Re: Off-topic demand in Meta to ban users for their opinions chills free speech.
An update based on events logically following my last post (“Today at 06:29:28 AM”), which I wish to leave unedited for the record: I notice now that less than three minutes before I hit the “post” button on something that I had mulled for hours, OP finally added me to his list of censorship targets.
Snapshot—“Last edit: Today at 06:26:47 AM by cryptomaxsun”:
Well, if I wanted to be targeted for censorship as a free-speech activist, what is worse than being branded an “information terrorist”? This is.
There is nothing worse than to be denied the dignity of even having my own opinions, and to be told that I am “mistaken” and “confused” about matters which I have carefully considered. An “information terrorist” has free will, intelligence, and personal agency: He has the dignity of existence. He is called “evil”, he is the enemy, he is hated—but he is. All of those are denied to me: I am a nullity. My mind is a passive vessel, into which propaganda is poured by Putin-trolls—my emptiness is filled by that awful Greenwald.
It even seems implied that I am some sort of a victim. Logically, I must need to be protected from propaganda—for my own good. Since I have already been damaged by propaganda, perhaps I should be cured of my mistakes and my confusion at the Ministry of Love. That would be an act of kindness and mercy.
If only I could be cured of Greenwald’s evil influence—if only all of that Putin propaganda could be erased from my brain!—then I would realize that the whole war is black-and-white, Russia is 100% wrong, the Ukraine is 100% right, and the Americans must act as the saviours of the world. Alas, I am helplessly befuddled by propaganda which has not been adequately censored by the Western Big Tech companies and the Western mass-media.
As a free-speech activist, I could find no better “endorsement” of my position.
Thank you, OP. You have exceeded my expectations.
Snapshot—“Last edit: Today at 06:26:47 AM by cryptomaxsun”:
nullius https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=976210 /Added at my own request. The person is mistaken and confused in terminology. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5388472.msg60530156#msg60530156
Well, if I wanted to be targeted for censorship as a free-speech activist, what is worse than being branded an “information terrorist”? This is.
There is nothing worse than to be denied the dignity of even having my own opinions, and to be told that I am “mistaken” and “confused” about matters which I have carefully considered. An “information terrorist” has free will, intelligence, and personal agency: He has the dignity of existence. He is called “evil”, he is the enemy, he is hated—but he is. All of those are denied to me: I am a nullity. My mind is a passive vessel, into which propaganda is poured by Putin-trolls—my emptiness is filled by that awful Greenwald.
It even seems implied that I am some sort of a victim. Logically, I must need to be protected from propaganda—for my own good. Since I have already been damaged by propaganda, perhaps I should be cured of my mistakes and my confusion at the Ministry of Love. That would be an act of kindness and mercy.
If only I could be cured of Greenwald’s evil influence—if only all of that Putin propaganda could be erased from my brain!—then I would realize that the whole war is black-and-white, Russia is 100% wrong, the Ukraine is 100% right, and the Americans must act as the saviours of the world. Alas, I am helplessly befuddled by propaganda which has not been adequately censored by the Western Big Tech companies and the Western mass-media.
As a free-speech activist, I could find no better “endorsement” of my position.
Thank you, OP. You have exceeded my expectations.
Here, in Meta, I am interested in discussing the Bitcoin Forum’s long-cherished policy of freedom of speech.
[...]
^^^ The forum’s policy as such is a properly on-topic discussion for Meta. By citation to Greenwald’s reports, I have adequately demonstrated that Internet censorship, and especially Big Tech censorship, is a major problem on this topic. I urge the Bitcoin Forum not to contribute to that, even subtly, by giving the impression that requests may be considered for “an eternal ban” of users with unpopular opinions.
This thread is an attempt to intimidate users with pro-Russia opinions—and even users who have simply refused to take anti-Russian positions. Not naming names as may draw bigger targets on people—I see at least one person on that list only because he refused a demand that he act adversely to Russians. [...]
Why is this thread still in Meta?
[...]
^^^ The forum’s policy as such is a properly on-topic discussion for Meta. By citation to Greenwald’s reports, I have adequately demonstrated that Internet censorship, and especially Big Tech censorship, is a major problem on this topic. I urge the Bitcoin Forum not to contribute to that, even subtly, by giving the impression that requests may be considered for “an eternal ban” of users with unpopular opinions.
This thread is an attempt to intimidate users with pro-Russia opinions—and even users who have simply refused to take anti-Russian positions. Not naming names as may draw bigger targets on people—I see at least one person on that list only because he refused a demand that he act adversely to Russians. [...]
Why is this thread still in Meta?