This is something that many ignorant people (mostly young children believing they can be “heroes by fighting fascism”) parrot on the internet, and it is patently false.
Freedom of speech is a human right. It has NOTHING to do with government. It is your human right of freedom of expression. Forget your irrelevant US constitution, this is a global human right.
Choosing who gets to speak and who doesn’t, based on political beliefs/race/religion, is called discrimination and is illegal. It is the same as say, ban black people from making Youtube videos. You may think that Youtube is private company and has the “right” to do it, but they don’t, because that would be RACISM. And they could be hunted by the justice system. Political beliefs are no different, discriminating against political beliefs is political discrimination and in a democratic society is illegal and against your human rights.
Nothing prevents Youtube or Twitter to host private/closed club services for their elect, but as long as they are supposed to offer a public service to people they have no right to discriminate on anyone. You can’t refuse to offer me a service because you hate me personally. This is illegal.
Also, removing people’s ability to spread their opinions via the established popular media is the same thing as censorship in the modern world. Youtube, Facebook, Twitter etc, are essentially the internet at this point. They are not “private companies” anymore. They are monopolies, and should be regulated by government and provide free speech, and not exploit their monopoly to steer the political agenta into their favour.
Huge business monopolies controling the political agenta in a country, are essentially what constitutes “Fascism”. It is the merger of enterprise and state. It is just that american citizens are mostly poorly educated and don’t know shit, so they do not understand the importance of free speech.
USA politics are all about tribalism these days, and i can’t see how you will avoid a civil war in the future.
There’s a marked difference between private companies pushing Nazis and white supremacists to the dark corners of the web and “banning the free speech of right wingers” Fascism begins when a government controls all aspects of information dissemination through state controlled media. And right now it’s the current government and its corporate backed media (Fox, Sinclair) that attack the media in this country as “fake news” or groups such as the NRA that frame them as enemies of the state. That’s fascism (at least part of it.)
This right wing obsession with antifa as a terrorists group that now encompasses everyone on the “left” would be laughable if it weren’t so stupid. And no, they are not the moral equivalent of Nazis, unless somehow advocating for the superiority of a race in your mind is the same thing as a small bunch of extremists punching said Nazis.
Right now, in this country, we have elected members of Congress and the Senate - not to mention a chief executive - who’s sympathies clearly lie with racists, bigoted groups and who, not coincidentally, are completely unmoored from any kind of reality. Yet college campus PC and a small group of agitators are the “real” problem. That is on its face completely ludicrous.
And then there’s this:
Edit: Oh god - if anyone wants to see just how far gone trump supporters are - click on that twitter link and behold the posts from one Michael Gray. Here’s a taste (no lie, it gets worse.)
https://twitter.com/graywolf/status/903033483890749441
Oghier
1746
It’s not a ban at all. You’re getting your ass kicked in the marketplace of ideas. You have no right to shelf-space there.
OK. But when Breitbart uses it, it usually means “Jew.”
You guys were asking what globalism was…
Well, it is not a 100% a ban, it is 99% of a ban. If you force someone to speak on a platform that can only reach 10k people, it is essentially a “shadow ban”. “You can speak but no one will hear you because we are the established monopoly in communication and social networks and we banned you”.
Let’s not beat around the bush here, it is a ban on free speech. It is political discrimination, and if you allow it as a tool to be used for you, it will be used AGAINST YOU at some point. This is how fascism and totalitarian regimes work.
Political discrimination is illegal. You cannot choose clients based on political or other criteria. Imagine for example if a big communication company like AT&T decided to ban alt-right clients from having a phone. Do you think they could defend this on court?
Human rights trump private rights, every time.
The right to your life, is a human right. Just because i own a shotgun and i have every right to turn it against you and pull the trigger (after all, it is my private property and you can’t tell me what to do with my private property, right?) doesn’t mean i won’t go to jail for violating your right to live… My right to handle my shotgun in this way and end your life doesn’t violate your right to live. One is a private property right (weak), the other is a human right (strong).
It would seem, in another more enlightened age people would understand human rights, especially leftists who are supposedly more concerned about things like these, but alas, USA is a borderline fascist state right now and lunacy is all i hear.
