In their zeal for control over online speech, House Democrats are getting closer and closer to the constitutional line, if they have not already crossed it.
For the third time inless thanfive months, the U.S. Congress has summoned the CEOs of social media companies to appear before them, with the explicit intent to pressure and coerce them to censor more content from their platforms. On March 25, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will interrogate Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, Facebooks’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai at a hearing which the Committeeannounced will focus “on misinformation and disinformation plaguing online platforms.”
The Committee’s Chair, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and the two Chairs of the Subcommittees holding the hearings, Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), said in a joint statement that the impetus was “falsehoods about the COVID-19 vaccine” and “debunked claims of election fraud.” They argued that “these online platforms have allowed misinformation to spread, intensifying national crises with real-life, grim consequences for public health and safety,” adding: “This hearing will continue the Committee’s work of holding online platforms accountable for the growing rise of misinformation and disinformation.”
House Democrats have made no secret of their ultimate goal with this hearing: to exert control over the content on these online platforms. “Industry self-regulation has failed,” they said, and therefore “we must begin the work of changing incentives driving social media companies to allow and even promote misinformation and disinformation.” In other words, they intend to use state power to influence and coerce these companies to change which content they do and do not allow to be published.
I’ve written and spokenat length over the past several years about the dangers of vesting the power in the state, or in tech monopolies, to determine what is true and false, or what constitutes permissible opinion and what does not. I will not repeat those points here…
I have been hearing a lot of back and forth blame gaming by both liberals and conservatives about the rolling Texas Black-outs currently being done to meet the high demand for power during this unprecedented winter storm. One side says it’s because of bad energy policy that leans too heavily on “Green” energy and the other side says it’s because of too much dependence on fossil fuels.
Actually, the truth is neither of these.
The truth as to why these black out are having to occur can be essentially summed up in two words: BUREAUCRATIC INNEFFICIENCY.
My take as a fellow Texan and person currently living through this mess is as follows:
If you are depending on ANYONE else beside yourself (including any Government agency, liberal or conservative led) for your health and well being, you are living in a fantasy land and placing yourself behind the eight ball willingly.
Self-Sufficiency is the name of the game if you want to survive and thrive. If you’re not Prepping now for the next disaster, I suggest you begin before it’s too late. Prepping is not just a trendy thing to do anymore, it’s a mindset and culture.
A little pre-thought and planning goes a long way in situations like this and can be the difference not just in being comfortable or uncomfortable but actually between life and death!
…Over two million Texans have been without power since the weekend as winter storms sweep the US. Freezing rain and sleet are still falling, leaving many in America’s second most-populous state desperate for warmth…
Conservatives are denouncing how the Biden administration has been greeted with gushing media reports on the president’s dogs, how he spends his free time, and even his wardrobe selection since Inauguration Day — a vast departure from the headlines former President Donald Trump received during his tenure.
“Try convincing me there is no such thing as liberal media bias,” GOP South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan tweeted Tuesday in response to a Newsweek story reporting on the president playing Mario Kart with his granddaughter…
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced yesterday that he would leave the question of whether to call witnesses to the House managers to decide. In the meantime, various Democratic senators said that there is no need for witnesses despite the House repeatedly acknowledging that it does not know critical facts related to Donald Trump’s state of mind. The position of Schumer and the Democrats is in strikingly contrast to their positions in the last two impeachments.
Schumer has stated that the question of whether witnesses will be called is up to the House managers: “We let the managers make the decisions and I try to implement them.”
That is not the position taken by Schumer 21 year ago when he and the Democrats opposed hearing from witnesses. They refused to leave it up the House managers. Indeed, they did not want to have a trial at all and demanded dismissal and then opposed calling witnesses despite the demand of House managers. Ultimately, they allowed a few depositions and no live testimony. In the first Trump impeachment, no witnesses were called. Democrats wanted some witnesses but opposed others demanded by the defense. They did not leave the question to the House managers.
At the trial, both the House and the defense highlighted critical questions that have remained unanswered due to the lack of such testimony. Yet, the Democratic senators do not want to hear witnesses anymore than the House. This is not because of prudential objections to the use of a snap impeachment. They have indicated that they do not need such answers to pronounce guilt.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she heard from enough people through “interviews and video presentation.” Of course, she did not hear a single line of sworn testimony because there is no such testimony despite the availability of direct testimony from witnesses who have already given public statements. Yet, she declared “I feel like we’ve heard from enough witnesses.”
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said “I think the case has been made. I don’t know what witnesses would add.” That may be true since no one has even deposed a witness. This is a case of ignorance being bliss when it comes to a desire for conviction.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., tried a different tact and said that the accused has the burden. She said Trump could come and “give his explanation of the day,” but “otherwise, it feels like to me we’re done.”
Of course, the burden is on the House and they presented an entirely circumstantial case on Trump’s state of mind despite a dozen witnesses who could confirm what he said and did in these critical hours. Indeed, the Senate did not even see confirmation on details whether Trump delayed deployment of National Guard or whether the fault of the delay rests equally or more with others, including Congress, on the preparation for and response to the protest and later riot.
The trial therefore will remain circumstantial by design and popular demand.
RFK, Jr.’s Instagram account was deplatformed Wednesday. Dozens of media outlets reported the censorship, saying the account was removed over “vaccine misinformation,” a characterization Kennedy unequivocally rejected.
Kennedy, founder, chairman and chief legal counsel of Children’s Health Defense,” unequivocally rejects those characterizations as false and misleading.
Children’s Health Defense (CHD), including Kennedy, advocates for vaccine safety and health freedom. CHD’s mission is to end childhood health epidemics by exposing the causes, eliminating harmful exposures, holding those responsible accountable and seeking justice for those harmed.
