@gulfgal98 ....we have never had freedom, only as many privileges as the capitalists allow so long as it doesn't cut into their profits. The only thing that kept the capitalist pigs in check was the Soviet Union. They were scared shitless and had to make a few concessions to keep their rackets alive. And now, with the Soviets long dead and buried, the pigs reign, completely unchecked, with the far right assholes and faux left IdPol morons acting as their shock troops on and off line.

These assholes need to be confronted and scattered to the winds, quickly. Otherwise, this. Will. Get. Worse.

In two separate posts I explained why every one of us should be concerned about the so called "private corporations' censoring free speech. I also defended the principle of free speech for every one including those with whom I disagree or find odious. I am copying both of my comments as they are self explanatory and I stand firmly behind them both.

I am copying them because I find many people here do not read links before responding or passing judgment.

Comment # 1:

I am not conflicted at all

I find Alex Jones repulsive and annoying.

BUT...and this is a very big but. But, when we have corporations now censoring our ability to speak freely and express differing political ideas, however repulsive we may find them, then we are locked into a totalitarian state run by the oligarchs.

I may despise Alex Jones, but I will defend his right to speak freely. And then I can freely decide to ignore him too. The fact that our rights have been outsourced to private corporations and deregulated by what little is left of our so called representative government is far more frightening to me than any of Alex Jones' unhinged rants.

Comment #2 regarding how the US government is using private corporations to get around the First Amendment:

Ministry of Truth?

I made a comment on another essay on Monday that the government now has private corporations censoring our free speech on its behalf. It is another way around the First Amendment and it has been legally sanctioned and supported by our Congress.

In other words, the Act will i) greenlight the government to crack down with impunity against any media property it deems "propaganda", and ii) provide substantial amounts of money fund an army of "local journalist" counterpropaganda, to make sure the government's own fake news drowns that of the still free "fringes."

Our few remaining freedoms are not only being chipped away by our own government, but also are being out sourced to the private sector, paid by our tax dollars, with absolutely zero safeguards for we the citizens.

@studentofearth Unless you count libertarian/propertarian lunacy as fundamental rights. According to them, if you don't own property, you have no rights. That's the kind of crap that should have been fought years ago. Now? They have all the power.

occasionally means one has to defend someone you find abhorrent, with the full knowledge they would never return the favor.

Rush Limbaugh and privacy of medical records.

Larry Flint and pornography.

An individuals right to boycott any country or product. Internationally we use financial as a form of financial boycott.

Loss of a right will begin with someone or a position most people dislike or fear. There are few true champions of Rights. Many people consider them a tool to fight those they disagree and the target is someone from the other side. Or not effecting them individually since they have nothing fear because thy belong to the current majority.

It is a normal progression for our government to move from monitoring citizens on social media (note date of article 2010) to doing test runs of manipulations to monitor effectiveness of their actions.

@dkmich But like anything that serves the capitalist machine, he's outlived his usefulness. If it was someone else who didn't have a large presence and didn't make those same pigs billions of dollars, no one would give a shit.

And besides, left-wing ideology has been more or less illegal since the days of Eugene Debs, yet the pigs, along with their government, have managed to suppress it for just as long with a few blips here and there. Remember Occupy Wall Street? The pigs shut that down real quick.

than FB, Google and our corrupt politicians teaming up to censor our information. Alex Jones is now more popular than ever before. If you want to make something alluring, ban it.

we have never had freedom, only as many privileges as the capitalists allow

I totally agree with this. But, there is a difference. Once upon a time, they had to pretend to be fair and credible businessmen. Now, it is all blatant might makes right.

@Not Henry Kissinger The far-right have been the establishment since the days of Saint Ronald and have gotten progressively worse because there's been nothing to confront them. Alex Jones certainly doesn't. In fact, he tows their party line with a nugget of truth here or there to go along with the turds he's been selling.

He's a pig, just like them. If you think that's opposition, I've got a bridge to sell you.

lies in its utter lack of awareness that crackdowns on far right and far left speech are both part and parcel of the establishment strategy to silence opposing views regardless of where they originate.

Attempting to qualitatively judge who deserves to be censored and who doesn't is a fool's errand that only serves to justify censoring of ALL dissenting voices.

Way to play into their hands.