Shit gets real.
First they came for Alex Jones, and I didn't say anything because I'm not a bigoted RWNJ. Then they came for Copwatch, but I didn't say anything because they did it quietly while yelling at the top of their lungs about stopping Alex Jones.
Then they came for Status Coup, Graham Elwood, Jamarl Thomas...
If you'll note the reason YouTube gave for demonetizing Graham Elwood, it was "Harmful Content." What is "harmful content," you might ask? You can find the screen shot of this in Hard Lens Media's video above, but I'll reproduce it here:
Harmful content
Content that focuses on controversial issues and that is harmful to viewers
Graham tweeted: Was it the JFK talk with Lee Camp or calling out the people with the Epstein ties?
On a side note, Hard Lens Media says that you can't say the word "Epstein" on YouTube, or the algorithm will demonetize and shadowban you.
"There are certain named individuals and stories that we cannot cover on our HardLensMedia Youtube channel..."
Rokfin is a temporary solution, but some deep thinking needs to be done about this. And we on this site need to do some serious thinking as well. I've been putting it off because I really don't want to have to think about it or deal with it, but I think it can't be put off any longer.
I'm just putting this up here to provide a space for brainstorming. I'm sure there will be private conversations on what to do as well.
Denounce the algorithm.
UPDATE: More videos on the matter...
Comments
SD had a twitter thread in the eb that lays out the censures
https://caucus99percent.com/comment/523325#comment-523325
Watch your language! The oligarchs (and their mafia cohorts) are policing you.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Bitchute
is the alternative. These folks need to move away from youtube.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Many of us predicted this
including myself prior to the election that if Joe Biden was elected, we would see a huge clampdown on free speech with the Democratic party leading the way. Make no mistake. The tech companies are not doing this on their own. We saw it with first Alex Jones and most so called liberals cheered his take down. Then we saw it with Donald Trump being deplatformed across all of social media. In both cases, some of us here warned that Jones was just the beginning. What we are witnessing is a form of fascism in real time in the United States. It is extremely frightening to watch especially when so many on the so called liberal side are cheering for it.
The Convo Couch and Franc Analysis are two of my favorites. Convo Couch has been demonetized along with Graham Elwood and Progressive Soapbox. Convo Couch has done incredible work covering the big issues before us from a hard left perspective that spares no one from their scrutiny. They were on the ground at the Capitol on January 6 after participating and covering Force the Vote and the Julian Assange rallies. They stayed and covered the Trump rally on January 6. But I suspect their work on election integrity might be a big factor in them being demonetized. Franc Analysis is a relatively small channel that has been gaining popularity recently. He has been given a strike for a video that he took down because of technical problems and which hardly anyone saw.
Most of the time, these content producers are not even given a reason for why they are given a strike or why they are being demonetized and there is no appeal process. What we are watching is the systematic shutting down of populist opinions on both the left and right as the amount of acceptable discussion of issues that face us becomes narrower and narrower. I cannot emphasize just how terrifying this is to our ability to communicate with one another and to freely exercise our right of free speech under the First Amendment. Although the tech companies are supposedly private corporations and technically not subject to the First amendment, they are and have been operating in cooperation with the government.
The US is a failed state for its own people and an empire in decline. The oligarchs are desperately trying to hold on long enough to extract every last penny from the populace and, In my opinion, that is one of the reasons we are seeing this crackdown on free speech.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Absolutely GG. There must be something in the Jan 6th
footage that raises some kinds of questions someone doesn't want asked???
Is there a way to see a list of all who have gone to Rokfin? Looks like Jimmy Dore is there premptively.
The Hill Rising has covered most of the subjects mentioned on the videos from Jimmy Dore, Chariton, Elwood, The Convo Couch, and so on. How long unless they change their approach. Wonder what they will do.
The response to Yellin making money was actually a suggestion that asking was anti-feminist. The placement of the people of color and gender regardless of orientation may mean if we ask hard questions we will be regarded as anti...you name it "ist". It might be a line of defense.
The next smarter, better harder to spot real facist won't be a Republican. And it won't be after the next election.
How do we create our own platform, mail server or whatever Pluto was recommending?
Working on email that isn't typical. It was fun getting our own domain names, now it isn't.
How can we help this site?
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
Here is where to find peope on Rofkin
https://rokfin.com/channels
Homepage
This takes you to a page where all our favorites are
Convo Couch
lotlizard posted this link last night too in the EBs.
Project Censored
As I said last night most people that we watch on YouLube are already on Rofkin. Elwood, Camp, Dore, Rising IIRC, and many others and for $10 bucks a month to watch anyone you want? Yes that is a good deal.
HOWEVER we MUST make sure we keep our home up and running so if you can donate to C99's future.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Have been monthly deducting for some time now.