As Kennedy has said many times, for a democracy to function, civil debate of issues — including vaccine science — must be allowed. Censorship of that debate is anathema to democracy.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Chairman of Children’s Health Defense, said:
“Every statement I put on Instagram was sourced from a government database, from peer-reviewed publications and from carefully confirmed news stories. None of my posts were false. Facebook, the pharmaceutical industry and its captive regulators use the term ‘vaccine misinformation’ as a euphemism for any factual assertion that departs from official pronouncements about vaccine health and safety, whether true or not. This kind of censorship is counterproductive if our objective is a safe and effective vaccine supply.
“The pharmaceutical industry is hastily creating vaccines using taxpayer money and untested technologies. These include a rash of risky new products that are exempt from liability, from long-term safety testing and that have not received FDA approval. Emergency Use Authorization is a mass population scientific experiment. If it has any prayer of working, it will require extraordinary scrutiny from the press and the public.
“Instead, the mainstream media and social media giants are imposing a totalitarian censorship to prevent public health advocates, like myself, from voicing concerns and from engaging in civil informed debate in the public square. They are punishing, shaming, vilifying, gaslighting and abolishing individuals who report their own vaccine injuries.
“Anyone can see that this is a formula for catastrophe and a coup d’état against the First Amendment, the foundation stone of American democracy.”
Mary Holland, President of Children’s Health Defense, said:
“Freedom of expression is the cornerstone of democracy. Children’s Health Defense and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. provide critically needed information on environmental culprits, including vaccines, that are linked to many chronic diseases that now affect 54% of America’s children. Dr. Anthony Fauci has made it clear that young children will be included in COVID-19 vaccination plans even though children have almost zero risk of serious COVID-19 illness. CHD feels strongly that children should not take on 100% risks of vaccine injuries with 0% benefit.
“The sad reality is vaccine injuries can and do happen. The U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database has more than 11,500 COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports including more than 500 deaths in just six weeks since the vaccination campaign began. Why would Instagram censor Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s platform and call it ‘misinformation’? Why now?
“Instagram deplatformed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Hirewire host, Del Bigtree, just 15 minutes before they were to air the webinar, ‘COVID Vaccine on Trial, If You Only Knew’ highlighting COVID concerns, injuries, mechanisms and other facts from four MDs, several Ph.D.s and leaders from the vaccine-injured community. COVID-19 vaccines use novel technology never before used in a human population. With that comes great unknown risks. The people of the world deserve to have this crucial information to protect their health and that of their children.”
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They swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution then spend every waking moment trying to destroy it. They call conservatives racists, extremists, white supremacists and a ‘threat to our democracy.’ They seek to destroy our God given right to self defense as they surround themselves with thousands of National Guard Troops. They mock Christians, they mock traditional values, they mock patriotism; they refuse to fly our flag while praising those who disrespect our National Anthem. Sit down, shut up, and put on 2 masks. Welcome to the New Regime and say goodnight to America.
Before I go any further I think it’s important to note that the old Catch and Release border policies of the Obama Regime have returned. Understand, you have been locked down; schools, churches and businesses closed to stop of spread of COVID-19 or so they claimed, but they are now releasing illegal aliens into the country untested. Apparently if you cross the border illegally you are immune from carrying COVID-19 or any of it’s new variants, kind of like a peaceful protest. Yes, they are ILLEGAL ALIENS; not undocumented this or that, they have no legal right to be here, but this Regime values them more than the safety of your family. Remember that when they are preaching to you about your social responsibility to others.
Say goodbye to your rights. Face it, the 1st Amendment is dead or at least on it’s death bed. Your Church is closed indefinitely and you are NOT free to peacefully assemble unless you are looting and throwing rocks at the police. Your free speech is effectively gone; between the censorship by Big Tech and cancel culture destroying your life for daring to speak an opposing opinion, it is gone. Did you see where AIG cancelled baseball legend Curt Shilling’s insurance because he dared to make social media posts questioning the integrity of the Presidential election? Looking at the election and the commies in Congress attempting to preserve their ability to cheat forever through bill HR1 one must wonder how long before they don’t even bother going through the motions of holding an election. Or maybe it will be like other banana republics where ‘El Presidente Harris has won again with 100% of the vote!’
American cities are still being burned and looted during ‘peaceful protests’ and liberal run cities are recording their highest murder rates in years, Chicago reporting 44 already this year, but let’s defund the police! Yes, the elites demand the police be defunded and Americans disarmed as they surround themselves with armed guards and the US Capital looks like the Green Zone in Bagdad. And while we’re on the subject, why are more, yes more, Nation Guard soldiers being deployed to DC? I guess the better question would be, what are they planning to do that they think they need protection from us? Oh, did I fail to mention that at the same time the Regime has ordered our military on a 60 day stand down so they can ‘root out extremism.’ You know, gotta get rid of the Christians, patriots and of course those deplorable Trump supporters! Something sure smells fishy to me, but then, what do I know.
China says American gun ownership is a ‘serious problem’ and must change, Puppet Joe has promised to take guns away from law abiding Americans. China says the US must rejoin the Paris Agreement, Puppet Joe says US will rejoin Paris Agreement. China says US must rejoin the Iranian Nuclear deal, Puppet Joe says US will rejoin the Iranian Nuclear Agreement. Chinese fighters and bombers repeatedly violating Taiwanese airspace as China declares that Taiwan ‘independence means war,’ while Chinese warships shadow American Navy ships in the area. Normally, this type of overtly provocative action would receive a strong rebuke by any US President, but not this one. No, old China Joe is sitting there in a daze doing exactly what he was paid to do, nothing.
The soap box, jury box, ballot box, ammo box; guess which one is left. God help us.