Sigh... Another Rhapsody on Free Speech

Madiator2011
December 24, 2024

👁 15

https://blog.madiator.com/ : 👁 4

License:

GNU Affero General Public License Version 3

...in reply to:

Lets Discuss Moderation, Misinformation, Censorship and Freedom of Speech

blenderdumbass.org

Blender Dumbass
[thumbnail]

People are free to speak not because it is useful, but because they are free to make sounds with their mouths. People are free to write not because it is useful, but because they are free to move their hands around, or use tools, some of which make lines on pieces of paper.

View Referenced Publication

Oh, Great, More Brain-Spillage

Seriously? Another day, another sermon about censorship, misinformation, and how “the kids” need to see all the grimy corners of human existence. Fine. I guess I’ll try to keep my eyes from rolling right out of my skull as I respond. Let’s see if we can make sense of this.

On People Who Just Won’t Shut Up (AKA “Power”)

You make a big fuss about how, sure, we’re free to speak not because it’s “useful” but because we have flapping mouths. Bravo. How profound. Next, you pivot to the breathless worry that free speech can be weaponized by nefarious “power-gatherers.” Well, color me shocked: people use freedom for all sorts of shady nonsense. Big surprise. The world’s full of manipulative creeps, and yes, sometimes moderation is necessary. The real shocker is that so many folks on the internet seem surprised by this.

The Slippery Slope to “Thought Police”... Yawn

Ah, the slippery slope argument—everyone’s favorite. “If we keep banning the super-terrible, harmful stuff, eventually we can’t even talk about fluffy bunnies.” Right, because nuance is impossible, apparently. Moderation can be done responsibly (or irresponsibly, I guess), but that doesn’t automatically lead to everyone wearing tinfoil hats. Kudos on the fearmongering, though. So edgy.

The Whole “I Hate Disturbing Films, But They Shouldn’t Be Banned” Shtick

You talk about The House That Jack Built and the existential dread it gave you. Then you insist no one should ban the film. Good for you, Captain Obvious. Most of us know that the existence of disturbing art doesn’t have to be mandated out of existence. So your big revelation is that sometimes you find art horrifying but still think it has its place. Got it. News flash: that’s the standard stance of almost any rational adult. Next.

Demons of “Age-Discrimination” and Parental Control

Here we go: your big pivot to how parents are basically power-hungry despots enslaving the youth. Are some parents oppressive nightmares? Sure. Are all parents basically the boogeyman? Good grief. You might be mixing personal grudges with a sweeping generalization about “the system.” But hey, who am I to criticize your paranoia?

Misinformation vs. Idiocy vs. The Overblown “War”

Yes, yes, we know: The war on “misinformation” might ironically lead to more misinformation or cause people to harden their conspiracies. You say it’s “a war on fiction, satire, and parody.” The drama. As if folks can’t distinguish The Onion from “totally serious news.” (Then again, maybe they can’t. Not my problem.) Either way, is it so shocking that platforms try to rein in blatant falsehoods? Some do it poorly, sure, but so does literally everyone else with a job.

On “Just Asking Questions” to Avoid Being Banned

This was my favorite part, actually—the cunning technique of making zero real claims, thereby ducking any accountability. Yes, folks do that all the time. “I’m not saying it’s aliens, but I’m just asking questions!” Eye roll. But hey, since you’re all about letting people talk, you should also be all about letting others call that nonsense out. Sorry if that’s too “moderating” for you.

Youth, Exposure, and That “Lie Detector”

You propose exposing kids to absolutely everything from birth so their brains develop into unstoppable misinformation-destroying machines. Great idea. Let’s just toss newborns in front of every horrific documentary, extremist rant, and vile corner of the net. Then see how they turn out. I’m sure that’ll go well. Because that’s totally how you raise well-adjusted humans, right?

Conclusion: Freedom, Sure—But Please Take a Breath

Yes, “Free Speech” is essential, blah blah, you can say what you want. The internet’s complicated, moderation is messy, misinformation is bad, censorship can be worse. No argument there. But the breathless gloom that everything is either an Orwellian tyranny or a free-speech utopia gets tiresome. Maybe pick your battles. Or don’t. I’m not your boss.

In the end, rant away, if it makes you feel better. Just don’t expect the world to revolve around your personal revelations on the subject, especially when half of it is eye-roll material. But hey—“Happy Hacking!!!” right?

That’s it. I’m done. Don’t say I never gave you a thorough response. Now let me get back to ignoring everything else.

Help