EDIT: As for Breitbart, what has that to do with anything? Do you understand that you have the “us vs them” mentality Hitler had? This is fascism 101. Someone is making a discussion and all you care is talking about “the other team”. It is tribalism. Stop doing it. Who gives a f*ck about Breitbart. I am not Breitbart. We are having a discussion here.
Oghier
1749
I’m not beating around any bush. It’s not a ban unless it’s done by the government, not in this country. You’re just being rejected by modern-day US Culture.
Your idea that private entities cannot discriminate based on political or other criteria is simply bizarre, if you’re referring to the United States. No such restrictions exist, regardless of whether you think or wish they did. ‘Human Rights’ and natural law are not actual law in and of themselves.
Enidigm
1750
This is me not getting trolled.
Timex
1752
Dude, no one is saying they can’t say whatever they want.
But no one is obligated to give you a platform from which to speak. Twitter isn’t obligated to let you use their platform to say whatever you want.
You are absolutely allowed to express yourself.
Absolutely no one is obligated to help you do so.
You guys are bad at responding to trolls.
“Technically”, is not a ban. In the strict sense. But it is a ban in all but name. Unless you can name me Facebook, Twitter,Youtube and mainstream media alternatives with the same amount of audience. I am done repeating myself, you are just arguing semantics at this point.
As for human rights, human rights are valid in most of the civilized world, including the USA.
What you are advocating for, is essentially a social network Apartheid. Like blacks weren’t allowed to sit in “white chairs” in S. Africa, in modern fascist USA right wingers aren’t allowed on most major platforms of communication.
Even if this is not illegal in US (in the end i am not a US lawyer), it SHOULD BE.
Twitter is not obligated to let me use their platform, this is true. But if Twitter gives the platform to John, and refuses to give it to me as well, it is discrimination.
Why Twitter refuses to give me access to the same platform? On what reasoning?
If that reasoning is because they don’t like my beliefs, then they are discriminating politically. Which ironically is what all fascists do. They refuse to allow any opinion other than their own.
But since apparently you are ok with political discrimination, let’s talk about race.
If Twitter offers its platform to white people for free, like it does today, and refuses access to black people, is it legal?
Answer this, and then answer how is political discrimination different.
magnet
1757
Not exactly. Political discrimination is not a federal offense. Some states ban it, others don’t care. In some places, you can ban customers for their political beliefs, but not fire employees.
Plenty of businesses have announced they will not serve Trump supporters and are not breaking any laws. For example, these guys.
Unlike political belief, race is a federally protected class.
Let’s pretend you’re not a fucking retarded Nazi for five seconds.
You’re born black and, even if there were something wrong with it (which of course there isn’t), you can’t change it. Discriminating against people for their natural state is pretty fucking grotesque.
No one’s born a fucking Nazi. You develop that kind of retarded, hateful worldview over many long years of being a cunt, and no one has to forgive for your stupidity.
Timex
1759
Discrimination based on you being an asshole is totally ok. Assholes are not a protected class of people, under our current legal system.
I’m allowed to discriminate against you need on your beliefs.
See, you don’t get to be an asshole, and then have me treat you like you aren’t.
You are totally allowed to believe terrible things, and express them as long as you don’t harm others, but no one is obligated to help you do so.
I’m absolutely allowed to shun and shame you.
Only cuz you goddamn people won’t vote me Lord President for eternity, dammit.
Calling someone a troll just because you have no argument is something that doesn’t fly vs intelligent people dude.
Oh, btw, i am a marxist. I believe capitalism is evil. I hate fascism.
Which is why i argue against political discrimination.
Timex
1762
Just to clarify, I’m not actually calling you an asshole Templar. I’m using “you” in a generic sense.
kedaha
1763
The guy is being respectful, thoughtful and considered. He’s replying to what people write, rather than parroting the same thing over and over.
Sure he just registered and is only posting here, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
What exactly have you contributed? You know what a discussion forum is right?
Poor little Nazi got his feefees hurt by the big scary leftists. SAD!
You should be embarrassed.
