Rising fascism in the US

@hightor,

Hearing dissenting voices, particularly Hedges’, *was* posted with great problems. He was fired from a mainstream news job because he included critical remarks that deviated from the national narrative. He found that he could say what he wanted on RT and RT soon lost its platform. He was censored off of YouTube.

Truthdig and Truthout are long standing left leaning news outlets that have been intentionally and systematically starved by Google search metrics. Truthdig can no longer operate. Truthout is in dire financial condition. Is this ok? To intentionally kill off a specific segment of political opinion?

We are witnessing massive censorship by our government and their paid cronies in tech.

There has been a very long, increasing encroachment against individual rights and free speech.

You will all be very sorry about it very soon.

Right now, people who should know better are cheering loss of freedoms and autonomy because the people and political party perpetrating it are their team. They’re mindlessly cheering strikes against their hated villains. They’re too stupid to see that they’re caught in the same web. They’re cheering their own end.

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@hightor,

The United States government is the biggest spreader of disinformation on the planet. That morass of corruption being the arbiter of truth is like asking Jeffery Epstein to chaperone your teenaged daughter.

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

The United States government is the biggest spreader of disinformation on the planet. That morass of corruption being the arbiter of truth is like asking Jeffery Epstein to chaperone your teenaged daughter.

Perhaps so.

But having you give lectures on how to prevent dissemination of disinformation definitely is.

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@Frank Apisa,

I didn’t say anything about how to prevent it—just warning about giving up so many freedoms, but don’t worry. There’s no going back at this point.

You win. May you live long enough to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

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Truthdig (2006–2020)
He was fired along with all of the editorial staff in March 2020. Hedges and the staff had gone on strike earlier in the month to protest the publisher's attempt to fire the Editor-in-Chief Robert Scheer, demand an end to a series of unfair labor practices and the right to form a union.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki
Chris Hedges - Wikipedia

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@Lash,

Quote:

The United States government is the biggest spreader of disinformation on the planet.

And a search of material available from the Government Printing Office shows that it's one of the biggest spreaders of useful, factual and historical information as well. Those old "Yearbook of Agriculture" volumes are incredible! Most observers of governments around the world know how to discriminate between political government speech and government fulfilling its civic duty.

Quote:

That morass of corruption being the arbiter of truth is like asking Jeffery Epstein to chaperone your teenaged daughter.

That's the way I feel about social media as well – a morass of corruption and self-indulgence which is a failed replacement for independent journalism.

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

The United States government is the biggest spreader of disinformation on the planet. That morass of corruption being the arbiter of truth is like asking Jeffery Epstein to chaperone your teenaged daughter.

That replacing United States government…

They of the Department of Unwavering Truthiness.

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

I didn’t say anything about how to prevent it—just warning about giving up so many freedoms, but don’t worry. There’s no going back at this point.

You win. May you live long enough to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

We both want "freedom." We just have differing opinions about how best to insure obtaining as much as possible...all things considered.

It is my opinion that Reagan damaged America by damaging the notion of government. "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem" and “The most terrifying nine words are – ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help'"...are not the kinds of sentiments we should be hearing from anyone looking to defend a democracy. Government is an essential.

You are damaging government with your constant screeds about what a ****-heap it is.

Yeah, it could be better, but it already is a hell of a lot better than you paint it to be. Arguably, we have the most "freedom" of any people who have ever existed.

And wanting "freedom" is not wanting "license." One of the fundamental requisites of civilization and society...IS TO GIVE UP SOME FREEDOMS. We cannot all do whatever we want. That is not the way society and civilization function. The more complicated the society, the greater the amount of "freedom" that must be abrogated.

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@Frank Apisa,

I pay plenty of taxes.
I follow laws.

Our so-called leaders lie with impunity.
They have access to our personal information.
They spend billions of dollars on war—even others’ wars—while healthcare, dental care, a decent public education and formal education are unattainable for most citizens.

