Anons have always shaped and subverted the discourse. Several founding fathers wrote as anons, including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. The ideas matter far more than the identities and credentials. Doxxers are a nuisance, just like the redcoats.
Actually, it's just a *holds thumb and forefinger 1/2" (that's 12 mm for those of us in The Metric System) apart* _teeny_ bit more hand shakes than that.
At the risk of overextending a metaphor, I’ll just say I’m here for ya, buddy! “Spock observes that the good Kirk is quickly losing his ability to make decisions and says that its the evil Kirk, that makes Kirk a great leader. … The good Kirk reaches in time and realize that they are both halves of each other and cant survive in isolation.”
It took awhile, but we have turned the U.S. into the former Soviet Union. The single most effective check that the Soviets had against anti -Soviet speech was not the Gulag, but the ability to deprive dissidents of any means of making a living. Back in those days, an American businesses were run by business leaders with all kinds of views - from crunchy granola liberals to second amendment zealots. Employees could work for businesses that shared their views - or not. Not anymore.
There's a reason why voting is anonymous. The exact same logic applies here. And let me guess: the people arguing against anonymity are usually the ones in power. Funny how that works.
I’ve been shocked by some of the big names pushing to ID the internet. Frankly, I expected better of them. This seems so obvious to me, but this article is clearly needed. Thank you!
The drug addled blowhard Jordan Peterson for one. He has called for all anons to be removed from Twitter. I tried listening to that fraud on many occasions, he talks in circles using a lot of psycho babble and big words. Then when confronted or questioned he resorts to name calling and the like, and wants censorship and doxxing.
Not sure jordan is the bad guy you're making him out to be. When i't comes to pedophiles and deviant dangerous people, id is important. Itd be better if they were prosecuted and put to death. Then there would be no need for other demands for interventions. But lol around, there are MANY situations we all want answers. But who determines what's good or bad I guess is the real issue....
He’s 100% on the money about the trans and pedophile stuff. I agree with him on that. It’s the fact he is a fraud preaching his 12 rules while lying about his drug addiction. Plus he’s a blowhard talking and talking barely stopping for a breath. Nobody loves the sound of their own voice as much as that guy.
I'll have to seek those out. I was disappointed with Peterson after he recovered from his medical episode and said nothing really at all substantial about Covid.
I don't think he is a fraud, but then again, there has been a huge blanket indictment from some quarters on the "intellectual dark web." I know the controversy about "controlled opposition." that is expressed about these guys. I still back his stance on pronoun use. By and by, you can use whatever pronouns you want for me. not that you need my permission.
You're right, it was benzo addiction. My dad was an alcoholic as well, credibility is a slippery slope because I can probably find something wrong with everyone, most notably myself. Would you like to hear my list of self grievances?
He has some good stances, especially in regard to the tyrannical patriarchy. I also like the way he pronouned "lobster."
i do agree with many of his stances, especially regarding the trans phenomenon, Hes also right about the climate change and green new deal stuff. Not sure I'd call him controlled opposition. As far as your self grievances, it's apples and oranges, you're not goinh around preaching to people, while living a lie, at least not that I know of. I'm no saint myself, but I dont pretend to be one to sell books and gain clout.
Yes! "assess an argument on its merits as opposed to upon who made it"
Stop with the ad hominem BS.
Yes! "we live in a technocratic and bureaucratic regulatory state. permission is required for the most mundane of activities from catching a fish to building a house to (most of all) making a living and building a business."
That's one way of putting it. I was referring to Anthony "Walter White" Fauci who in the same way that one said he was the danger....Fauci "is the science."
There not about to stop the ad hominem. Instead they will gaslight you for "not knowing what ad hominem is." That is the response I get every time I call it out, which is often. Then they will hem and haw and say it is an "accurate description."
