Don't get me wrong, Alex, I am a hugely grateful to everything you've done over the past few years. But, it's fascinating to see people who (I'm assuming in your case) existed mostly on the Left their whole lives watching with puzzlement as things come crashing down around us.
Small government conservatism existed because this is what was feared. We didn't oppose collectivism because we were misanthropes.
We didn't oppose government growth in entitlement programs and top down takeover of medicine because we were mean spirited, or against helping people, or wishing to throw granny off a cliff. We didn't oppose federal takeover of education because we were against kids or anti knowledge. We didn't oppose centralized government picking winners and losers based on race because we don't want minorities to succeed. Etc., etc., etc.
Small government conservatives opposed all these things Democrats have pushed for decades, out of their 'compassion', because we knew where it led. We knew it was the Road to Serfdom.
What does this have to do with the issue at hand, free speech? The assault on speech is coming because truthful speech is impeding our massive, bloated, centralized State from achieving its goals. The Left believes in those goals and, as it has forever, regards anyone opposed to them as at best a deplorable and, at worst, and enemy of the people.
This is exactly what I mean when I talk about altering your beliefs in order to stay in good standing with the cult.....I mean....with your peer group. This is especially effective because the left has been demonizing their political opponents for A LONG TIME, leaving current members with an incredible dilemma -- do I go along with the "crazy" and turn my back on free speech (or whatever other issue), or do I lose my entire support system and get thrown in with the people I've been calling names for years?
Dems and their allies in the mainstream media posture as opponents of "fascism," while their main goal is to unite state and corporate power to censor their critics and degrade the internet into an increasingly repressive weapon of information control.
Isn't it that democrats declare themselves incapable and unable to think clearly, analyze, research and conclude what is factual and what's not. Everyone got bombarded with c19 lies, fears and mandates. The distinguishing factor between conformity and nonconformity is to exercise intuitiveness... the more information one has, the better conclusion one reaches... SIMPLE.
True. Some call themselves 'scientist'; Chief of _ _ _ .The TRUTH is out there; the question is: What do we do to find it. The natural laziness of humans is what got us in this predicament. HERE, right now, we have number of minds unwilling to settle with the current status.
As a former liberal/progressive/democrat, I continue to get mail, emails, Facebook entreaties, and text messages from the democrats. I just got one from some dem pac saying they are begging me to block RFK from running for president! I may have deleted it. I should have kept it.
I am a long time Republican. But I donated to Tulsi Gabbard's campaign in 2019 when the party bosses were keeping her out of debates. Since then I have received an average of 30 emails per day from various Democratic Party organizations asking for money (even when they say "not asking for money", they're asking for money). That's more than 40,000 emails. Fortunately I used an email address that's not used for real emails.
It's ironic that the left wants to shut down "misinformation" or "disinformatio" because THEY ARE THE CHIEF CULPRITS who produce it!! EVERYTHING they published about the vaccines and VOVID 19 in general was proven to.be WRONG!!
Perfect example going around Twitter is how they've been framing the story of the Nebraska teenager sentenced to 90 days in jail for burning, burying, and concealing the baby she killed. They're saying she was sentenced to jail for "ending her pregnancy with abortion pills."
Russian support for Trump was even more wrongly WRONG. The Russians clearly wanted Clinton because she was so helpful to them as Secretary of State. All she wanted was money and they could get what they wanted. And she got it, and they got it. Even her beloved husband William got big money, $5,000 per minute for a 90 minute speech in Moscow in 2010 (when she was Secretary of State) paid by a banker friend of Putin. For those for whom math is hard, he got $500,000 plus of course housing, food, and ... .
I've been saying for some time now, that it's Democrats who are the party of authoritarianism. That they keep tagging Republicans as "authoritarian" is a clear case of projection.
Not quite. The Dems have always been for increasing government but used to be against war and for free speech. Now they say anyone who questions unlimited support of Zelenskyy is Putin's puppet, and they only support free speech if it's not "hate speech" or "disinformation," as determined by the government.
Free speech was fine for the Left when they controlled the media. The rise of alternative media and the election of Trump meant that uncensored speech had become a threat to their power and had to go.
