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How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

krebsonsecurity.com

241–250 of 994 posts

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good job, you found one. Here’s a hint: you’ll find the same not only for heather other publicly-traded media companies, but almost every publicly-traded company. (If you want to go full lunatic, look up Cede & Co.) The problem with the original assertion is that most media outlets, including an overwhelming majority of newspapers, are privately owned. Notoriously, among the biggest ones, by billionaires.

You’re quick with the insults. Keep it classy. I can think of another example off the top of my head: Fox News -> Disney -> Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street (edit (I looked it up): the top institutional shareholders).

> Fox News -> Disney

Nope [1].

[1] https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/walt-disney-company-acquire...

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#242
post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How do you know she wasn't being arrested for one here? Perhaps we could have some sort of public trial where some of her peers -- let's say a dozen -- could hear the facts and decide on whether she's committed a crime.

See my edited response (that you replied to)

I saw it before posting, as you note, and it did not change my response. If you think it should, perhaps you should elaborate.

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#243
post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not? Because a piece of paper says he’s not allowed to? Pieces of paper say a lot of things; sometimes they’re followed, sometimes not.

If that piece of paper isn't being followed, what are the rules of the game? And are you agreeing that force does settle it? Should it? John Adams might agree with you though. He said the constitution was intended for a moral (and religious) people. Maybe Americans are simply out of virtue, and don't deserve the Constitution anymore? Sounds pretty expensive.

To be clear, I hope it’s followed; I’m just not confident it will be.

Nayib Bukele is limited to one term by the Salvadoran constitution. He’s currently on his second. Turns out that if nobody stops you, you can just do whatever you want.

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#244
post #207

It's all pretty cooked. It's honestly stunning to see how these cult-like followers have allowed themselves to be completely oblivious to what's going on. From an outsiders perspective, it's wild. But at the same time, there were many warnings.

Its cooked everywhere. Thank the Attention Economy. All sides are trapped by in a fight over finite Attention. Its like the world war but instead of land its Views/Clicks/Likes. Since Attention is a finite non growing pool the trap is set. One day some one gets all the fish and another its someone else. Anyone who has any sense wouldn't waste any energy being part of such a stupid game cause its eventually lose lose.…

While I’m with you on attention economy I think it’s simplification of what’s going on:

– we had very dysfunctional legislature for last 20+ years

– quality of life is falling for majority of people

This contributes to feeling of unfairness in the society which pushes authoritarian and populist ideas.

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Aren’t most news agencies, directly or indirectly, owned by BlackRock, State Street, or the Vanguard Group? That’s a real question It’s a stupid question easily dismissed with a modicum of research. (Most papers aren’t public.)

[flagged]

> The Vanguard Group (which all own each other) are private equity firms

No, they’re not. (They have private equity arms. Those are not the arms that own e.g. public stock in NBCUniversal.)

> Do you work for them as an employee or consultant?

No, I never have.

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#246
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/03/donald-trump-new... Everyone should at least watch this video. Taken in America. "Land of the free." That this is only one of many such videos is terrifying if you know the history of fascist regimes. I hope everyone here is familiar with the "first they came for the communists..." poem.

[flagged]

> Please pick better sources that are less alarmist and more factual.

You literally asked AI to write your argument for you: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43530149

Maybe cool it on the source policing.

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#248
post #208

I would like to think: what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. There's an argument to be made that the US system of checks and balances will be stronger after all of this. We just haven't seen it in action, yet...

Considering the impact of the immunity decision last year I'm thinking that adage isn't actually true.

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#249

This is a really good compilation that should make any "free-speech absolutist" reconsider their support for the current administration. In my understanding, the commonplace interpretation of the first amendment is largely due to a series of landmark cases through the early to mid-20th century. A lot of expansions were provided to the amendment that have been taken for granted since then and we are now going to see c…

I would prefer a higher signal to noise ratio. For example, Radio Free Asia is a project of the federal government. Defunding it is a political decision. Freedom of the press does not mean the government is obligated to fund media nonprofits it has funded in the past.

If those sounding alarms don't distinguish between political decisions they disagree with and violations of our rights, they will lose credibility ala Boy Who Cried Wolf, and struggle to mobilize people when it really matters.

Re: How each pillar of the First Amendment is under attack

#250

As a person who lived in the States for a bit, and listened to a lot of news, I remember always this almost fawning over the Founding Fathers, checks and balances and great American constitution. It is remarkable, how easy it all goes, and most people don't do anything (i.e. out of 100 top law firms, only a handful joined the lawsuit against the government, etc.)

The fawning is always about whatever topic the speaker cares about. It just an emotional tactic. Not everyone cares about the founding father's views in the same way. Not to mention, there was a variety of opinions even amongst themselves.
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