People in public media such as Tucker Carlson, J P Sears, Candace Owens really have to be openly identifiable. That identity is their stock and trade. I applaud their bravery and the price they pay, but most of us who really have no public face may be better off remaining occult. Heck, if the regimes neo-gestapo manage to imprison all the public figures as they have with Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, it will be the anons who have to be the next ones up.
JB Peterson famously stirred the pot by demanding an end to anon posting. I thought that was rich. When he, a public intellectual, gets targeted by the mob, he raises his profile and sells a few thousand more books. If I, a quiet professional, get cancelled, I’m just out of a livelihood. My plight will not get front page coverage or really even make a ripple.
Good Point! "public intellectual" indeed. Too smart for his own good or lacking in self awareness and what his statements can bring = The law of unintended consequences.
I agree that we need both. People like Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi have been invaluable, partially because their credentials are as good or better than the propogandists working for MSM outlets, so they disprove their accusation that all dissenters are not "real" journalists (as if the first amendment only applies to people the government deems "real" journalists). But they are in a position to follow their convictions, as you say. I follow many anon accounts and often find them equally valuable, and they don't have to walk the line in the same way.
It does take all kinds. And I see the anon/real question to be one of choice. There should be a choice to do either, and both have valid reasons. I don't have anything to lose. That for me is why I am "out there."
I watched in fascination starting around May 2020 as you and others on Twitter and eventually Substack et al and then X ran rings around many of the credentialed experts. I saw very quickly that it was eminently possible (and easy) to assess your credibility from your words. Same for other anons as well as the credentialed "experts".
And then I realized how much better off I was than when I was relying on the experts to tell me who the experts are. Like many others, I made a life and death decision about whom to listen to in the face of what was claimed to be an unprecedented biological threat running rampant around the globe.
I never lost any sleep over my choice, even in the face of well-meaning warnings from a few friends that I was recklessly risking the health, and maybe even the lives, of me and my family. This epistemological model is what I now apply to every issue that requires a personal choice as to whom or what I believe.
Absolutely correct. Anybody pushing for the “benefits” of identifying everyone is on the WRONG side. Shun them. Forevermore. No exceptions, no excuses.
education is a joke nowadays. you have to homeschool your children to have them learn anything it seems. everything needs to be built up from the ground again. several people on Substack write anonymous because otherwise they end up behind bars, arrested for speaking the truth !
I see your point, but just because someone uses a name as a handle doesn’t mean it is their real name. AIs can create pretty compelling evidence of existence at low cost, so the value of using names is extremely low.
If an AI-bot shares good advice, promotes stories we like, how would this be substantively different than a truly anonymous actor?
I don't think that it is. You don't have to hand the pamphlets to people in person. Just leave them lying about.
We can be inspired by stories like "The Story of B" by Daniel Quinn. The Church sends a priest out to meet and learn about B, some guy spreading very unofficial viewpoints around town. So, of course, he's deemed The Antichrist. B just keeps moving and doing his thing.
The COVID and Global Warming Priests are just as devout.
I have a very liberal neighbor who often agrees with conservative values UNTIL he learns WHO the information came from. Arguably, this is what Gato is saying and I agree. Saddest part for me is the inability to discuss relevant topics today - like many, he was completely shocked and betrayed by the debate performance. I saw it for years and I see the lies and manipulation as they begin - it seems obvious to me. I see this anon business from both sides, but we are depressingly uninspired - and btw, this neighbor calls 45 The AntiChrist. Ugh.
It's like they can get so close sometimes, almost totally rationally, then they can't possibly accept that Those People might have some good ideas even if they don't have all of the good ideas.
If full anonymity is enabled anyone can choose to out themselves. It doesn't work the other way. There's no logical 'middle way' unless you think the author is arguing everyone should be forced to be anonymous with threat of imprisonment if you say your real name. And that would be a retard belief.
it did not even occur to me, that most people use a screen name. I went with my own just like you Mark. If the govt is out to find you, I don't think you can hide
You know how some people have skeletons in their closet, Ingrid? Well, some people *whistles, kicks pebble, looks skyward* have entire family plots in their walk-ins. These bodies might not be illegal or even immoral. Their existence is just evidence that one's views run counter to the Narrative of the Path to The Greater Good. If the very fine reputations of Drs. Jay Bhattacharya and Judith Curry aren't sufficient to prevent _them_ from them being blacklisted, We the Little People can be dismissed.