It is unforgivable to me.

I’ve given up enough freedoms. I think the politicians who have put us in this position should be arrested, tried, and jailed—not the journalists who expose them.

I have to say—even though I’m not trying to antagonize you—your belief that the US citizens enjoy more freedoms than any people who existed is factually bankrupt and grossly antiquated propaganda. The college and healthcare costs alone put that comment to bed.

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We don’t make the top ten of a Freest Country List that we basically compiled.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/freest-countries

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@Lash,

You're awfully close, in numbers... you're quibbling about a couple of points.

Top 10 Freest Countries and Territories in the World - 2021 Human Freedom Index

Switzerland — 9.11
New Zealand — 9.01
Denmark — 8.98
Estonia — 8.91
Ireland — 8.90
Finland — 8.85
Canada — 8.85
Australia — 8.84
Sweden — 8.83
Luxembourg — 8.80

USA - 8.73 - You're tied with Germany.

Compare that to:

Top 10 Least Free Countries in the World - 2021 Human Freedom Index

Syrian Arab Republic — 3.66
Venezuela — 4.03
Yemen — 4.08
Sudan — 4.48
Egypt — 4.49
Iran — 4.53
Somalia — 4.93
Burundi — 5.02 (tie)
Iraq — 5.02 (tie)
Libya — 5.05

With another 145 countries in between. Where would you rather live - USA or any of the bottom ten countries?

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@Mame,

I don’t take this list at face value—I used it for the reason I stated in my post.

I don’t have to choose among the bottom ten countries listed. I think the ‘love it or leave it’ argument was soundly beaten down decades ago.

THIS country shouldn’t be administrated (ruined) by corrupt officials and, currently, I’m free to publicize that opinion.

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Another list: US, 25th

https://www.heritage.org/index/ranking

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

THIS country shouldn’t be administrated (ruined) by corrupt officials...

Well, good luck with that.

Lash wrote:

I’m free to publicize that opinion.

Of course you are free to do so. I'm just saying I think you're exaggerating the doom and gloom. No country is exempt from corrupt officials and many countries are far worse off in all three categories.

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@Mame,

Mame, may I add that I don't believe "the sky is falling"?

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@Mame,

Mame wrote:

Lash wrote:

THIS country shouldn’t be administrated (ruined) by corrupt officials...

Well, good luck with that.

Lash wrote:
I’m free to publicize that opinion.

Of course you are free to do so. I'm just saying I think you're exaggerating the doom and gloom. No country is exempt from corrupt officials and many countries are far worse off in all three categories.

Yup. Exactly.

And it seems to me that the vast majority of humans are living with much more personal freedom than most other people throughout history. Fact is, even those living in authoritarian countries...are living better lives than were lived by the vast majority of people who have ever lived on the planet.

Sometimes it is best to pay as much attention to what is good about things...than spend most time complaining about what is not perfect.

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@BillW,

BillW wrote:

Mame, may I add that I don't believe "the sky is falling"?

Bingo, Bill!

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@Frank Apisa,

I think some people mistake money with freedom.
Yes, ‘poor’ people in the US have cellphones and a tv. Not so in several countries, admittedly.

The things that make us truly free aren’t available to most citizens, tho.

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The biggest theft of personal freedom of Americans by the Government wax when George Bush passed the Patriot Act.

And Lash voted him back in.

Way to stick it to the government.

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

I think some people mistake money with freedom.

Could be. In fact, I would say, "Yes, they do."

I NEVER DO.

Quote:

Yes, ‘poor’ people in the US have cellphones and a tv. Not so in several countries, admittedly.

Okay.

Quote:

The things that make us truly free aren’t available to most citizens, tho.

I am saying that we presently are MUCH FREER than most of humanity has been throughout history.

Not sure of what you think we should have in order "to make us truly free"...but we can discuss that.

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Rising fascism in the US

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