At least a couple of years. I hope if my monthly contribution doesn't show up JtC would let me know. It got interrupted once, and I had to restart the autopay.
Thanks for all the info Snoop.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
IMO
it is not just about the January 6 footage. As Jordan Chariton said, the footage that Jon Farina shot for his channel was also purchased and used by a significant number of MSM channels, none of which have had those videos (with the exact same footage within them) removed. Ford Fischer who goes to various gatherings and shoots videos has been shut down. He has been doing this for years and suddenly what he is doing is wrong?
What we are seeing here is two fold. First, MSM media is losing viewership while independent media is expanding. They cannot allow independent media become the main source of news and opinion because not only does it hurt the MSM, but also it spawns independent thinking. If there is no or little viable independent media, then the message can be controlled via the MSM as we have seen during the last two Presidential elections.
Second, populism is on the rise, both on the left and the right and the two sides are starting to talk with one another and coalesce into a greater populist movement that defies the left/right paradigm that we have been sold for so long. There is a hell of a lot of anger out there among the people and this anger has been exacerbated by the government's failure to help the people once again while bailing out the corporations and the wealthiest among us. The jig is up and the establishment is getting very nervous.
I think the Wall Street Bets take down of one of the biggest hedge funds around brought the point home that the establishment is on very shaky ground. Once the people start hitting the fat cats in the wallet, then the empire strikes back and strikes hard. What we are seeing is just the first wave of censorship. I personally believe we will see many more sites attacked and deplatformed, especially if their content poses a threat to the power or money of the establishment.
People here may not agree with me, but I believe we are in the beginnings of a major domestic war that is now being fought in cyberspace. The lack of adequate government response to the suffering caused by its lack of adequate response to the COVID pandemic was the first step of the government sanctioning its people. Now they are moving to censorship in cyberspace and if that does not work, it will escalate to the streets.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
What's to disagree with
Just don't plan any weddings or funerals inside or without a lookout and an escape plan.
Can someone embed this tweet for me please. It doesn't show the tweet Glenn responded to.
Thanks. My computer is waiting to be set up and is just waiting for my body and mind to be able to do it. Lots and lots of wires coming and going on the old one for a decade and where do they all fit on the new one? Thinking is hard some days.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
you asked you shall receive
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Just wondering
if they still have troops stationed around the Capitol?
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Until April I believe
I’ve been tweeting with some guy who thinks that there is a big difference between what Trump did and Biden’s doing. Trump attacked peaceful protesters while Biden is defending against Trump supporters even though there is no credible threat and they keep saying that. No threat. But hey let’s make the White House and capital grounds look like the border complete with razor wire and armed guards.
Bush droned foreigners. Obama droned Americans. Trump’s wall is to keep foreigners out of the country. Biden’s wall is to keep Americans out of federal buildings. Now who’s the lesser evil here?
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Nobody.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
From what I understand DC is still in lockdown
and the troops are guarding both the Green and Red Zones? Regardless of who was elected my belief is this was always going to be the end result. Fascism has arrived in ameriKKKa.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Thanks!
I’m thinking of opening the box today. Maybe that will get me motivated. Someone else will probably think it’s time to play with the box and the cords.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Yup^^^^Very well said.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
You are more right that you know
This is a great essay to repost this article.
This should be enough to wet people's thirst to read the whole article. As he points out the next Trump is going to be much worse because he will probably be smarter than Trump and will keep our dirty laundry hidden from the rest of the world and fool a lot of people at first.
Dem voters MUST hold dems accountable so that they won't fall back into the kabuki dance between parties that we have seen for 4 decades. DK is making a stand on the current stimulus talks and Kos ain't sending roses to Nancy at this moment.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
That's it. I really wonder what the playbook is and by whom?
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
Durnit all, snoop
You made me look at that gawd awful place.
I am shocked, I mean shocked, Imma telling ya! Since when has kos not toed the party line? 
This diary makes him appear to the left of Bernie freaking Sanders!
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Heh...sorry about that
It was overdue for that type of diary to be posted there. Even some scolded people for shutting down constructive criticism of all things.
The other thing is that congress has already established the amount of money for reconciliation. That’s $1.9 trillion which is down from Pelosi’s original $3.3 and $2.2 from Trump that wasn’t enough at the time and then she said it was after Biden became president
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Hedges predited this didn't he
From the excerpt of his Papering Over the Rot that lookout posted in the recent essay:
And from my excerpt:
Now social media is deciding who can make money off of the news and who can't. The media has lost up to 44% of their viewers since Trump left social media and the media quit following his every utterance. But for the media to keep the videos that YT censored Justin's videos should be a good case for a lawsuit. Especially if they show the connection between them and the Atlantic Council and intel agencies.