And yet these same actors might still have meaningful things to share and perhaps there should be platforms where they can share without having to fend off a DDoS attack of Ad Hominem.
I think for most people the anonymity at most provides a false sense of security. Unless you are very diligent an internet sleuth, 4Chan detective, or the feds can dig out most people in a day or so. I think a lot of people rely on an anonymous screen name and a VPN to protect them and are going to be sorely disappointed when it fails them.
I'm not so much worried about BigFed. I'm Googled out the yinyang - Gmail, Docs, YouTube - and Big Sundar has been watching the whole time.
And they don't really want to be the ones to sniff out a small fry like me. They'd rather some "grass roots" concern create a Cancel and Dox campaign against We the Little People.
This is just the right place for such conversation.
I don’t think anyone is under the illusion that using a screen name could stop the likes of the NSA from connecting to your real identity. The regime just doesn’t like people having the audacity to not even conceal themselves.
It's the little guys that worry me. The petty bureaucrats that want to ingratiate themselves with the regime and see you as an easy target. The FBI and NSA already know who I am.
I mean, sure, the NSA knows, but it was twitter mobs scouring the internet for wrong-speak that got a lot of people fired in 2020-2022. Who got Gina Carano cancelled? Not the NSA.
Flying Monkeys (why is this not a band name?)Those things freaked me out as a kid...and they still do (perfect description). So I'll keep my pseudo-anonymity, thank you.
This is a bit of a tangent, but it never ceases to amaze me, when I see it laid out in black-and-white, the true scope of the horror that the "covid situation" truly is and was. Here we had an engineered virus that was intentionally created and released as an excuse to unleash a substance designed to sicken and depopulate the Earth, and anyone who dared to even voice doubts about that substance's safety at that time -- back when the shots were first being rolled out, before most people knew how bad they truly were -- was systematically threatened and silenced. Let that sink in, and don't stop until it chills you.
Now, they are gearing up for mRNA redux: Bird Flu edition. It's a perfect time to remind yourself that this evil is real, and it is rampant, and that if you are aware and awake, you are the antidote. Speak your truth, anonymously or otherwise, but don't let them win this time.
True, it definitely is not. I hope that people have wised up. Thing of it is, though, they may just use alphabet agencies and useful credentialed idiots to try and ram it anyway. Time will tell.
Not too tangenty, really. The "covid situation" was possible because those who opposed what turned out to be obviously poor remediation measures were prevented from speaking out. Since that's the topic of this here article, I'd say it's dead on.
Thank you, yeah that is what I find so chilling about it all. It would have been bad enough had the shots been unleashed on a populace that was allowed to hear dissenting voices and make their own decisions, but no. Anyone who even dared to question was systematically silenced.
Unfortunately it isn’t just employers and government goons looking to silence or punish opposition. The lapdogs of these entities are all too happy to do everything they can to dox and ruin the lives of people who cross them.
The amount of people turned into pariahs by losers that want the thrill of being part of a mob is staggering. No surprise many try to avoid courting that.
It's like all those classic movies with the British soldiers in their brilliant uniforms riding tall and correct in the saddle to be cut down in their multitudes by guerilla warriors.
He briefly legalised the wall-papers of chinese tradition, letting people post their grievances with the state and governement in public, while Red Guards looked on and took notes.
After some time, the Red Guards rounded up the posters for re-education.
The chinese of the tie trusted Chairman Mao. I don't think we should trust our SofaKings presidents, prime ministers or whatever they're called.
It starts early. My boys know not to speak up in school against the virtue opinion du jour bc their grades would be affected immediately. This bullshit game starts early.
