if you are wondering what fascism looks like

it looks like this

when the state creates a backlist of information that cannot be shared on social media, that’s fascism, guys. there is no other name for it. (SOURCE)

this is the literal and explicit creation of an unelected and entirely unaccountable “truth ministry.”

it is also the thin end of a wedge that will NEVER stop pushing. this will become a noose around the neck of public discourse to sidestep the first amendment and create an informational police state with a one way ratchet to government domination of information.

“The carveout would only apply in situations where online misinformation is related to an existing public health emergency like the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as declared by the HHS secretary. “

yeah, right. because a power like that would never be abused, would it? they would never twist such definitions to suit political predilection, would they?

oh, wait…

“For far too long, online platforms have not done enough to protect the health of Americans. These are some of the biggest, richest companies in the world and they must do more to prevent the spread of deadly <enter literally anything here> misinformation,” Klobuchar said in a statement Thursday. “The <enter literally anything here> has shown us how lethal misinformation can be and it is our responsibility to take action.”

remember coyote’s law:

even and especially when you agree with the outcome from some new grant of government power, first imagine the politician you hate most wielding it.

because one day, they will.

do you seriously want to trust control of social media topic blacklists to whichever party happens to hold the presidency?

biden. trump. obama. bush. nixon. johnson. FDR. ready to give every single one of those guys this power? unless you are, you should be howling in protest against this.

it is profoundly unfair, unreasonable, and unamerican.

this is grotesque and will destroy the idea of discourse in the american public square. this is not a thumb on the scale, it’s an entire arm and probably a foot as well.

and do not think that the social media players will help you here. they LOVE this. they are dying to stop the fragmentation of their failing walled gardens as people flee censorship. the best way to do that is to make the censorship universal and mandatory. they will go full vichy because that’s what butters their bread.

In a statement Thursday, Facebook VP of public policy Kevin Martin voiced optimism about the bill. “We have long supported common industry standards and section 230 reform,” Martin said. “We believe clarification on the difficult and urgent questions about health related misinformation would be helpful and look forward to working with Congress and the industry as we consider options for reform.”

stand up and fight this now or kneel down and submit to it later. anyone who still thinks “slippery slope” is a fallacy or that you can trust government to “just oppress you a little when it matters” or “borrow some freedom because they will give it back” after the last 18 months is hopeless, but that is not most of us.

this is an obvious and disgraceful bridge too far and it’s long past time we started calling this totalitarian subterfuge by name, ripping it out root and stem, and voting anyone who ever tried to force it on us out of office forever.

the time for trust is over. it’s time to take back what’s ours.

#Demand Better