Grahm connected this to Julian Assange and people really need to understand the threat to press freedoms and the 1st amendment. Not just here, but everywhere. This is where the damage is going to come from. These bannings and demonetizing is just the warm up act I think.
The 1st video is a must watch for the connections throughout. Thanks for posting them, CTSM.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
We got your back
Many of us came down on the Jones censorship like a duck on a June bug and pretty much covered each one that was taken out. We saw the threat. If anyone wants to look at what has been written you can search Alex Jones in the search box. The Atlantic Council has been well covered too.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
You're welcome.
I wish this weren't happening.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Isn't a failed state a state that can't control anything?
By that definition the USA is anything but a failed state.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
The US is a failed state
in that the government has failed the very people it is supposed to represent. The United States is experiencing an ever growing rate of poverty among its people and the highest ever wealth inequality.
Further, healthcare is not a guaranteed human right in the United States and the only country in the world in which individuals and families can become bankrupted by medical bills. The poisoned water in Flint, Michigan and other cities throughout the United States is another indicator of how the government has failed its people. Although governmental bodies at multiple levels including the federal level have known about the problem for years, every one of them failed the people of Flint.
These are just a few examples of how the United States has become a failed state for its citizens.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
That makes the USA a bad state or a totalitarian state.
Failed state usually means ineffective. The USA is very effective in enforcing it;s power. We just don't like how it uses that power. But "failed state" says it has no power, i.e.. Manifestly untrue.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
A bad state oppresses its people and wastes its resources.
A failed state brings the state itself to the brink of destruction, and literally can't stop doing that--because it's not the government that's in control.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
It's a failed state because it's not the state
that's in control. The state is an employee, a middle manager, and the only justifiable way in which that could be true is if the employer is the people. And it's not. It's a tiny segment of the population that has enough money to promote cartel politics and economics just about everywhere we look.
Because of that, the state is unable to govern in such a way that would preserve itself and that which it governs (the land and people and infrastructure). Instead, it governs in a way that destroys that which it governs and may, eventually, destroy itself.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Wow! You nailed it!
This comment is the best description what our country has become.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thanks.
Your words are kind, but damn! what an ugly truth to have to describe.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Another possibility
suggested in this article: https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2021/02/warning-if-your-business-depends...
I'm one of those dummies who know nothing about infrastructure, but yes, we need our own.
Independence means having your own hsting service
and not depending on youtube, twitter, yahoo or any other mega-company. Preferably a service located outside the USA. Like that Swedish private encrypted mail service that refuses to ?cooperate" with the CIA.
I have a VPN service. It is located in the USA so I assume that the USG can see where I'm going. I just don't want my ISP to see.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
You know more about this than I do.
Please keep adding your perspective to the mix.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
IMHO...
lack of funding will do c99 in before censorship will. We just lost another monthly recurring donation this morning. Be it the economy, fear, or members getting pissed over content, funding is quickly drying up.
As far as what c99 can do to protect itself, well, the best plan would be for folks to watch what they say in hopes of circumventing the filters, but then that's censorship, isn't it.
JtC, would appreciate a top post about the state of c99 finance
I admit that I'm not a regular contributor, but I will make non-regular contributions if needed, just as I do for wikipedia.
Hell, I made useless regular contributions to Bernie. And occasional contributions to Boomantribune way in the past.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
We (c99) are not yet insolvent...
but if folks keep dropping out and cancelling payments we will be.
@JtC
Just donated, single. Can you share with us how much your monthly shortfall was?
Capitalism has always been the rule of the people by the oligarchs. You only have two choices, eliminate them or restrict their power.
Thank you...
much appreciated.
JtC if it was mine, I didn't stop anything. Hope you still have
ours. Thanks. I wish it were more.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
Nope...
not yours. Thanks for your continued support, my friend.
Movement towards increasing Censorship is subtle.
Censorship has been real for some time, it has just been under the radar. This was was the beginning of a lengthy conversation on the C99 private message board last March when I referenced Vitamin D in a diary.
The professional and private obligations I had at the time caused me to hesitate a robust push back. Those obstacles have been removed. It did cause me to pay closer attention to public comments and how at times appeared coordinated to silence the voice of specific diarists and viewpoints. I applaud those who have kept slogging away at participating.
Glad to participate in brainstorming when I know who will be holding the private conversations and their goals.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
A recommendation
Perhaps we can try a beta version of C99 via bitchute or rofkin?. Could tie into zoom or whatever. Just a practice run. If things go down, we will have at least tried a different platform. Sorry to hear the funds aren't there to keep this place going. Willing to experiment with the Wednesday OT if that makes sense. Do not want to see this platform get lost in the hazy daze of www control.