The teachers dont know how to think themselves. The younger teachers are the worst. I pray for old white guy teachers every year. Sorry but it’s where ive had the most luck. They have had one gen x female teacher who was great too.
Teaching people think is not an easy task, I suspect. And fostering it is not easily measurable so you can't just slap it in a Grade Book.
As The Swabster notes, the teaching of Critical Thinking is probably not an actual goal of Public Education. Following directions and staying in your seat are more likely stated goals.
Anons have always shaped and subverted the discourse. Several founding fathers wrote as anons, including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. The ideas matter far more than the identities and credentials. Doxxers are a nuisance, just like the redcoats.
Shout out to gato and several other anons for leading the charge: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-stay-anonymous-top-anons-creativity-trust
"Shout out to gato and several other anons for leading the charge"
*hangs head*
Next you're going to say that you aren't really Yuri Bezmenov?
He totally is. You ask Alexander Vindman: https://substack.com/@yuribezmenov/note/c-43104048
Priceless! Talk about dolts…!
That's... that's really unbelievable.
I mean, I knew he was a Clown Moron already but, dag.
Twins...its like Double the Dorkism
Are you really "The Pi Guy?"
Nah. There's a bunch of us out there and I'm kinda a minor Pi as Pis go.
I don't even know the Secret Handshake yet. *shrug*
isn't it 3.14 hand shakes?
Actually, it's just a *holds thumb and forefinger 1/2" (that's 12 mm for those of us in The Metric System) apart* _teeny_ bit more hand shakes than that.
Oh no! Math!
Maybe you should become the Pie Guy, because everyone likes pie.
Well I am sure certain groups hate Apple Pie because it is "American."
I believe in pie diversity - apple, peach, blueberry, coconut, banana, and even rhubarb, an underrepresented pie.
Nah. It's a lot easier to blend in when I'm just a Regular Pi Guy.
I eschew the limelight.
Ever notice on the unit circle that Pi is on the left? If you were on the right would you be Anti-Pi Guy?
🤔 I hadn't thought about the implications of there being The Two of Us loose in the world.
I fear it could be something like this:
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0708463/
Even just one missing odd-integer multiple of Pi in the timeline could be catastrophic.
At the risk of overextending a metaphor, I’ll just say I’m here for ya, buddy! “Spock observes that the good Kirk is quickly losing his ability to make decisions and says that its the evil Kirk, that makes Kirk a great leader. … The good Kirk reaches in time and realize that they are both halves of each other and cant survive in isolation.”
I love apple pi...
🤣
Bravo Yuri! I believe without anons in this current political chaotic dumpster fire we would be so much further behind.
Hat Tip EGM, Yuri, MAA, AMD and so on… 💜💯🔥💥🎉🎈🍾🥂
It took awhile, but we have turned the U.S. into the former Soviet Union. The single most effective check that the Soviets had against anti -Soviet speech was not the Gulag, but the ability to deprive dissidents of any means of making a living. Back in those days, an American businesses were run by business leaders with all kinds of views - from crunchy granola liberals to second amendment zealots. Employees could work for businesses that shared their views - or not. Not anymore.
See "social credit scores" in China for the 21st century version..
If BigGov ever institutes Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) then all anonymity will be lost except in the Black Market.
When using Physical Currency is a Crime, only Criminals will use Physical Currency.
“We’re all Keynesians, er- criminals now.”
We did that in the 20th century and we're just going backwards, that's all.
As in the Soviet Union the quiet markets are growing as non-participation in the state-sponsored markets is dwindling.
There's a reason why voting is anonymous. The exact same logic applies here. And let me guess: the people arguing against anonymity are usually the ones in power. Funny how that works.
Only 5 democrats in the House of Reptiles voted for the SAVE act.
They will undoubtedly be reamed by the other Dems, but it probably saved their seats.
Why did they not tack the Save Act onto something else...like they do when they want it to be practically UnVeto-able ??
