[1A] The Free Speech Thread

[ArcadiaGP]

8chan has been shut down by Cloudflare, because reasons.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

8chan has been shut down by Cloudflare, because reasons.

Posted this link in the El Paso thread.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49232333

 

[KLB]

So, not shutdown exactly. Just not currently protected from DDoS attacks. Looks like it will be again soon by someone else.

 

[BugI02]

8chan has been shut down by Cloudflare, because reasons.

GP, while by no means do I wish to suggest that you are some sort of habitué of that corner of the net, I feel you know more about it than i am ever likely to. I am feeling like the thrust of the narrative now is that white supremacy and racism is a rapidly growing threat, Trump is to blame and 8chan is an enabler

My personal opinion is that violent people and groups have always existed on the fringes of society (think Bader-Meinhof, Red Army Faction, Symbionese Liberation Army) and the prevalence today is not greater than in previous times it is just their potential for destruction is enhanced. What I see as the current narrative forming up offers a threefer of overamping a minimal threat for propaganda purposes, emphasizing the need to still resist Trump and the forces of [pick your pejorative] and perhaps do some internet censorship without undue pushback under the guise of eliminating the 8chan threat

That said, what is your opinion about all this. Is white supremacy a growing threat fed and enabled by 8chan and similar other channels?

 

[T.Lex]

8chan has been shut down by Cloudflare, because reasons.

Over the weekend, I expressed to family that the ultimate danger in the incidents over the weekend is the minefield of threats to free speech. Yes, the political rhetoric is despicable in contemporary American society, but that just means we all know who is spouting it - and sometimes why.

What we don't want is government censorship of even the most despicable stuff.

Now, *chan internet places are private. As a conservative, those places are rightfully moderated by the people who own them. They can self-censor as much as they want. Likewise, their security company can decide who to have as a client.

I hate that there are places where extremists can gather. I remember the days of shady internet forums for the various Milita groups, and I think we're all familiar with Stormfront. I hate that there are extremists. I do believe that when they gather, some of them are spurred to action. Generally, those are the people who have mental issues, but some of them could probably be controlled, but for the anonymous encouragement available on the internet.

Like there is a cost of the 2A in human lives, there is also a cost of the 1A that's also part of the root of those tragedies.

 

[2A_Tom]

D*** that pesky First Amendment.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

GP, while by no means do I wish to suggest that you are some sort of habitué of that corner of the net, I feel you know more about it than i am ever likely to. I am feeling like the thrust of the narrative now is that white supremacy and racism is a rapidly growing threat, Trump is to blame and 8chan is an enabler

My personal opinion is that violent people and groups have always existed on the fringes of society (think Bader-Meinhof, Red Army Faction, Symbionese Liberation Army) and the prevalence today is not greater than in previous times it is just their potential for destruction is enhanced. What I see as the current narrative forming up offers a threefer of overamping a minimal threat for propaganda purposes, emphasizing the need to still resist Trump and the forces of [pick your pejorative] and perhaps do some internet censorship without undue pushback under the guise of eliminating the 8chan threat

That said, what is your opinion about all this. Is white supremacy a growing threat fed and enabled by 8chan and similar other channels?

Probably not. Shut down one site, another will rise. Any site that offers a platform with "more free speech" than the others is going to earn the attention of a certain type of person.

Posting edgy content on image boards is nothing new. Makes sense manifestos would be put there... but we've also seen them posted elsewhere, like personal websites or regular social media. Or just written. I think the attention to chan-boards is just a popular thing to do to get them shut down as though they're somehow perpetuating or advertising it.

The amount of people that read his post before the shooting? Probably negligible. It would have blown up regardless of where it was hosted.

Adding two things onto this -

1. My post in the genpol thread
2. My post in the Dayton thread

On the first one - Anonymity encourages depravity, if only for the dark-humor edginess of it. (And apparently the government peruses and participates in those threads, too.) I don't think the majority of /pol/ posters are white supremacists. I don't know if seeing edgy content and making someone that actually feels that way feel comfortable, or among friends, is enough to influence them to kill. I want to say no, but I don't know. On that, though...

The second one - I think it's all politics. I think you have these kids coming out of college, feeling like they know what's right in the world and what needs to be done. They were taught this is the right way to do things, we need to change and be like this. They tell people online, and they tell their friends, but no one is listening. What better way to make people listen? Post your political beliefs on the internet and go kill people. There, now the country knows how you feel. Media will help you.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

 

[KLB]

That rag needs to go away

 

[jamil]

I didn't look up the article to hear them out. But I really hate the wording there. "White Supremacy" is not against the law, so I'm not sure exactly what they're trying to say. It's not hard to prosecute white supremacists who break laws that actually exist. They break a law. LE investigates, collects evidence, makes arrests, charges, prosecutors prosecute. Goes to trial, guilty verdict, sentence handed down, done. Not much difference prosecuting than any other crime.

Of course, if their complaint is that saying stuff, even vile stuff, is not against the law, then they can **** all the way off, and yes. That rag needs to go away. Not by any laws, you know, because they have the free speech to complain about having free speech. But just because Americans should roll their eyes at that nonsense and move on. WapPo should wither away due to an inattentive population eager to read real ass news.

 

[2A_Tom]

We need White Flag laws that convict white supremacists with out due process. An affidavit can be filed with the local Star Chamber and they have to prove they were never going to break a law.

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7360301/CNN-political-analyst-April-Ryans-bodyguard-accused-assaulting-journalist-covering-speech.html


Bodyguard for CNN reporter assaults reporter, for reporting.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Not a free speech platform: Facebook declares it’s a ‘publisher’ & can censor whomever it wants, walking into legal trap

 

[actaeon277]

I wonder why they changed their mind. They fought that designation.

 

[KLB]

Lawsuit

 

[actaeon277]

This opens them up to possibly more lawsuits

 

[jamil]

Not a free speech platform: Facebook declares it’s a ‘publisher’ & can censor whomever it wants, walking into legal trap

I hope they have deep pockets.

 

[jamil]

I wonder why they changed their mind. They fought that designation.

I'm having a hard time believing that they'd put themselves at this kind of risk for woke-ness. That only leaves kinds of explanations.

 

[actaeon277]

So, I guess we can sue for minimum wages?

 

[jamil]

Someone defamed me on Facebook. They published it. I should sue Facebook for publishing defamatory stuff on their publishing platform.

Not really. I don't atually Facebook because Facebook is retarded. But man, I can see this coming. They've insisted that they're not a publisher for years to avoid being sued for content. It seems insane to open themselves up. I dunno. Unless their lawyers found some kind of way out of it. I'd be interested in what the INGO lawyers have to say about it.