworthy sources.

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#18

Post by code4tee »

There’s a difference between censorship and a book publisher deciding they don’t want to publish or sell a book.

This appears to be a case of the later. He’s free to print and distribute his book, but no private company is under any obligation to help him in that endeavor.

Re: Amazon refuses to sell book on Covid-19 and lockdowns

#20

Post by whoisjuan »

Reedx wrote: post #3

Never thought we'd see wide support for book restriction or censorship again. Are people not reading history or considering the second order effects? Heck, you don't even have to go back that far. Just look how badly "official sources" handled Covid-19. For example, remember what the official word was, even despite being a self-contradiction: masks don't work, but save them for health workers. You may say that's a no…

Free flow of information is not the same as misinformation. Lack of understanding is not the same as misinforming.

I 100% support restricting distribution of material that is based on conjecture and bullshit info. Especially when that information comes with a for-profit motive. This person can easily put their book for free on their own website if they really feel they have important information to share.

Amazon can decide what goes on their platform. It always baffles me that people think that free speech comes with a right to have an audience. That's not what free speech is.

Post reply on HN