I can not erase from my memory the picture of the news man who broke down in tears and sobs and that whole news desk's shock and disbelief when Clinton lost the election to Trump. Contrary to their unceasing attempts, vitriol, and lack of unbiased reporting and their complicency in promoting propoganda vs facts. Were they crying because their candidate of choice lost or because they feared the consequences of light being thrown on their actions?
Maybe Clinton just underestimated the number of votes needed to be stolen to get her elected. We all make mistakes. So how will the democrats correct this mistake in stealing votes in 2024?
I can't even venture a guess as to what the whole '24 political landscape is going to look like. I do know everything is on the table between now and then and we can not risk making a mistake or be hornswaggled. It's really going to be decided by how serious the citizens of this country are about keeping our Republic. Will they just "show up to say they voted" or will they educate themselves thru researching facts and it will also be weighted based on the actions of our Congress and courts regarding the wholesale devestation of our governmental institutions', offices, and onslaught against our freedom of speech
Seems like when they started suppressing speech and controlling all aspects of the media, they didn't anticipate such a robust alternative media to arise.
In my opinion, the change in attitude about free speech is the precise reason Covid existed in the first place. The 'crisis' justified and drove the need to 'protect' the people.
Yes, it's almost like people have forgotten about the infringements on freedom that stemmed from 9/11 like the Patriot Act. Thank you for that perspective; when authority perpetuates fear, you can be sure someone is up to no good.
I personally think that most of the left has literally no idea what they want....stupid does not start to cover it.....it's far worse than that. Plus, add in all of the neurological damage from the jabs, and here we are. The poll does not surprise me at all.
Just look at the kids on college campuses who need their “safe spaces,” riot when conservatives try to present their beliefs, and demand the right never to be offended.
When you are willing to give up free speech, you are unknowingly giving up your freedom. You can vote away your rights, but you will have to fight to get them back.
Jimmy Dore brought up a good point recently. He said if the US government is so concerned about global warming and fossil fuels then why don't they shut down some of the 1,000 military bases they have around the world? We have more bases than any other country.
I try not to despair for my country, but it's getting harder and harder. The young have been reared with social media and it is creating an online hive mind. Individual liberties are always the biggest threat to collectivism. This is why they must either be stamped out through force, or simply made irrelevant. The former may be fought, the latter? Terrifying.
RFK Jr said he was accused of MALinformation; when something is true but inconvenient for the government. I have never heard a better definition on the issue.
This scared the shit out of me. I'm glad I'm 71. The Left can't stand when someone disagrees with them so therefore they are for the suppression of speech. They were in love with the Covid restrictions. How the Hell else did Gretchen Whitmer get reelected? They weren't allowed to buy paint but she and her family did whatever they wanted. I was buying groceries today and the cashier had on a mask and gloves. i wanted to smack the shit out of her because she had to be one of these white, liberal women who love being told what to do by Big Brother.
Don't get me wrong, Alex, I am a hugely grateful to everything you've done over the past few years. But, it's fascinating to see people who (I'm assuming in your case) existed mostly on the Left their whole lives watching with puzzlement as things come crashing down around us.
Small government conservatism existed because this is what was feared. We didn't oppose collectivism because we were misanthropes.
We didn't oppose government growth in entitlement programs and top down takeover of medicine because we were mean spirited, or against helping people, or wishing to throw granny off a cliff. We didn't oppose federal takeover of education because we were against kids or anti knowledge. We didn't oppose centralized government picking winners and losers based on race because we don't want minorities to succeed. Etc., etc., etc.
Small government conservatives opposed all these things Democrats have pushed for decades, out of their 'compassion', because we knew where it led. We knew it was the Road to Serfdom.
What does this have to do with the issue at hand, free speech? The assault on speech is coming because truthful speech is impeding our massive, bloated, centralized State from achieving its goals. The Left believes in those goals and, as it has forever, regards anyone opposed to them as at best a deplorable and, at worst, and enemy of the people.
You can't have a collective State and freedom.
VERY well put.
I was hopeful that classic liberals would begin to see this argument more clearly after Covid tyranny.
Some may have, but not nearly enough.
Exactly right. Thank you!
🙌🙌
Perfect analysis, I agree with you completely
Well said!!
Wow! Wonderful.