I’ve been shocked by some of the big names pushing to ID the internet. Frankly, I expected better of them. This seems so obvious to me, but this article is clearly needed. Thank you!
LIKE
The drug addled blowhard Jordan Peterson for one. He has called for all anons to be removed from Twitter. I tried listening to that fraud on many occasions, he talks in circles using a lot of psycho babble and big words. Then when confronted or questioned he resorts to name calling and the like, and wants censorship and doxxing.
I liked JP initially and his 12 Rules is worth reading but he is getting a little unhinged on Twitter/X lately.
He should have lived by his own 12 rules instead of living a lie as a drug addict. Loses all credibility for me.
If Jordan had been smarter and morphed into an anon, no one would have ever known about his benzo addiction.
Well played sir.
Not sure jordan is the bad guy you're making him out to be. When i't comes to pedophiles and deviant dangerous people, id is important. Itd be better if they were prosecuted and put to death. Then there would be no need for other demands for interventions. But lol around, there are MANY situations we all want answers. But who determines what's good or bad I guess is the real issue....
He’s 100% on the money about the trans and pedophile stuff. I agree with him on that. It’s the fact he is a fraud preaching his 12 rules while lying about his drug addiction. Plus he’s a blowhard talking and talking barely stopping for a breath. Nobody loves the sound of their own voice as much as that guy.
I'll have to seek those out. I was disappointed with Peterson after he recovered from his medical episode and said nothing really at all substantial about Covid.
His medical episode was brought on by his benzo addiction. The guy is a fraud.
I don't think he is a fraud, but then again, there has been a huge blanket indictment from some quarters on the "intellectual dark web." I know the controversy about "controlled opposition." that is expressed about these guys. I still back his stance on pronoun use. By and by, you can use whatever pronouns you want for me. not that you need my permission.
You're right, it was benzo addiction. My dad was an alcoholic as well, credibility is a slippery slope because I can probably find something wrong with everyone, most notably myself. Would you like to hear my list of self grievances?
He has some good stances, especially in regard to the tyrannical patriarchy. I also like the way he pronouned "lobster."
i do agree with many of his stances, especially regarding the trans phenomenon, Hes also right about the climate change and green new deal stuff. Not sure I'd call him controlled opposition. As far as your self grievances, it's apples and oranges, you're not goinh around preaching to people, while living a lie, at least not that I know of. I'm no saint myself, but I dont pretend to be one to sell books and gain clout.
> "Frankly, I expected better of them."
Welcome to reality. I see you're new here... ;)
What does ID the internet mean?
Complete lack of anonymity
That's not good.
Yes! "assess an argument on its merits as opposed to upon who made it"
Stop with the ad hominem BS.
Yes! "we live in a technocratic and bureaucratic regulatory state. permission is required for the most mundane of activities from catching a fish to building a house to (most of all) making a living and building a business."
Thank you for today's Clarion CAT Call, Gato!
Support Anonymous Speech.
"Yes! "assess an argument on its merits as opposed to upon who made it"
Are you suggesting that Dr. Fauci is _not_ The Science™?
He is the Heisenberg of Science.
So you can't tell if it's Gain of Function Research until it's been observed.
Interesting...
That's one way of putting it. I was referring to Anthony "Walter White" Fauci who in the same way that one said he was the danger....Fauci "is the science."
Shoot. I keep letting your shots slip through the 5 Hole today.
But if it comes to it, I can totally mix up a vat of chemicals. You supply the RV and we can go in together.
He is the Lysenko Jr. of Science...
*gasp!!*
Clarion cat call. Love it.
Thanks, Scuba Cat!:)❤️ Beautiful profile photo!:)
Thanks!
There not about to stop the ad hominem. Instead they will gaslight you for "not knowing what ad hominem is." That is the response I get every time I call it out, which is often. Then they will hem and haw and say it is an "accurate description."
Amen
I agree. But it takes both Gato.