Thanks
Good thoughts
Another thing I’m doing is tweeting essays and comments people post here. I tweet the quote Joe posts when I do the EBs. Trying to draw more eyes here.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
thanks snoop
not a twitter or face plant person, so wouldn't know how that works.
More eyes I guess is good, just ask a dragonfly.
Trying to keep the community together.
Please click the members contact link at the left column.
Down at the bottom. May come in handy.
cheers
I like this idea very much.
I wish I knew more about the tech side so I could participate more intelligently in the conversation. Relying on those of you who do.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
No offense, but...
the "left" if you will, still has no clue or real understanding from all the discussions and videos, of this issue from a legal, contractual point of view, imho.
That "legal, contractual point of view" is what plays out in reality and the courts, where it is made manifest.
Social media platforms are private property. Their terms of service make it clear, they can do, basically, what ever they want. They paid some really high priced lawyers to develop their agreements. They didn't use some website to auto generate a user agreement.
What have these people been investing their youtube revenues in?
Why have they not taken advantage of the open source (FREE) technologies to build out their own websites, and use a video streaming technology like Livepeer, that uses the block chain technology to deliver bit-rate agnostic HD to any device and not have any "censorship" issues at all?
What is PREVENTING THEM from doing something on their own?
If you think about it, using a block chain video technology could also be leveraged to create money making opportunities for their actual viewers by enabling them to become digital miners, trans coding video streams and getting paid for it at the same time!
A good friend and video partner of mine, has built a shed in his back yard and he has a rack of machines just block chain mining, using nothing but solar power and batteries. (One could upgrade their GPU and they too could be block chain mining during the evenings when they are not using their computer)
But the "left" doesn't have much "business accume". It's too busy ignoring actual contract law because of their righteous indignation over the realization they didn't read the TOS or don't understand, it's not wise to build a business, using other people's private property.
Y'all might go check out SocialBlade and see what the estimated monthly revenues some of your favorite "lefty channels" are raking in monthly, using other people's private property. Some are doing really good, others not so much.
Here's a few examples... (estimate monthly revenue range)
Jimmy Dore - $2.2K to $35.5K
Secular Talk - $2.6K to $58K
The Humanist Report - $1.4k to $21.3K
The Convo Couch - $9.00 to $148.00
Graham Elwood - $54.00 to $863.00
Status Coop - $427.00 to $6.8K
TheRantingRooster - $0.00 to $0.00
Youtube, and other social media, should be viewed like Walmart if you will. You get your product on the shelf, but your objective is to draw in viewers to your own content portal, that is not someone else's private property.
Social Media is just the advertising platform to get viewers to YOUR content portal, where you own the "property" and you determine all the rules. Problem solved.
The video you post should compel your viewers to visit your content portal, not stay on youtube where your viewer are constantly being inundated by more and more "corporate" commercials, interrupting your content (i.e. message) every few minutes.
Doesn't mean you abandon youtube or other social media, but it does mean taking control back, which actually takes, ya know, work and some business accume.
In other words, don't build your business using someone else's private property, based on terms where they can censor you for basically any reason. Why is this concept so hard for the "left" to understand?
I'm just saying...
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
In this case, it is not a business
we have used the resources available to establish
a resource sharing community -- non-profit.
what will close this chapter is both a lack of funds
(non-profit) and a tendency to express opinions not
supported by the slip stream mediums (censorship).
We all see it coming. The challenge is to find a
continuance, if you will.
qmess
@QMS maybe send me a private
maybe send me a private message and give me more details, and I would be happy to provide any solution options I can think of.
For example, SocialEngine, is a feature rich facebook in a box like, open source app that costs $299 bucks but then you own the source code.
There is also a thriving developer community that builds custom apps. Apps that enable you to post in Social Engine and it will push it to a number other social media apps, like facebook, twitter etc...
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
This is an excellent post.
it’s extremely dangerous that so much “independent media” is dependent on huge corporations like Google, Facebook, etc. Instead of* trying to fight their censorship, your post is the conversation we should be having. It’s funny, in a way this is analogous to people with politics outside the mainstream thinking they can somehow reform the Republocrat party into doing their will, rather than going the third party route.
* or maybe in addition to? I am a fan of walking and chewing gum at the same time. It always seems like going really independent, be it political parties or media, are never given more than a dismissive acknowledgment when IMHO they’re the only way forward (albeit a tougher road to travel.)
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Both and.
I disagree with RR's perspective on the matter, but agree with the suggested tactic of finding, or building, an alternative platform.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I disagree with you on this
I’ve made my arguments already and see no need to repeat them, but when 'private companies' work closely with the government and intelligence agencies then in my book they are not private. Facebook had some questionable funding at the start and has never explained where it came from. Zucchini meets with people from the pentagon and other military agencies as do Bezos and Jack from the Twit. Still think they aren’t getting orders from the government?
