Big Tech is Running the Country
Here’s where we’ve come.
When you tune into cable news, it’s likely at least one of the lead stories is about the reaction – positive or negative – to something a politician or some other public figure has said or done.
So-and-so gets lambasted for his/her comments on some issue, or, strong support for this or that proposal.
Who doing the ‘lambasting?’ Where is this anchor/reporter described ‘strong support’ for someone or something coming from?
Answer: “social media.”
As Porky Pig would say at the end of a cartoon: “That’s all folks!”
National news outlets have become dependent on social media. That’s the news. That’s all folks!
Popularity and discourse are no longer part, or the result, of our personal interactions. Leaders are those with lots of “friends”/followers. The ballot box has been supplanted by the internet – and social media. Want to influence public opinion, want to influence the outcomes of elections? Want to disgrace somebody? Want to negate a contrary opinion? Hire a consultant who understands the power of the instantly communicated, written word.
Handle (manipulate) it all correctly including calling someone a racist or climate denier and you have the success you seek for your position on just about anything. The more “hits” you get on your side of something the more it’s probable that cable news will report it as a groundswell. That report reinforces the mob that created the “groundswell” in the first place, and you have the vicious cycle that feeds on itself, many times expanding to personal attacks. The mob has cover – the “news.”
Now, you may think with what you’ve read so far that this piece is going to be about the small percentage, but big numbers none the less, of people who daily spend mega time expressing themselves on the internet about politics and politicians – and how that has skewed what we see and read.
No, that stuff is the result of the social media phenomenon. As long as we understand how this thing is working on what we hear and see, we can discount it. Anyway, we don’t live there – and don’t want to. At least I know I sure don’t. I’ve always rebelled against group think, going with the flow, etc., although sometimes I know it would just be easier to shut up.
What this piece is about is the basics. What has contributed to this conundrum of social media dominating the lives of so many people and it more cases than we’d like to admit, the country. It boils down to fear. Go against the ‘mob’ and you risk losing your job and future income prospects, much less a private dinner in a restaurant.
What it’s really about is the mega social media and internet search companies now limiting, suspending or banning individuals from their platforms. They have entered the political arena by making decisions about whether something or someone is ‘acceptable.’ They’ve started up so-called fact checking activities and decide whether certain expressions meet their definition of facts and truth.
They couldn’t do that under normal circumstances which apply to everyone else – except for a little something called Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1995.
Section 230 has two primary provisions. The first exempts internet providers from civil liability for publishing any information from a content provider that is objectionable. The second provision exempts Big Tech from liability when it takes voluntary, good faith actions to restrict objectionable materials or provides the technical means to restrict them.
The idea and intent originally were to provide social media companies immunity from liability for any posts by people using the platform. These companies were to be considered as simply providing the means for individuals to express themselves and not liable for what was said.
But that’s not what’s been happening the last decade or so. Big social media and search tech companies have assumed a role of deciding what can be said and who can or cannot say it. They’re exercising the power given them under Section 230 to take down posts and banning selected individuals from the forum.
That’s an attack on free speech. If we were living in China, we might expect this routine, but not here.
It’s clearly unconstitutional in the United States of America.
It goes blatantly further. Google and Apple recently blocked Parler’s App from their stores, and Amazon Web Services denied Parler access to its cloud network. Parler was shut down. Big Tech exercised their power to eliminate any potential competition. When that happened a century ago with big steel, oil and railroads, those monopolies were broken up.
What’s happening with Big Tech and social media companies isn’t supposed to happen here. But it is.
I don’t blame the companies. What’s wrong is the fact that they’re allowed to do it.
Yet, our Congress, so far, has been unwilling to do anything about the curtailment of free speech and predator business behavior on the part of these mega companies.
Congress has no constitutional power to authorize private parties to deprive even unpopular citizens of their constitutional rights. Moreover, when private companies control the new public square, they function as a government and must provide constitutional rights for all.
Florida recently banned Big Tech – social media companies – from ‘de-platforming” political candidates with commensurate big fines for doing so. It does provide 7 days’ notice for the prospect of being banned and an opportunity to correct the problem. It’s a start, a way around carte blanche Section 230.
The issue has not been taken up by the Supreme Court and it shouldn’t need to be. In hindsight, if Congressional members would look beyond the donations Big Tech is making toward their re-election coffers, they have to realize Section 230 isn’t being applied as intended. I mean, everybody else does.
It’s past time this attack on our system of individual rights and fair play is met – and fixed. We’d also like to see “news” that isn’t based social media posts.
Hello Congress, anybody home?
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Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://anti-empire.com/florida-bans-big-tech-deplatforming/
https://www.congress.gov/bill/104th-congress/senate-bill/314
SPIDER Bites
Last week’s clunker of a jobs report emphasizes the inversion of the expected economic recovery. Despite President Biden’s statement last week that Americans want to work – it does not compute with a rise in the unemployment rate while millions of jobs can’t be filled. Most people are rational – if they can make more money not working, they won’t. You can’t “Build Back Better” if you’re not building in the first place. The demand for labor is high, the supply of labor is high, but the demand isn’t being satisfied. Upside down government policy. The BLS report last week showed a record number of job openings at the end of March – 8.1M.
We’re told the southern border is under control. Right! 170,000+ people crossed illegally each of the last two months who reported to authorities – and border patrol is overwhelmed with the record numbers. Nobody knows the number of those who did not report, nor the amount of money the cartels are making smuggling people and drugs amid the chaos.
The CDC caught up with rational, scientific people last week by telling us that if we are vaccinated we don’t need to wear a mask anymore. Even President Biden took off his mask. Let’s see how long it takes to catch up for those states and cities still requiring everyone, including children, to wear a mask at all times. Anticlimactic is the word that fits.
The Colonial Pipeline software was hacked last week, disrupting the supply of natural gas, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to southeastern States – which in turn caused panicky, long lines at gas stations. Apparently, the pipeline paid a $4-5M ransom to get back in operation. President Biden refused comment, while his press secretary said it’s a private matter and he doesn’t want to get involved. Sounds like a national security issue to me. So, this is what the Green New Deal looks like. Lots of ransoms to look forward to.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) through April showed inflation on the move with overall cost of living up 4.2%. Energy costs are up 25% and going higher and affecting everything else. There’s lots more pain still to be encountered – especially by the poor and middle class – if the federal government keeps wildly spending and printing money to pay for it. Exacerbating the situation is the decreasing value of the dollar making sales of newly issued, required treasury bills (our exploding debt) less and less attractive to everyone, everywhere. We can also expect the Federal Reserve to welch on earlier statements it would not raise interest rates. It can’t let inflation run on unchecked despite it being caused by the federal government.
