Wouldn't normally support pulling them, but I think the laundry list against Jones is just too long.
What's interesting to me about Jones is that he used to be a non-partisan conspiracy theorist. I lived in Austin when he was on cable access there, and the thrust of it was that everyone in power was corrupt and people needed to wake up. You'd hear the typical "wake up sheeple" on his radio show.
Today he carries water for the President and the GOP, while pushing InfoWars branded vitamin supplements to his viewers. So he sells what I'd argue are fraudulent products using fake news, and then there's the harassment of Sandy Hook families and the recent violent rhetoric directed at Mueller. Seems like a matter of time before a private company decides it's not worth supporting.
I mean I’m iffy on conspiracy theorists having that wide a platform in general but when your bullshit theories start prompting people to enact real world violence you need to be shut down.
Every other Silicon Valley CEO: Ok we get it now, Alex Jones is a terrible person who not only spreads false information but actively promotes hatred and violence amongst the general populous and we can no longer allow him a platform from which to do so.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: Yeah but like, maybe he should be allowed to promote hatred and violence? You know, as long as it’s under a certain character count, who cares what someone says.
Every other Silicon Valley CEO: Ok we get it now, Alex Jones is a terrible person who not only spreads false information but actively promotes hatred and violence amongst the general populous and we can no longer allow him a platform from which to do so.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: Yeah but like, maybe he should be allowed to promote hatred and violence? You know, as long as it’s under a certain character count, who cares what someone says.
Twitter has been spanked for censoring people in the past. Jones is a shit and if other companies want to kick him off then they can. I think it's censorship and he should be able to say whatever he wants, same way the radical left is able to go on Facebook, Twitter, Google, Youtube and every other platform and say what they want. It's their protected right of free speech and expression. I don't have to like either one of them, but I will respect that they can say what they want. You could also, you know, not read any of it.
Except people do read his shit and then go harass the parents of dead children about how their children’s death was fake. Alex Jones is literally the worst person in conspiracy theories right now and the fact that he’s actively promoting people to induce hate speech and violence against innocent people is actually illegal. This has nothing to do with me not wanting to read his bullshit.
I was browsing the donald on reddit the other day after the whole Alex Jones thing went down. To say they were obsessed is an under statement.
I would never comment there, but in all seriousness, no one is making it illegal for him to do his show, right? They just aren't giving him a platform?
Is that technically censorship? No one's taking his freedom of speech away, just their support. He can start his own pirate radio or website (if he hasn't already) and do and say whatever he wants.
They’re private companies and they can ban whoever the fuck they want so no it’s not censorship. Also I’m pretty sure Twitter’s policy of allowing these types of cesspools to gather on their site is going to cost them a lot in the long run anyways so probably they should be doing more.
Every other Silicon Valley CEO: Ok we get it now, Alex Jones is a terrible person who not only spreads false information but actively promotes hatred and violence amongst the general populous and we can no longer allow him a platform from which to do so.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: Yeah but like, maybe he should be allowed to promote hatred and violence? You know, as long as it’s under a certain character count, who cares what someone says.
Twitter has been spanked for censoring people in the past. Jones is a shit and if other companies want to kick him off then they can. I think it's censorship and he should be able to say whatever he wants, same way the radical left is able to go on Facebook, Twitter, Google, Youtube and every other platform and say what they want. It's their protected right of free speech and expression. I don't have to like either one of them, but I will respect that they can say what they want. You could also, you know, not read any of it.
I was browsing the donald on reddit the other day after the whole Alex Jones thing went down. To say they were obsessed is an under statement.
I would never comment there, but in all seriousness, no one is making it illegal for him to do his show, right? They just aren't giving him a platform?
Is that technically censorship? No one's taking his freedom of speech away, just their support. He can start his own pirate radio or website (if he hasn't already) and do and say whatever he wants.
Am I off base on this?
You got a point, he can take his show on the road and do it elsewhere.
They’re private companies and they can ban whoever the fuck they want so no it’s not censorship. Also I’m pretty sure Twitter’s policy of allowing these types of cesspools to gather on their site is going to cost them a lot in the long run anyways so probably they should be doing more.
Ummm, Dorsey is worth over $5 billion personally and Twitter is valued at between $15-30 billion. I seriously doubt this kinda stuff is gonna make a sizeable dent in their profits or see a mass exodus of users. Facebook did take a big spanking in the stock market recently but it's still going.
