The Onion buys Infowars • Hacker News Board

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#31

Post by toomuchtodo » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:37 PM UTC

jacknews wrote: post #21

I'm very much not a fan of Q-anon and related subcultures, but the sandy-hook award of $1.5 billion is obviously ridiculous, and is clearly just a government/institutional exercise in dictatorial/systemic power. There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage or whatever the claim was. In particular, the libel (and it should be libel, making claims that are not…

The ends justify the means, in some circumstances. If you play fair against monsters, monsters win.

> but the tools and methods used were entirely inappropriate to a liberal democracy, where you prevail with better arguments.

I strongly disagree this is our operating environment, based on the evidence.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#32

Post by nashashmi » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:37 PM UTC

I hope that they can keep the spirit of the infowars conspiracy genre alive.

> “US seeks to destabilize Canada into a war with Mexico to solve the border crisis “

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#33

Post by afavour » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:37 PM UTC

dionian wrote: post #23

dogleash wrote: post #14

Funny concept. Shame that The Onion's writing these days so mid.

Kids these days will never know how funny the onion used to be They used to distribute hard copies in big cities because people actually read it

They started distributing hard copies again to folks who sign up.

The lack of copies on street corners has a lot more to do with the collapse in print advertising revenues than it does the jokes printed inside.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#34

Post by jnwatson » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:37 PM UTC

neom wrote: post #22

Jeff Lawson the founder of Twilio owns The Onion, glad he's growing his quality retirement project.

He seems to be doing a better job running a newspaper than Bezos.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#35

Post by gorbachev » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:38 PM UTC

consumer451 wrote: post #18

Tim Onion's (Ben Collins) statement on Bluesky: [0] > Hi everyone. > The Onion, with the help of the Sandy Hook families, has purchased InfoWars. > We are planning on making it a very funny, very stupid website. > We have retained the services of some Onion and Clickhole Hall of Famers to pull this off. > I can't wait to show you what we have cooked up. Next post: [1] > Does anybody need millions of dollars worth of…

Is that enough to tank the market with a fire sale? Probably not.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#36

Post by jnwatson » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:39 PM UTC

dogleash wrote: post #14

Funny concept. Shame that The Onion's writing these days so mid.

Did you read the link? Top notch comedy writing.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#37

Post by duxup » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:39 PM UTC

jacknews wrote: post #21

I'm very much not a fan of Q-anon and related subcultures, but the sandy-hook award of $1.5 billion is obviously ridiculous, and is clearly just a government/institutional exercise in dictatorial/systemic power. There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage or whatever the claim was. In particular, the libel (and it should be libel, making claims that are not…

>There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage

I'd like to see someone quantify what a reasonable number would be and how they came to it.

I served on a jury where we had to award similar damages. "Anyone got any ideas how to account for this?" I asked .... nobody had any good ones.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#38

Post by afavour » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:39 PM UTC

rightbyte wrote: post #24

jsheard wrote: post #2

The announcement by America's Finest News Source: https://theonion.com/heres-why-i-decided-to-buy-infowars/ Alex Jones response: https://x.com/RealAlexJones/status/1857058831135645739

Seems like the article is really gleeful. Somewhat ironic since The Onion could be brought down in the same way by defamation lawsuits.

> Seems like the article is really gleeful.

Good! It should be. Alex Jones is a ghoul making money from dead school shooting victims. Anything that embarrasses him is entitled to as much glee as it wants.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#39

Post by fogus » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:40 PM UTC

jacknews wrote: post #21

I'm very much not a fan of Q-anon and related subcultures, but the sandy-hook award of $1.5 billion is obviously ridiculous, and is clearly just a government/institutional exercise in dictatorial/systemic power. There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage or whatever the claim was. In particular, the libel (and it should be libel, making claims that are not…

This isn't the 18th century anymore where the dissemination of arguments barely traveled outside of the immediate vicinity, this is the globally networked firehose of disinformation blasted right in your face 24-hours a day. Relying on better arguments to win hearts and minds in this environment is hopelessly naive.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#40

Post by deadbabe » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:41 PM UTC

jacknews wrote: post #21

I'm very much not a fan of Q-anon and related subcultures, but the sandy-hook award of $1.5 billion is obviously ridiculous, and is clearly just a government/institutional exercise in dictatorial/systemic power. There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage or whatever the claim was. In particular, the libel (and it should be libel, making claims that are not…

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