👏👏
🎯
This is exactly what I mean when I talk about altering your beliefs in order to stay in good standing with the cult.....I mean....with your peer group. This is especially effective because the left has been demonizing their political opponents for A LONG TIME, leaving current members with an incredible dilemma -- do I go along with the "crazy" and turn my back on free speech (or whatever other issue), or do I lose my entire support system and get thrown in with the people I've been calling names for years?
Dems and their allies in the mainstream media posture as opponents of "fascism," while their main goal is to unite state and corporate power to censor their critics and degrade the internet into an increasingly repressive weapon of information control.
"unite state and corporate power" That is the very definition of how fascism has worked in the past.
It's not fascism, it's, ah, um, Public-Private Partnerships.
NGOs are quite the sexy selling point to those who fight for truth and decency.
1984 in full effect. All of it.
1984 IS HERE. The famous novel becomes a metaphor for the current dilemma we find ourselves in. Watch the hit music video. https://turfseer.substack.com/p/1984-is-here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4CotEMBoa0
You can always count on the Babylon Bee to be spot on.
Hahaha.
Isn't it that democrats declare themselves incapable and unable to think clearly, analyze, research and conclude what is factual and what's not. Everyone got bombarded with c19 lies, fears and mandates. The distinguishing factor between conformity and nonconformity is to exercise intuitiveness... the more information one has, the better conclusion one reaches... SIMPLE.
But this guy's wearing a lab coat.........
True. Some call themselves 'scientist'; Chief of _ _ _ .The TRUTH is out there; the question is: What do we do to find it. The natural laziness of humans is what got us in this predicament. HERE, right now, we have number of minds unwilling to settle with the current status.
As a former liberal/progressive/democrat, I continue to get mail, emails, Facebook entreaties, and text messages from the democrats. I just got one from some dem pac saying they are begging me to block RFK from running for president! I may have deleted it. I should have kept it.
He's against the war! Ban him!
Super liberal, there :)
I like to think of him as the "old" left that I was part of. Except it seems he's more truthful.
I am a long time Republican. But I donated to Tulsi Gabbard's campaign in 2019 when the party bosses were keeping her out of debates. Since then I have received an average of 30 emails per day from various Democratic Party organizations asking for money (even when they say "not asking for money", they're asking for money). That's more than 40,000 emails. Fortunately I used an email address that's not used for real emails.
good idea
Thank you for rejecting the American brand of totalitarianism.
MAINSTREAM MEDIA is the linchpin of the left. CASE CLOSED
We lost it anyway. Stay true to your values and I to mine. Freedom of speech is essential and timeless - in America. Right? 🇺🇸
They’ll flip back to supporting 1A when SM tells them too, and/or when there’s a republican in office.
It's ironic that the left wants to shut down "misinformation" or "disinformatio" because THEY ARE THE CHIEF CULPRITS who produce it!! EVERYTHING they published about the vaccines and VOVID 19 in general was proven to.be WRONG!!
Perfect example going around Twitter is how they've been framing the story of the Nebraska teenager sentenced to 90 days in jail for burning, burying, and concealing the baby she killed. They're saying she was sentenced to jail for "ending her pregnancy with abortion pills."
https://twitter.com/NoLieWithBTC/status/1682449107284287490?s=20
Russian support for Trump was even more wrongly WRONG. The Russians clearly wanted Clinton because she was so helpful to them as Secretary of State. All she wanted was money and they could get what they wanted. And she got it, and they got it. Even her beloved husband William got big money, $5,000 per minute for a 90 minute speech in Moscow in 2010 (when she was Secretary of State) paid by a banker friend of Putin. For those for whom math is hard, he got $500,000 plus of course housing, food, and ... .
I've been saying for some time now, that it's Democrats who are the party of authoritarianism. That they keep tagging Republicans as "authoritarian" is a clear case of projection.
They always have been.
Not quite. The Dems have always been for increasing government but used to be against war and for free speech. Now they say anyone who questions unlimited support of Zelenskyy is Putin's puppet, and they only support free speech if it's not "hate speech" or "disinformation," as determined by the government.