Some choose to put their name on it because they have nothing to lose or because they are in a position to follow their convictions.
I really wish we could view this as teamwork. If not, our collective efforts are diluted. There's no right or wrong.
And as your pointing out, nobody should have to make that choice. That's why I said eff it once c19 started.
Just had enough.
People in public media such as Tucker Carlson, J P Sears, Candace Owens really have to be openly identifiable. That identity is their stock and trade. I applaud their bravery and the price they pay, but most of us who really have no public face may be better off remaining occult. Heck, if the regimes neo-gestapo manage to imprison all the public figures as they have with Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, it will be the anons who have to be the next ones up.
JB Peterson famously stirred the pot by demanding an end to anon posting. I thought that was rich. When he, a public intellectual, gets targeted by the mob, he raises his profile and sells a few thousand more books. If I, a quiet professional, get cancelled, I’m just out of a livelihood. My plight will not get front page coverage or really even make a ripple.
Good Point! "public intellectual" indeed. Too smart for his own good or lacking in self awareness and what his statements can bring = The law of unintended consequences.
Even a GoFundMe site will be cancelled.
Right there with you.
I agree that we need both. People like Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi have been invaluable, partially because their credentials are as good or better than the propogandists working for MSM outlets, so they disprove their accusation that all dissenters are not "real" journalists (as if the first amendment only applies to people the government deems "real" journalists). But they are in a position to follow their convictions, as you say. I follow many anon accounts and often find them equally valuable, and they don't have to walk the line in the same way.
It does take all kinds. And I see the anon/real question to be one of choice. There should be a choice to do either, and both have valid reasons. I don't have anything to lose. That for me is why I am "out there."
I watched in fascination starting around May 2020 as you and others on Twitter and eventually Substack et al and then X ran rings around many of the credentialed experts. I saw very quickly that it was eminently possible (and easy) to assess your credibility from your words. Same for other anons as well as the credentialed "experts".
And then I realized how much better off I was than when I was relying on the experts to tell me who the experts are. Like many others, I made a life and death decision about whom to listen to in the face of what was claimed to be an unprecedented biological threat running rampant around the globe.
I never lost any sleep over my choice, even in the face of well-meaning warnings from a few friends that I was recklessly risking the health, and maybe even the lives, of me and my family. This epistemological model is what I now apply to every issue that requires a personal choice as to whom or what I believe.
I'm sorry I was so late to the party. (finding EGM et al, that is)
Absolutely correct. Anybody pushing for the “benefits” of identifying everyone is on the WRONG side. Shun them. Forevermore. No exceptions, no excuses.
Maybe you should explain to them why both are important.
Maybe I'm wrong buy I don't think this approach helps the "cause".
I think a lot of the reaction people who object to anons is because they're ignorant. Plus many have paid a price to stand behind their convictions.
It's not that I disagree with you. I just think education works better than opprobrium.
education is a joke nowadays. you have to homeschool your children to have them learn anything it seems. everything needs to be built up from the ground again. several people on Substack write anonymous because otherwise they end up behind bars, arrested for speaking the truth !
i know. but the decision is personal.
and i don't think either choice should be taken personal.
i see too much of that....it's unnecessary
Is opprobrium next to unobtainium on the elements charts??🤔
I’m unsure that being “anon” is even possible anymore. Plus, it gives rise to doubters who say “how do you know it’s not AI?”
I see your point, but just because someone uses a name as a handle doesn’t mean it is their real name. AIs can create pretty compelling evidence of existence at low cost, so the value of using names is extremely low.
I ask myself if I am a simulation all the time, and then think that if I am, I must be in beta.
*Opens Bug Report*
“how do you know it’s not AI?”
If an AI-bot shares good advice, promotes stories we like, how would this be substantively different than a truly anonymous actor?
I don't think that it is. You don't have to hand the pamphlets to people in person. Just leave them lying about.