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
I see that RR is saying there
are ways to get off these censoring tech forums, then have the argument if they are private corporations or government agencies another day.
There is no proof Google, Facebook, et al, are part of the government, although they sure act like it.
Maybe a whistle blower with a death wish will step up.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
No proof?
I’ve provided it in my essays on this. As have others. Extensively. You can use the search bar and see.
Sure tho build a new internet and problem solved.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
I guess my evidentiary standards
differ from yours. I always read your essays and your comments. We absolutely agree this wave of de-platforming and silencing is a true shit show.
The difference in our opinion is who is ultimately responsible for this. We can sue the government for 1st Am. violations. We must sue Google for a violation of contract. It is an apple and an orange for all legal purposes and intent.
I am waiting to see if, for example, Graham Elwood's lawyers can do anything for him. I am waiting to see if the ACLU can come up with a legal theory.
If the internet is proven to be an arm of the government, then we absolutely need to create another way of information gathering and sharing.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Some links
I agree that the courts are going to have to decide on this issue, but with all the judges McConnell got appointed will they interpret the laws correctly or go their own way? Remember democrats didn’t have many problems with the ones that were. And he’s said to have appointed a lot of them that have never been in a courtroom. Yay.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Being threatened by the government to do or not do a thing
does not make the threatened actor a wing of the government with government immunity. As a parallel, the Black Water assassins received money through their employers, a corporation with a government contract. They were prosecuted as individuals. Black Water changed their name. They might have been sued, but their lawsuit, if it did happen, I can't remember, would have had nothing to do with the government.
It is like the first thing that has to be determined: who do I sue, and on what legal theory? Can I file criminal charges instead? Are these violations of Constitutional import, or is it a breach of contract?
My local county hired a construction co. to build an office complex, and the co. just totally botched the construction. The lawsuit against the county failed, the co. went bankrupt, the taxpayers bringing suit got wiped out by attorney's fees and court costs
The Jimmy Dore Show video joe linked in his ebs tonight is a splendid discussion of this issue. What is lacking is to make these internet platforms public utilities. Until then, let's all watch what we say.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
There are two discussions going on here
and sometimes confusion ensues because they're interwoven.
Discussion 1)What does the law (both current and historical) say about the issue of online censorship on these platforms? (Sub-thread: What would likely happen if the case were brought? What would the courts likely do with the issue?)
Discussion 2)What is actually going on? Who is allied with whom? Who is working for whom? Factually, does it make sense to consider the public and private sector separate? Specifically, does it make sense to consider the big tech companies, with their historic close relationship with the U.S. military and intelligence community, as private entities? If the answer to either of those questions is no, does it make sense to treat the private property rights of Google, Twitter, and Facebook as paramount in this matter?
The first discussion is a legal one; the second is a political and moral one. Both are very important, but in different ways. It's important to know the legal standing of the issue because that will affect the choice of strategy and tactics. But the legal standing of the issue has nothing to do with right and wrong. Talking about companies' "rights" in this connection, under these circumstances, is nothing more than saying that freedom of speech is a commodity to be bought and sold and that it can be taken away at the whim of those with the most money. It's actually remarkably similar to the argument made by the Democratic party when they were sued about the 2016 primary. "We're a private organization," they said. "We don't answer to our rank and file membership, and we certainly don't answer to the public at large. We don't have to give anybody a competitive primary election." Elections are a commodity controlled by a private interest. Free speech is a commodity controlled by a private interest. The only rights that matter are the rights to private property, and the more private property you have, the more rights you have.
This ends up being just another version of might makes right.
These two discussions inform the third, most important discussion, which is just beginning: what steps should we take?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Why do people keep re-litigating the Nuremberg-trials principle…
The Third Reich’s establishment’s actions were all by the book and letter of the law; the Nazi professional-managerial class was very scrupulous about legal language and record-keeping.
The Nuremberg idea was that the effect on the real-world segment of humanity under you is what counts, not the fine distinctions, arguments, and precedents one learns in law school to pass the bar exam.
"Companies' rights to moderate content."
Completely trumps citizens' rights to free speech and association, as well as citizens' duty to participate in civic discourse.
Sort of like companies' rights to keep proprietary software secret completely trumps citizens' rights to know how their votes are being counted.
Sort of like private clubs'--or political parties'--rights to choose their nominees completely trumps citizens' rights to have a competitive electoral process.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I think we probably need to "build a new internet"
anyway.
As for whether these companies are public or private, part of the government or not--
I find myself a little discombobulated by the effort of pretending that the public and the private sectors are solid and distinct from one another. As far as I can tell, the difference between the two is that the public sector gets to take money from people automatically at least once a year, and mostly, the private sector doesn't--at least not so simplistically.