OH, EX-HIPPIE! A former “flower child” now advocates for war and embraces Big Pharma. Listen to the new hit song. https://turfseer.substack.com/p/oh-ex-hippie
Free speech was fine for the Left when they controlled the media. The rise of alternative media and the election of Trump meant that uncensored speech had become a threat to their power and had to go.
I can not erase from my memory the picture of the news man who broke down in tears and sobs and that whole news desk's shock and disbelief when Clinton lost the election to Trump. Contrary to their unceasing attempts, vitriol, and lack of unbiased reporting and their complicency in promoting propoganda vs facts. Were they crying because their candidate of choice lost or because they feared the consequences of light being thrown on their actions?
Maybe Clinton just underestimated the number of votes needed to be stolen to get her elected. We all make mistakes. So how will the democrats correct this mistake in stealing votes in 2024?
Or maybe R's didn't show their hand...
I can't even venture a guess as to what the whole '24 political landscape is going to look like. I do know everything is on the table between now and then and we can not risk making a mistake or be hornswaggled. It's really going to be decided by how serious the citizens of this country are about keeping our Republic. Will they just "show up to say they voted" or will they educate themselves thru researching facts and it will also be weighted based on the actions of our Congress and courts regarding the wholesale devestation of our governmental institutions', offices, and onslaught against our freedom of speech
Seems like when they started suppressing speech and controlling all aspects of the media, they didn't anticipate such a robust alternative media to arise.
“ musical rules”.....🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
I really do not understand what is wrong with people anymore, I just don't.
I also don't know how else to say it, I'm so confused as to what's going on.
People are literally walking themselves into the gulags, voluntarily.
No more internment camps for the unvaccinated? Don’t be so sure! Watch Turfseer’s Music Video THE COMMANDANT. https://turfseer.substack.com/p/the-commandantv
In my opinion, the change in attitude about free speech is the precise reason Covid existed in the first place. The 'crisis' justified and drove the need to 'protect' the people.
Covid exacerbated what was "attained" from 9/11. Abject "fear" has lead every collapse of freedoms across history.
Yes, it's almost like people have forgotten about the infringements on freedom that stemmed from 9/11 like the Patriot Act. Thank you for that perspective; when authority perpetuates fear, you can be sure someone is up to no good.
Well put Simon. Thank you.
God, people are effing stupid. 😢
I don’t think the people understand what they’re advocating for when they want the government to restrict speech.
They want “conditional “ restriction of freedom of speech. It’s that simple.
I personally think that most of the left has literally no idea what they want....stupid does not start to cover it.....it's far worse than that. Plus, add in all of the neurological damage from the jabs, and here we are. The poll does not surprise me at all.
Just look at the kids on college campuses who need their “safe spaces,” riot when conservatives try to present their beliefs, and demand the right never to be offended.
When you are willing to give up free speech, you are unknowingly giving up your freedom. You can vote away your rights, but you will have to fight to get them back.
It started with charges of “climate change denial”, as Michael Shellenberger can probably tell you.
Jimmy Dore brought up a good point recently. He said if the US government is so concerned about global warming and fossil fuels then why don't they shut down some of the 1,000 military bases they have around the world? We have more bases than any other country.
I try not to despair for my country, but it's getting harder and harder. The young have been reared with social media and it is creating an online hive mind. Individual liberties are always the biggest threat to collectivism. This is why they must either be stamped out through force, or simply made irrelevant. The former may be fought, the latter? Terrifying.
This is worth fighting a civil war over. We shouldn't relinquish our fundamental individual liberties without a fight.
RFK Jr said he was accused of MALinformation; when something is true but inconvenient for the government. I have never heard a better definition on the issue.
This scared the shit out of me. I'm glad I'm 71. The Left can't stand when someone disagrees with them so therefore they are for the suppression of speech. They were in love with the Covid restrictions. How the Hell else did Gretchen Whitmer get reelected? They weren't allowed to buy paint but she and her family did whatever they wanted. I was buying groceries today and the cashier had on a mask and gloves. i wanted to smack the shit out of her because she had to be one of these white, liberal women who love being told what to do by Big Brother.
Jonestown meets the Covidian cult. Listen to Turfseer’s hit song I DRANK THE KOOL-AID.. https://turfseer.substack.com/p/i-drank-the-kool-aid
when government controls speech, they control you. "We The People" become "Sheeple"