Re:Silicon Valley is shutting down speech loopholes. Latest ...
by refurb on Wednesday January 27, 2021 @12:23AM
(#25924630)
“Face of rising extremism” is just your recency bias showing and demonstrates the power of the media to shape our perceptions. There are many periods in the past where the US was experiencing far more extremism and violence than today.
Re:Silicon Valley is shutting down speech loopholes. Latest ...
by bawolff on Wednesday January 27, 2021 @04:33AM
(#25926103)
The US had a literal civil war at one point; the bar is low. Things don't have to be the worst ever to still be concerning.
Re:Silicon Valley is shutting down speech loopholes. Latest ...
by refurb on Wednesday January 27, 2021 @06:05AM
(#25926736)
I see your point, but you can just go back to the 20th century. Anarchists bombing Wall Street in the 20's, racial and antiwar riots (and bombings) during the 60's and 70's. Right wing militias blowing up federal buildings in the 90's.
Obviously you don't want to dismiss a growing problem, but things seem much more manageable today than during these past incidents.
To bring it back to the topic of the US and Facebook. To me the censorship is not a sign of authoritarianism or anything, but lack of strong institutions. In the face of rising extremism and disorder Facebook effectively has to step in and do something to their best ability because in general the US has very few tools to deal with this at a democratic level.
When I see pictures of someone dressed as a shaman on the dais of the senate and lawmakers cowering behind benches it's very weird to me to draw the conclusion that the pressing issue is too much authority and not enough freedom of expression.