These companies won't be brought down by this, which is why I am surprised Disney has dug it's heels in on the James Gunn shit. Pissing off a few conservatives by rehiring Gunn doesn't mean that folks won't be waiting in line to get their picture with Belle or Mickey
If I was a billionaire, I wouldn't be spending my money to make electric cars. I would buy hundreds and hundreds of puppies that want to be best friends with everyone and unleash them at things like this whenever they pop up.
Man, that's a tough one. I was planning to go play in a poker tournament but I don't know if that will hold a candle to burning Bernie in effigy, shouting at minorities and women, and a few salutes of white power. I haven't gotten in a good shouting match with a mixed race, transgender, socially oppressed mob backed by a masked group of Antifa vigilantes in what must be a good 3 weeks.
Can they do it next weekend instead? I am all good then!
Yeah, I'm all for free speech and whatever, but Jones is essentially the equivalent of shouting fire in a crowded theatre, and he deserves to be gagged.
Also, as normal, Molyneux's dramatic hysterics are hilarious
Twitter's statement seems super reasonable and I was about to say I agree. But the replies are just too true. Twitter is washing their hands of this, claiming there are other solutions, but there really aren't. At the end of the day they are culpable in Alex Jones's harassment of innocents (as well as making their own site a breeding ground for more).
Look there’s a difference between spouting random bullshit on the internet and being a public safety hazard and the difference is essentially how many people will buy into your brand of bullshit and act upon it. As it happens Alex Jones has a very large group of followers who buy into his very wrong, and very dangerous bullshit and are perfectly willing to act upon it. There is a line at which free speech is actively dangerous to the public and Alex Jones has crossed that line many times.
And don’t @ me with any “well liberals do it too” nonsense because I don’t fucking care. If you can present to me an honest liberal actor promoting the same level of violence and hatred as Alex Jones with the same size of audience then yes, I agree, they should also be banned. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also ban Alex Jones in the meantime. That’s like not arresting someone just because some other guy who’s clearly guilty hasn’t been arrested yet. We should all have a baseline where people who are actively harmful to public goodwill don’t deserve a platform from which to spread that harm regardless of who’s side they’re supposedly on because they’re not on anyone’s side, they’re just assholes.
And don’t @ me with any “well liberals do it too” nonsense because I don’t fucking care. If you can present to me an honest liberal actor promoting the same level of violence and hatred as Alex Jones with the same size of audience then yes, I agree, they should also be banned. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also ban Alex Jones in the meantime. That’s like not arresting someone just because some other guy who’s clearly guilty hasn’t been arrested yet. We should all have a baseline where people who are actively harmful to public goodwill don’t deserve a platform from which to spread that harm regardless of who’s side they’re supposedly on because they’re not on anyone’s side, they’re just assholes.
And don’t @ me with any “well liberals do it too” nonsense because I don’t fucking care. If you can present to me an honest liberal actor promoting the same level of violence and hatred as Alex Jones with the same size of audience then yes, I agree, they should also be banned. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also ban Alex Jones in the meantime. That’s like not arresting someone just because some other guy who’s clearly guilty hasn’t been arrested yet. We should all have a baseline where people who are actively harmful to public goodwill don’t deserve a platform from which to spread that harm regardless of who’s side they’re supposedly on because they’re not on anyone’s side, they’re just assholes.
Comments
What's interesting to me about Jones is that he used to be a non-partisan conspiracy theorist. I lived in Austin when he was on cable access there, and the thrust of it was that everyone in power was corrupt and people needed to wake up. You'd hear the typical "wake up sheeple" on his radio show.
Today he carries water for the President and the GOP, while pushing InfoWars branded vitamin supplements to his viewers. So he sells what I'd argue are fraudulent products using fake news, and then there's the harassment of Sandy Hook families and the recent violent rhetoric directed at Mueller. Seems like a matter of time before a private company decides it's not worth supporting.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: Yeah but like, maybe he should be allowed to promote hatred and violence? You know, as long as it’s under a certain character count, who cares what someone says.
These companies won't be brought down by this, which is why I am surprised Disney has dug it's heels in on the James Gunn shit. Pissing off a few conservatives by rehiring Gunn doesn't mean that folks won't be waiting in line to get their picture with Belle or Mickey
Anyone going?
link
Can they do it next weekend instead? I am all good then!
Let's have a "what we currently have" rally! (Edit: referring to the headline)
Also, as normal, Molyneux's dramatic hysterics are hilarious
"So the Great Purge, my friends, is upon us."
lololol
Twitter's statement seems super reasonable and I was about to say I agree. But the replies are just too true. Twitter is washing their hands of this, claiming there are other solutions, but there really aren't. At the end of the day they are culpable in Alex Jones's harassment of innocents (as well as making their own site a breeding ground for more).