I really dislike hypocrisy. I dislike it a lot. What is inspiring me to write this?
I will comment in comment sections. Do you realize that some of the people I hear talking about "Free speech" the most put an automatic hold on my comments before allowing them to appear? Often they will not appear.
It is strange because these are places that for the most part I tend to agree with them.
This happens to me on the Health Ranger / Mike Adams / Natural News sites.
They cannot allow anything that might challenge their message to get by.
Today I read the following comment:
If your comments here don't get removed at least weekly you are too sweet. The truth hurts but guess what people....it stands the test of time. WAKE UP and pay attention the world is going to HADES and FOX NEWS is paving the way for you RINO's.
I replied with something the along the lines. "You are lucky. My comments are put on immediate hold before they are allowed to appear. If they appear."
That of course never appeared and was put on hold.
That was in the following article:
Vaccinated blood is tainted blood, study finds
Now in reality which article it was in didn't matter. I had no intentions of commenting until I read that comment above. I was already very aware that I am censored on Mike Adam's platforms.
They are his sites. He can do what he want. Yet he is one of those very vocal about free speech. Like I said... I dislike hypocrisy a lot.
I am very close to a free speech absolutist.
How can we truly know our ideas are the best ones if challenges are hidden/concealed?
How can we judge people by the content of their character when aspects of their character we personally do not like are concealed?
If a person is a jerk and their words would reveal that how can you know if those words have been censored?
If a person is dangerous but their words have been censored you will have lost an important way to know they are dangerous...
I do realize Mike Adams may not be aware of this at all and it is actually being done by staff he hired. Such things happen.
While I think that in general it is pretty dumb to censor content just because you disagree with it, this isn't a free speech issue. Believing in free speech as a right generally means you believe that the government has no right to restrict your speech. It doesn't mean that someone has to provide you a platform nor does it mean that they are a hippocrite if they say they believe in free speech...unless they are advocating that the government shut you up.
The interesting thing is I can offer a correction in my field of expertise and that will still be censored there. You have seen how I write. I don't typically resort to name calling and ad hominem style attacks. I will react differently if someone belittles me first.
Thus, consider what I have written on comments there essentially that. I don't attack. I comment.
I tend to agree with the majority of the content on that particular site. Sometimes a detail may be missing, or something along those lines.
I never comment along the lines of "You are an idiot" or "you are senile" or anything like that. :)
Under "spookism" type belief, it does not matter if the government or a smaller entity is the one to "shut you up." Instead, it is the mere fact that anyone is trying to limit your freedom to speak.
The fact that any other entity is trying to control what you say, whether you can say it, or how you say it, is the fundamental fact. Who in particular does this does not matter; nor does the platform it happens on matter. The foundational platform is "reality."
It only matters that an entity, be it government, man, or machine, is controlling your ability to speak.
I wish we could bring discussions here when they get censored at their source! I also have a couple of favorite local news sites that have comments on their articles. It goes through some third party validation service and everything starts off waiting for approval.
I agree that you often don't know someone is an ass until you see their uncensored comments! I'd rather not trust someone else to make character judgements for me when I have the time to find out myself.
I didn't say he did. Yet why have a comment section?
Really?
Look in a mirror.
I can't read minds. I don't believe all people and all organizations are the same.
I cannot know their motivations or reasons.
I can still complain about it.