We can be inspired by stories like "The Story of B" by Daniel Quinn. The Church sends a priest out to meet and learn about B, some guy spreading very unofficial viewpoints around town. So, of course, he's deemed The Antichrist. B just keeps moving and doing his thing.
The COVID and Global Warming Priests are just as devout.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/214579.The_Story_of_B
I have a very liberal neighbor who often agrees with conservative values UNTIL he learns WHO the information came from. Arguably, this is what Gato is saying and I agree. Saddest part for me is the inability to discuss relevant topics today - like many, he was completely shocked and betrayed by the debate performance. I saw it for years and I see the lies and manipulation as they begin - it seems obvious to me. I see this anon business from both sides, but we are depressingly uninspired - and btw, this neighbor calls 45 The AntiChrist. Ugh.
It's like they can get so close sometimes, almost totally rationally, then they can't possibly accept that Those People might have some good ideas even if they don't have all of the good ideas.
Exactly. It's shocking to me how incurious and ostrich-like so many are (I'm weary of sheep comments). :-)
If you think 45 id the antichrist, wait until 78.
You have one of these, Jim?
https://tinyurl.com/2nufxh9f
Damn you got me! Ok, I'll admit it. I'm really an AI. There's no fooling you Pi.
*taps temple* I knew it.
Yeah, but could you pass the Turing test?
Do not fear the Bot that can pass the Voight-Kampff Test.
Fear the Bot that fails the Voight-Kampff Test on purpose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umc9ezAyJv0
If full anonymity is enabled anyone can choose to out themselves. It doesn't work the other way. There's no logical 'middle way' unless you think the author is arguing everyone should be forced to be anonymous with threat of imprisonment if you say your real name. And that would be a retard belief.
How does it not work the other way?
Use your imagination
I put my name on all my stuff.
https://markoshinskie8de.substack.com/p/why-i-never-bought-the-scam
But I don't discount what you say.
it did not even occur to me, that most people use a screen name. I went with my own just like you Mark. If the govt is out to find you, I don't think you can hide
You know how some people have skeletons in their closet, Ingrid? Well, some people *whistles, kicks pebble, looks skyward* have entire family plots in their walk-ins. These bodies might not be illegal or even immoral. Their existence is just evidence that one's views run counter to the Narrative of the Path to The Greater Good. If the very fine reputations of Drs. Jay Bhattacharya and Judith Curry aren't sufficient to prevent _them_ from them being blacklisted, We the Little People can be dismissed.
And yet these same actors might still have meaningful things to share and perhaps there should be platforms where they can share without having to fend off a DDoS attack of Ad Hominem.
I think for most people the anonymity at most provides a false sense of security. Unless you are very diligent an internet sleuth, 4Chan detective, or the feds can dig out most people in a day or so. I think a lot of people rely on an anonymous screen name and a VPN to protect them and are going to be sorely disappointed when it fails them.
I'm not so much worried about BigFed. I'm Googled out the yinyang - Gmail, Docs, YouTube - and Big Sundar has been watching the whole time.
And they don't really want to be the ones to sniff out a small fry like me. They'd rather some "grass roots" concern create a Cancel and Dox campaign against We the Little People.
This is just the right place for such conversation.
(opens closet. Oh no, a dead spider :0)
LOL
I don’t think anyone is under the illusion that using a screen name could stop the likes of the NSA from connecting to your real identity. The regime just doesn’t like people having the audacity to not even conceal themselves.
It's the little guys that worry me. The petty bureaucrats that want to ingratiate themselves with the regime and see you as an easy target. The FBI and NSA already know who I am.
Screen names make it much more difficult for lay users to determine who the author is.
The NSA is surely capable but, if you're that deep in, its unlikely that you haven't already had a visit from Men in Black.
I mean, sure, the NSA knows, but it was twitter mobs scouring the internet for wrong-speak that got a lot of people fired in 2020-2022. Who got Gina Carano cancelled? Not the NSA.
Exactly THIS.
