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Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

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Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#381
post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At some point societies are going to have to reckon with the fact that democracy, free speech, and unrestricted capitalism simply aren't a sustainable mix. A system that allows people to amass incredible fortunes and use those fortunes to influence other people's beliefs and votes is simply a system that will eventually fall under the control of those ultrawealthy people.

What’s your more effective, less flawed alternative with a proven track record?

I think Julius Caesar demands a word if we were only supposed to use systems with proven track records.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s your more effective, less flawed alternative with a proven track record?

There were times when NASA went to space, not incredibly wealthy individuals…

NASA went and turned itself into a gigantic inefficient bureaucracy to the point that SpaceX considers NASA experience a negative.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s your more effective, less flawed alternative with a proven track record?

The Islamic system does not permit uncontrolled capitalism, requires fair financial transactions, is pro rights for both rulers and the population, enforces Zakat (alms tax / a form of wealth tax).

The middle east has the largest concentration of billionaires outside of US/China and huge poverty alongside. It is so grotesque that the rich will often just kill people and casually pay blood money.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s your more effective, less flawed alternative with a proven track record?

The Islamic system does not permit uncontrolled capitalism, requires fair financial transactions, is pro rights for both rulers and the population, enforces Zakat (alms tax / a form of wealth tax).

That certainly explains the flood of migrants from the West to the Middle East and North Africa.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#385

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s your more effective, less flawed alternative with a proven track record?

I think Julius Caesar demands a word if we were only supposed to use systems with proven track records.

Isn't he the millionaire that destroyed the Roman Republic?

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s your more effective, less flawed alternative with a proven track record?

I think Julius Caesar demands a word if we were only supposed to use systems with proven track records.

Are you seriously claiming that building an empire didn't have a proven track record by the time of Caesar? Interesting.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#388
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It can and does. The power of social media to spread ideas and accelerate political action is why fascists took it over and co-opted it. That's why we're fed the narrative that social media is evil and needs to be regulated or banned at all costs.

> That's why we're fed the narrative that social media is evil and needs to be regulated or banned at all costs. Social media prioritizing algorithms that feed off division and anger is evil. If Facebook & Twitter were still ways to simply keep in touch with friends, family, and interest groups, I don't think anyone would care (other than the ads).

I think Facebook is still that for most people. I think the narrative of widespread social addiction and "mind control" through social media is intentionally overstated to serve a political agenda. These problems to exist, social media can be addictive, misinformation does spread like wildfire, but I fear focusing on "algorithms" as a whole rather than the sources of misinformation or the companies running the big platforms is an attempt to make information and communication (and by extension political organization and action) more difficult in the long run.

Most people's proposed solutions seem counterproductive. Making social media illegal and banning it entirety removes a valuable means of communication and networking for people. Forcing all social media platforms with n> users to be nationalized means all platforms that might be useful for activism will be controlled by the government. Forcing them to only use strictly alphabetic or chronological listings makes access more difficult, but doesn't necessarily remove polarizing or false information. Repealing Section 230 would cripple speech across the internet and make it impossible for platform owners to police minsinformation and hate speech without taking on legal liability for themselves. All of these solutions at least implicitly serve the interests of authoritarians and all of them only seem reasonable because of the current moral panic around social media.

Re: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia, UAE

#390
post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s your more effective, less flawed alternative with a proven track record?

The "proven track record" part of your question is shortsighted. We shouldn't restrict future political thought by past political thoughts. We'd never see any progress that way. If you're asking which one of the three I think we should focus our attention for change, I think the obvious answer from both a moral and logical standpoint is capitalism. The combination of democracy and free speech means money is political…

Someone smarter than me can weight on this part, but I don't think it was/is capitalism per se. Moving off the gold standard, and allowing the Dodge Brothers to win the case saying stock holders were more important than paying workers were a 1-2 gut punch to capitalism. I don't believe our forefathers would be very proud of us if they saw this mess.
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