But seriously, if we believe the government, with the possible exception of the military and the spooks, essentially takes its orders from Wall St and the Fortune 500, that means that the distinction between public and private has essentially collapsed. The intermittent mass transfers of wealth by the government into the hands of the titans of the private sector demonstrate this fact pretty well. What we somewhat euphemistically call "defense spending" also demonstrates it, since there is, at this point, essentially no question that those defense corporations will get whatever monies they request, no questions asked. And, of course, the wars demonstrate it best of all. When's the last time we entered a war that did not serve the purposes of the oil and methane barons and the Wall St bankers and brokers who invest in them?
As far as I can tell, the purpose of the private sector is to make money for its richest participants, and the purpose of the public sector is to make money for the same people, with a secondary purpose of enough emergency management and infrastructure maintenance to keep the whole show running.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@snoopydawg Snoopy, it's not that I
Snoopy, it's not that I disagree with you as it were, but I'm just acknowledging how things actually are, play out in court in real life.
Whether these corporations are private companies or an extension of government, doesn't matter, the "principal" remains the same.
Don't build your house (business / non-profit) on someone else's foundation (social media), under terms you fundamentally don't agree with. Would you buy a car you didn't want?
But that does create a conundrum for the "left".
How will they generate revenues to sustain themselves and or even make a profit if they lose youtube ad money? All us broke people don't have the funds to subscribe to several youtuber's private patreon channels. heck a few subscriptions and you're tapped out pretty quick.
Trust me, I've learned this lesson first hand in mid 2018.
I think one metric for a "trigger" algorithm is 15K views a day.
One of my TV commercials I made for Condoms to Go and Sara's Secrets, I posted on my channel gosh in 2009 and it started to go really viral for some reason late 2017 early 2018. Over 1 million views in just 6 months of 2018 wasn't bad was it?
But one doesn't earn much money for a 30 second TV spot with a only few million total views I can promise you that. Gosh, it even had the annoying 2 seconds of Audio tone signal for the TV station's programming.
Look at the traffic sources. "Suggested videos" (i.e. by youtube themselves!)
Look at the dates I posted it, in 2009. yet, they wait till 2018 to slam me, just when I was cracking 15K a day in views?
But hey, someone didn't like me.
Notice it says "advertisers", not viewers or community guidelines. And after all the phrase Sex in the Shower, is actually a real product brand!
Notice, the "sponsored" ad on Google, who owns youtube, by HomeDepot for, you guessed it, Sex in the Shower Products!
Why is it okay for HomeDepot to sponsor an ad on google but I can't have my ad on youtube? Heck, it wasn't apart of any campaign, I just posted it for the hell of it.
Youtube themselves truly promoted it by their very own "suggested search" algorithms. I
never spent a penny promoting that video other than sending it as a link to production prospects.
(top of screen shot)
(bottom of screen shot)
When tried to fight back, I got squashed. Instead of demonitizing it they took it down completely.
I learned my lesson and demonetized all my youtube channels. Of course I wasn't making even 50 bucks every 6 months either.
Youtube had a share, FullSccreen MCN (Multi-channel-Network), who was funded by Upfront Ventures, who acquire Maker Studios, who was sold to Disney for 625 million, who re-brabded into Disney Digital Network, had a share.
In other words, the value chain from the advertiser's dollar to the end youtube content creator was shit. And the model of Maker Studios (MCN) was shit as well.
This is from 2017 at Digiday.com
The TYT Youtube Network is in essence, a MCN, Multi-Channel Network using the Maker Studio's business model or a slight variation there of.
I'm not bitter at all...
I'm just saying, don't build your house on someone else's property, private or government or any combination of both.
What was the East India Trading Company? A multi-national corporation with government like powers. Empowered to actually work on behalf of the state. Right?
Same principal applies here with Google, Facebook etc...
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
Not to be old-fashioned, but
to me it's obscene that private companies can control, or even profoundly influence, citizens' ability to discuss their country with each other. There are some things that cannot be controlled by profit-driven mechanisms without dreadful effects. The public square is one of them. The public health is another.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal I do not disagree
I do not disagree with you.
I feel the very same revulsion everyone else feels about corporations power over our lives in the real world, as well as the digital world. I feel an overwhelming sense of anger (rage) at my own powerlessness to change that dynamic.
Then there is the law.
While I don't like many of our laws, I have to at least acknowledge them the way they are now, so as to recognize how I want them to be or what kind of challenge I'm up against.
The law says, social media platforms are the private property of their respective, for-profit, private corporations. Doesn't mean I support it or advocate for it, I'm just acknowledging the reality of it.
To me, all these issues about free speech and social media have been around since their inception.
Gosh, think back about what happened at DailyKOS. Heck this website would not be here if not for the mass purge of Bernie supporters from DailyKOS.
