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The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

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Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#231

Americans are living in a world with a land war in Europe with an old foe on one side, and the increasing pressure exerted on Asian trade and policy partners by a Pacific rim empire we've not seen eye to eye with in the past 100 years. I'd like to see more effort expended on spying and undermining our rivals than ourselves. But such large diplomatic/economic/(hopefully cold)military projects require long term thinkin…

>an already discordant country made of too many different races religions and regional cultures to ever work

Diversity is our strength.

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#232
post #18

I am still baffled by the radio silence about any of that in the mainstream media. My prediction is that this, the Rittenhouse trial coverage, and the attempts to shut down the discussion about the lab Leak theory are going to be viewed in a few years the same way as the mainstream media's complicity and collusion with the government before the Iraq war.

A few weeks ago over Thanksgiving, I found out that my aunt believes Rittenhouse killed "several black people". She doesn't live under a rock per-se, she keeps herself steeped in TV news (so she may as well be under a rock.)

This is a common post on Reddit along with them still falsely claiming he “went across state lines with a gun”.

These people did not watch the trial, and have no idea what they are talking about. But are certain that they do… ChatGPT levels of certainty… hmm, might be on to something there.

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#233
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I could see a world where ‘see if it violates your own policies’ is a code for extortion with plausible deniability. This is possible but I would expect people to look for evidence of it before presenting it as a fact. Something like that would show up in internal communications either directly or as people talking like they didn’t really have a choice, or as a trend of tweets being taken down for reasons which don…

The US is a limited govt. No govt agency can do anything for which it isn’t explicitly authorized. The FBI is not authorized to be ensuring private companies adhere to their policies. If a agent is being paid — with taxpayer dollars - to check on Twitter and give it ‘advice’ on how to run itself, that agent is acting outside the scope of his authority. It’s an abuse and misuse of power. It doesn’t matter what the ‘gr…

I would like the FBI to stop school shooters, would-be terrorists, and foreign influence campaigns.

If Elon Musk’s Twitter refuses to help and as a result people die, I want Elon Musk held responsible.

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#234
post #9

I’ve been trying to read these Twitter files threads thoughtfully, and maybe it’s just a sign of the current average level of comfort with government involvement with social media platforms, but I’m generally not seeing much issue with the stuff being revealed. the worst thing about this particular thread seems like the govt agencies talking to Twitter about foreign influence are overreaching a bit (eg asking them to…

I feel like if someone made a bunch of threats on Twitter and then followed through with them people would be completely outraged why the FBI didn’t stop them. Anyway it’s interesting we are having this debate TODAY when after 9/11 and a decade later the adroit use of social media by ISIL the alphabet agencies were crawling all over the internet. Pandora’s box was opened years ago.

If you look at most mass shootings you'll find articles saying the suspect was "known to the FBI." For some reason they rarely stop them ahead of time. The Whitmer kidnapping is a recent example. Well, I guess they started AND stopped it in that case.

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#235

[flagged]

> The two people Kyle Rittenhouse shot, both had extensive criminal records. That's kind of amazing, that criminals would be such dedicated civil rights protestors. Simpler explanation is that FBI sent informants, or agent provocateurs.

“People protesting against the government were criminals as defined by the government they were protesting against. It unbelievable that anyone who is a criminal could be involved in something positive whether out of an actual belief or just being angry at the government that had punished them previously, therefor it’s obvious that there must be a government conspiracy involved”

Does that capture the gist of your argument?

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#236
post #9

I’ve been trying to read these Twitter files threads thoughtfully, and maybe it’s just a sign of the current average level of comfort with government involvement with social media platforms, but I’m generally not seeing much issue with the stuff being revealed. the worst thing about this particular thread seems like the govt agencies talking to Twitter about foreign influence are overreaching a bit (eg asking them to…

I wonder if you’d have an issue with it if these organisations leaned mostly republican.

When this last happened in the 1960s and 70s, when it was the left that was anti establishment, and didn’t want the Vietnam war, or didn’t want Christian orthodoxy imposed on society, the left was obsessed with free speech and being anti government organisations.

Suddenly no one can think beyond their own party and as long as these organizations interfering with speech are on their side, it’s fine.

People really need to think longer term. It only takes one very determined president or one sided congress and senate to completely change these organisations.

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#237
post #9

I’ve been trying to read these Twitter files threads thoughtfully, and maybe it’s just a sign of the current average level of comfort with government involvement with social media platforms, but I’m generally not seeing much issue with the stuff being revealed. the worst thing about this particular thread seems like the govt agencies talking to Twitter about foreign influence are overreaching a bit (eg asking them to…

This is an example of the FBI pushing a specific narrative, is it not?

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m fine with the government shutting down anti-democratic movements. I’m not fine with anti-democratic governments shutting down legitimate discussion that looks bad on them, or serving a foreign power. These are not the same thing.

Then all it will take to lose your democracy is for a dictator to proclaim his opponents a danger to democracy. Maybe using a Reichstag fire. You can't fight evil with evil, or fight undemocratic tyrants with undemocratic measures. Introducing vulnerabilities into your democratic system is a double edged sword.

> proclaim [their] opponents a danger to democracy

Hmm, now where have I heard that recently?

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is a limited govt. No govt agency can do anything for which it isn’t explicitly authorized. The FBI is not authorized to be ensuring private companies adhere to their policies. If a agent is being paid — with taxpayer dollars - to check on Twitter and give it ‘advice’ on how to run itself, that agent is acting outside the scope of his authority. It’s an abuse and misuse of power. It doesn’t matter what the ‘gr…

So, cops are not allowed to do welfare checks because there is no crime of 'dying alone in your house' and there is no explicit authorization for police to enforce wellbeing? Don't be adsurd.

Under the above theory, Federal agents shouldnt. Local/state police have that power (the general police power) Not the federal government.

Re: The FBI was the primary link between the intelligence community and Twitter

#240
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I could see a world where ‘see if it violates your own policies’ is a code for extortion with plausible deniability. This is possible but I would expect people to look for evidence of it before presenting it as a fact. Something like that would show up in internal communications either directly or as people talking like they didn’t really have a choice, or as a trend of tweets being taken down for reasons which don…

The US is a limited govt. No govt agency can do anything for which it isn’t explicitly authorized. The FBI is not authorized to be ensuring private companies adhere to their policies. If a agent is being paid — with taxpayer dollars - to check on Twitter and give it ‘advice’ on how to run itself, that agent is acting outside the scope of his authority. It’s an abuse and misuse of power. It doesn’t matter what the ‘gr…

It's not an abuse of power unless the FBI threatens repercussions.

It seems like Twitter was more or less happy to oblige.

I don't see what the hubbub is about.

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