Samizdat America

Eric Peters Autos ^ | 20MAY19 | eric

[vannrox]

America is now at the Samizdat stage.

For those not hip, Samizdat refers to the underground press in the old Soviet Union. The government had almost total control over public discourse; today, it’s private corporations. Which is worse because it has the sheen of “free market” and “private property” – which provides the basis for doltish intellectuals to defend it.

Only government can censor, they exclaim!

Very true.

But when private companies can suppress speech generally – it amounts to the same thing.

[ConservativeMind]

Yeah, we’re the same as that, now, sadly.

[dp0622]

Until this point I have depended on capitalism and free markets to take advantage of the lack of conservative voices.

But the crushing power of those that control who enters such markets makes that meaningless now.

Break em up.

[kiryandil]

But when private companies can suppress speech generally – it amounts to the same thing.

Hey, just because multiple Big Social Media companies are colluding to suppress Free Speech, doesn't mean that they're colluding to suppress Free Speech.

Because Orange Man Bad.

[Freedom4US]

The press in the Soviet Union didn’t have much choice, or they’d end up in some labor camp in Siberia.

What’s MSNBC’s excuse?

[Rockingham]

Comprehensive censorship is a governmental power. When exercised by a private corporation, such comprehensive censorship should be evaluated as if it is the exercise of governmental power, as in a company town.