The YouTube ban is un-American, wrong, and will backfire

Post by gnusty_gnurc » Sat, Dec 12, 2020, 5:14 PM UTC

UncleMeat wrote: post #813

gnusty_gnurc wrote: post #805

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You realize how liable to abuse the idea of “truth” is in a tyrannical regime? Or even just fallible and misguided people? Like, eugenicists in the 1920s would have a whole host of horrid “truths” they thought were scientifically supported at the time. Imagine the hurdles opposition would have in trying to voice their “factual truth.”

Of course it is abusable. The state has done all sorts of tremendously evil things when wielding its power. "Free speech" has never stopped the crushing of legitimate protest. This is not a surprise to leftist activists, who have been consistently violently attacked by the state for more than a century. I find these arguments so disingenuous when people throw them out while also doing little to nothing to curb existi…

Post by UncleMeat » Sat, Dec 12, 2020, 5:36 PM UTC

gnusty_gnurc wrote: post #821

UncleMeat wrote: post #813

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it is abusable. The state has done all sorts of tremendously evil things when wielding its power. "Free speech" has never stopped the crushing of legitimate protest. This is not a surprise to leftist activists, who have been consistently violently attacked by the state for more than a century. I find these arguments so disingenuous when people throw them out while also doing little to nothing to curb existi…

Freedoms enumerated in the bill of rights were chosen as a reflection of morality . You’re arguing utilitarianism about what’s a moral issue of the inherent right of people to express themselves.

Post by endominus » Sat, Dec 12, 2020, 5:36 PM UTC

rbanffy wrote: post #780

endominus wrote: post #694

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your point raises a couple of questions. First, do you think it is only your outgroup (Fox News, Republican politicians, etc) that would use misinformation? Democrats and other media outlets don't stand to gain from its use, or are too moral to resort to it? Second, the precedent this sets is that the government can state one set of facts to be true, and force compliance to that truth from media. Do you not see this…

> First, do you think it is only your outgroup (Fox News, Republican politicians, etc) that would use misinformation? Can you point to any evidence anyone on the Democratic side of the fence has questioned the legitimacy of the last election even though control of the Senate may still easily fall into the hands of the group that prevented legal court nominations by an elected president while, under the very same cond…

Post by factotvm » Sat, Dec 12, 2020, 5:45 PM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #824

factotvm wrote: post #820

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to the downvotes, my statement must be false and predictions are the same as lies. If it’s been proven false, don’t say it. If it can’t be proven false, carry on, as that’s not against the terms and conditions. Or, a false equivalency between saying the election was stolen, and saying the world will end in 12 years if we don’t do something.

“Proven false” clearly isn’t the standard. Nobody has proven the election fraud claims false. (Or the Hunter Biden e-mails story.) Like AOC’s misinformation about climate change, the conclusions are just extremely unlikely based on the facts we know. That’s been a high enough bar for censorship.

Post by lawnchair_larry » Sat, Dec 12, 2020, 6:01 PM UTC

kenjackson wrote: post #679

ceilingcorner wrote: post #601

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really can’t think of anything more alien to the hacker ethos than, “A group of unknown people at a technology corporation should be the ultimate authority on what I’m allowed to say, read, or share with my friends.” Disinformation is indeed a difficult problem, but there are enough smart people in the world to figure it out without resorting to authoritarianism. We can do better.

The Hacker Ethos is to build your own media platform and stop whining about someone else’s (unless net neutrality is at play).