They - The Big They - might not cancel you directly but they'll send out the Flying Monkeys to do their bidding.
Flying Monkeys (why is this not a band name?)Those things freaked me out as a kid...and they still do (perfect description). So I'll keep my pseudo-anonymity, thank you.
"Those things freaked me out as a kid"
Same. My 83 year old mother still tells that story when I was maybe 7 watching TWoO the first time then had a nightmare.
I was probably up late, all hopped up on popcorn and chocolate ice cream.
This is a bit of a tangent, but it never ceases to amaze me, when I see it laid out in black-and-white, the true scope of the horror that the "covid situation" truly is and was. Here we had an engineered virus that was intentionally created and released as an excuse to unleash a substance designed to sicken and depopulate the Earth, and anyone who dared to even voice doubts about that substance's safety at that time -- back when the shots were first being rolled out, before most people knew how bad they truly were -- was systematically threatened and silenced. Let that sink in, and don't stop until it chills you.
Now, they are gearing up for mRNA redux: Bird Flu edition. It's a perfect time to remind yourself that this evil is real, and it is rampant, and that if you are aware and awake, you are the antidote. Speak your truth, anonymously or otherwise, but don't let them win this time.
But the Bird Flu thing isn't getting the traction that they had hoped for. I was cheered up by Dr. Dave Martin's assessment in Russell Brand's interview with him: https://rumble.com/v5661mq-theyre-censoring-vaccine-harm-data-dr-dave-martin-exposes-big-pharma-manipu.html
True, it definitely is not. I hope that people have wised up. Thing of it is, though, they may just use alphabet agencies and useful credentialed idiots to try and ram it anyway. Time will tell.
Not too tangenty, really. The "covid situation" was possible because those who opposed what turned out to be obviously poor remediation measures were prevented from speaking out. Since that's the topic of this here article, I'd say it's dead on.
Thank you, yeah that is what I find so chilling about it all. It would have been bad enough had the shots been unleashed on a populace that was allowed to hear dissenting voices and make their own decisions, but no. Anyone who even dared to question was systematically silenced.
Well said.
Thank you :)
Amen
Unfortunately it isn’t just employers and government goons looking to silence or punish opposition. The lapdogs of these entities are all too happy to do everything they can to dox and ruin the lives of people who cross them.
The amount of people turned into pariahs by losers that want the thrill of being part of a mob is staggering. No surprise many try to avoid courting that.
It's like all those classic movies with the British soldiers in their brilliant uniforms riding tall and correct in the saddle to be cut down in their multitudes by guerilla warriors.
The point is to win.
boom. exactly
Thanks big cat for some refreshing common sense. Keep it up.
Anonymous. 😊
" “come sign our government registry to be allowed to speak against the government” is not the most reassuring of offers. "
This is why there are Boating Accidents.
It worked for Mao Zedong.
He briefly legalised the wall-papers of chinese tradition, letting people post their grievances with the state and governement in public, while Red Guards looked on and took notes.
After some time, the Red Guards rounded up the posters for re-education.
The chinese of the tie trusted Chairman Mao. I don't think we should trust our SofaKings presidents, prime ministers or whatever they're called.
They're SofaKing awful.
It starts early. My boys know not to speak up in school against the virtue opinion du jour bc their grades would be affected immediately. This bullshit game starts early.
Because the schools do not want to teach how to think. Critical thinking in particular.
The teachers dont know how to think themselves. The younger teachers are the worst. I pray for old white guy teachers every year. Sorry but it’s where ive had the most luck. They have had one gen x female teacher who was great too.
Teaching people think is not an easy task, I suspect. And fostering it is not easily measurable so you can't just slap it in a Grade Book.
As The Swabster notes, the teaching of Critical Thinking is probably not an actual goal of Public Education. Following directions and staying in your seat are more likely stated goals.
Anyone with kids might enjoy this podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/young-ben-franklin/id1387197359
Great story about why anonymity is an important check on power. Even kids can understand the concept!!