Where were all these outraged free speech, social media justice warriors then? Gee, where was the Shaun King or Alex Jones "personality" to bring our grievances of free speech rights being oppressed by the big bad DailyKOS to the public awareness?
No one really came to our defense. We were the "bernie bros" banned for our "bad" online behavior; i.e. exercising our free speech rights criticizing Hillary, US policies and KOS himself for his complete hypocrisy.
And what was the response? Jtc got pissed off (I'm speculating) and built a site where we could say what ever we wanted, as long as we're not total dicks to one another.
The "model" that Jtc has given us, has been right in front of us this whole time.
But the "left" if you will, is, well, lazy or lacks the business accume and drive or as in my case, money or credit.
But not Jtc, who got off his butt and did something about it. (business accume, drive and a little money and or credit)
What have these other people done? Especially the ones screaming the loudest, that actually make good money from big bad youtube screaming about it, who could leverage their existing platforms to promote and fund such a new endeavor?
Which PanQuake is one such site.
(But, this new endeavor possibly threatens the very livelihood (revenue) these online "progressives" have built using someone else' property. How will they make money on that site, I don't know. I haven't found anything, yet, that describes how a user might be able to generate an income using their platform, or if that is even in the cards as it were.)
Why didn't anyone think of this years ago?
The simpleton answer is, why build something new when there's something already here, and it's free!
But unfortunately they failed to read the TOS of these "free" systems they built their houses on. Now the landlord is pissed their customers (advertisers) are complaining about all the houses in the neighborhood that don't look / act like them.
Think for a moment, the "left" has been banning free speech at DailyKOS, for years! And where does DailyKOS get their marching orders? The very same "Democrats" now calling for more social media censorship.
Where the hell is a Shaun King or someone high profile like that, pointing out this obvious and clearly documented fact?
If the so called left didn't favor censorship, this site would not exist. There would not be a "need" for it. Right?
Heck, if I had credit or money, I would build my own that would provide the opportunity for every user to make a little money using their gpu when they aren't using their machine. And we could proivde the spec's to build your very own, low cost "crypto-mining shed" using state of the art solar power and batteries, as bonus content for signing up.
Heck, have the entire community beat the spec's to death to get the very best technologies, source materials etc... because who knows, what we have designed might be great, but with community collaboration, we could make them even better, cheaper and more profitable for users!
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
There were a few, like Fiorella Isabel and the Convo Couch team,
who did speak out from a Left POV and call out a warning when, for instance, Alex Jones was banned and deplatformed.
[video:https://youtu.be/_mTxI4xffbw]
Ok RR, I've looked, and searched and can't figure out in
layperson's terms, what the hell is 'video mining'. I was hoping I could answer this myself. But I am stumped. Help.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
@Dawn's Meta Apologies, I should
Apologies, I should have posted a link.
Here's a link to https://livepeer.org/video-miners
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
It appears that Niko House
has gotten de-monitized too as of today. Niko said in his video that he, Convo Couch, Jamarl Thomas of Progressive Soapbox, and Franc Analysis all got their emails at the exact same time. That sure appears that there was a systematic and coordinated effort to take these channels down.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwprEwdG1MU]
Now I am wondering how many more will will get the axe. Some other channels that could be vulnerable are Richard Medhurst, Facts on the Ground, Briahna Joy Gray's channel, Katie Halper alone and Katie Halper along with Matt Taibbi (Useful Idiots). I am sure that there are other channels in jeopardy if this is what it appears to be...a cleansing of the true left independent media from the most popular platforms in an effort to silence the left.
IMO, this is the most serious threat to speech in this country that we have seen in my lifetime. It is truly terrifying and I do not use that word lightly.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I saw that
Disgusting what is happening with YouLube and I think it’s going to backfire on them in ways that won’t see coming. Lots of people are saying to just leave the Lube and go on Rofkin and many are there already.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
I sure hope so
Tell me about Rofkin, please.
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
Click on the links I’ve posted
It’s really easy to use from what I’ve seen. Looks typical to YouLube's layout.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
That would be ROKFIN.COM
I had tried roFKin.com several times, being rather dyslexic myself.
[edit] having briefly scanned rokfin user agreement and privacy terms, it looks as dense and invasive as YouLube, and very little content is available to anonymous visitors to the site. I’m not sure how it’s an improvement other than they have not yet deplatformed dissident political voices.
