Quote:
Originally Posted by Matata
Anyone who celebrates the censorship of someone they politically disagree needs to get their head checked.
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Removing certain voices from the discourse is a good thing. There is so much noise in the signal right now that clarity will only be achieved by attenuating that signal and removing cross talk. There are messages and voices that are counter productive to society moving forward, and those are the voices we need to move the periphery or eliminate all together. Stupidity and ignorance have no seat at the table when searching for solutions to complex problems. We need to recognize that and celebrate when subject matter experts have opportunity to work on solutions and not be dragged into the depths of useless dialogue with neophytes and bomb throwers. If the voice is there only to sow disinformation and seeds of discontent, they have no reason to be at the table. People who have a history of lying, spreading disinformation, or have an agenda of harm, have no seat at the table and should not be granted access to an open microphone.
There is a cost to granting access to the market of ideas. The cost can be dramatic and lead to the downfall of individuals and countries. We are seeing that in the United States right now. We are literally seeing the nation wither and die on the vine because of the hate and lies being espoused. The cost is heavy and the country may never recover. If it does, it will never be the same. The damage is done and the institutions long held as the foundations of the country are the causalities. Do yourself a favor and spend a few hours watching these two documentaries. They are excellent in sowing the negative effects of disinformation and lies, both on individuals and on our society.
After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News
The Brainwashing of My Dad
There is a cost to free speech. The cost should be credibility, and when you lose it, and the facts stack up against you, you should lose your seat at the table to discuss that issue. For example,White Supremacists have no seat at the table when it comes to discussing race relations and equality. So yes, I cheered long and hard when The Daily Stormer was taken down and that fountain of hate was finally silenced. That was a good thing as those ideas and values are not healthy. Their seat at the table was eliminated and their time at the microphone had come to an end. This was a good thing. I hope the trend continues and those with abhorrent views are never granted more than an opportunity to be heard once then ridiculed forever. Oh, and abhorrent views exist in all corners of the political sphere so this "censorship" as you call it can happen to all.