“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024
Hey maybe if Bree gets demonetized too
it would get Bernie’s attention and maybe he will address the creeping censorship before it’s totally out of hand. He’s speaking out about Navalny and said Putin has to release him. Navalny bailed on his probation and is spending the rest of his time there for fraud. But did you know that we were at his court hearing and asked the judge to be lenient. lol..lots of people outraged over Navalny, but have stayed silent on Julian Assange. Including Bernie. I can’t believe he doesn’t know the threat that poses for journalism worldwide.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Do not expect that
Bernie will support Brie. He has already thrown her under the bus once.
https://www.mediaite.com/election-2020/bernie-sanders-not-so-subtly-hits...
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Agreed
The fact that many Dems are applauding the purges, both left and right, is even more discouraging.
People’s Party time, please, please, please! We really need a party committed to change, not just the two so clearly committed to prolonging the demise of our failed empire.
“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024
On the brighter side of the news...
It looks like some good is getting accomplished at state and local levels:
https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/new-mexico-civil-rights-act-passes-...
This would be how it's done, I suppose; restoring accountability from the bottom up, module by module.
Getting back to the primary topic, help me have some perspective: If I myself do not depend on social media for information (and think nobody should), how much should I be sweating over this? I worry about it because other people I count on worry about it, AND because it feels like I have no choice but to care about social media because so many other people use it and I see the consequences of what happens there inflicted on areas I AM involved in.
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
A lot
It’s not just social media that is censoring, but alternative media took a huge hit back when Google changed its algorithms. Up to 90% of some websites is how far their traffic went down. This does affect you too even if you don’t use social media. If someone like Hedges gets censored or is never allowed to share his thoughts with us then that will snowball and what will we write about?
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Here's my problem...
...most people are hyposensitive to these things; they need to be frightened awake just to get them to pay attention, and even then, it seems they snap back to HappyLand at the drop of a hat.
I'm the dead-opposite of that in every way (extreme OCD, just for starters), so what might be "necessary alarmism" for most is life-ruining poison for me, AND may in fact lead me to think the situation, bad as it is, is WORSE than that. That's no good for me.
How am I to gauge information in a world where not only are the "Infowars" (credit where it's due, Mr. Jones) in full swing, but none of it is actually written for someone like me?
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
The assault on dissident/left voices by mainstream platforms
is scary. These companies are reacting to government pressure that was put on them to do something about all of the "disinformation" and "election interference", ie' anything that is not a regurgitation of the official doctrine. So this is the start of full out government enforcement of the selected government propaganda narrative. However, they are still simply using these easily controlled tools who fear for their business model and for other restrictions that could really cramp their style (and revenue stream).
Luckily, I suspect we aren't in a position that allows us to be so readily targeted. They can't deplatform us or demonetize us on faceplant, tweeter, you tube or such becausse we aren't published or monetized there, except that some individuals tweet some bits and pieces of content. Not yet for a while, at any rate, thugh I guess they doulc get to JtC's hosting service if they relly felt that many people were paying enough attention to us.
The funding is a bigger issue, as Johnny says above. I'm supposed to do some periodic fund-raisers, and haven't done any in a while, so this might be a good time. I suspect, however, that I'm talking to the choir here, but in case I'm not, the oval yellow button in the upper left corner of your screen is your friend, or at least the sites friend, so if you can pony up a little cowrie please consider giving it a shot.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Wow, guys.
I just dropped this here to let y'all know, hoping maybe folks would have a few ideas. Got busy with the rest of my day, came back--and 53 comments!
Can't wait to see what y'all had to say.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Update
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
So what does this tell us? How was this turned around?
How much power do The People still wield? Who is Ford Fischer, and to what "historic footage" does he refer?
I know a couple people close to me who are REALLY freaked out about 1/6, and if hard evidence that the official narrative is false could be provided, I would be VERY interested. That ConvoCouch video of the girl just sitting in her backyard ranting was not impressive, even to someone else close to me who admitted being sympathetic to the "Sixers" (as he decided to call them).
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
He had original footage of the Jan 6 debacle at the Capitol.
Many mainstream media companies bought it and used it as footage for broadcast: CNN, BBC, and many others. As has been pointed out it's the content creators which seem to be targets at the moment. Not the users.
It's similar to what happened after WikiLeaks distributed the info they had: NYT, WaPo, and other msm outlets used the same information and published it, but nothing has happened to them over it. Juian however, well....
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
Additional raw footage
Individuals participating in an event as large as the Capital event Jan 6 will each have different experiences. A single narrative is unrealistic and and when added to suppression of differing voices it makes me curious, what else went on that day?
Here are some links to live shots and witness interviews on the day or shortly thereafter. Never sure how long these will be available after posting here, we are seeing more youtube videos with the "X" on the screen at this site. Disclaimer: It is not C99 doing the censorship.
Live commentary (34 min)
Interview of two attendees later in the day (44 min)
Youe tube channel with a series of short videos of less than a minute. Do not always agree with the analysis.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
I think we should just all have Constitution burning
bonfires and get it all over with quickly.
"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin