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ArishMell · 70-79, M
No idea who they all are really, but are you saying they might all be SW users? :-)
WalterF · 70-79, M
@ArishMell No, not at all. They are the CEOs of Facebook, Amazon, etc.
They have been enforcing vigorous censorship for several years now. (Only a small number of people are aware of the censorship, so it's working fine.)
Remember the anagram of the century: the letters of "conspiracy theorist" also spell exactly "censorship atrocity"
They have been enforcing vigorous censorship for several years now. (Only a small number of people are aware of the censorship, so it's working fine.)
Remember the anagram of the century: the letters of "conspiracy theorist" also spell exactly "censorship atrocity"
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@WalterF Thankyou. Censors... allegedly, on Facebook at least though they can't go too far lest they upset the advertising agencies who are its clients. By censoring though, of what?
Amazon though? I thought that is just a retailer of goods.
I like the anagram - the second phrase often does suit the actions of the former!
Amazon though? I thought that is just a retailer of goods.
I like the anagram - the second phrase often does suit the actions of the former!
WalterF · 70-79, M
@ArishMell Amazon can exercise censorship by (as in this case) refusing to publish a book in its Kindle format, thus attempting to limit the circulation of books that go against the official narrative.
By the way, you can't possibly mean that "conspiracy theorists," like myself, but also tens of thousands of highly qualified top medical personnel, exercise censorship? How could we possibly go against the 24-hour one-track propaganda of the media? Absolutely impossible to censor that!
By the way, you can't possibly mean that "conspiracy theorists," like myself, but also tens of thousands of highly qualified top medical personnel, exercise censorship? How could we possibly go against the 24-hour one-track propaganda of the media? Absolutely impossible to censor that!
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@WalterF Can't buy the book in electronic form? Try a bookshop! I take it by "official narrative" you mean Amazon's owner's political views, whatever they might be. (I never use Amazon anyway.)
How can "the media" be "one-track" when in countries like ours, the USA, Germany, Australia etc. most of them are either impartial to the terror of those who want them biased their own way, or are commercial outfits competing for sales among followers of their own "official narratives" (biases)?
How can 10s of 1000s of members of any one profession in a free society possibly all hold exactly the same views and block any against them? It is not credible.
If you want one "one-track" media try those of China or Russia, where a discussion like this would be very highly illegal or simply impossible anyway....
How can "the media" be "one-track" when in countries like ours, the USA, Germany, Australia etc. most of them are either impartial to the terror of those who want them biased their own way, or are commercial outfits competing for sales among followers of their own "official narratives" (biases)?
How can 10s of 1000s of members of any one profession in a free society possibly all hold exactly the same views and block any against them? It is not credible.
If you want one "one-track" media try those of China or Russia, where a discussion like this would be very highly illegal or simply impossible anyway....
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@WalterF Oh well, I'd certainly agree with you there.
It seems to echo what others have said elsewhere on SW, that there are small, self-arranged, largely-voluntary groups in a few places in the USA, who have appointed themselves the arbiters of what books may or shall not be read in schools or even public libraries, unless first read and approved by these vigilante types. One contributor here pointed out that it means essentially any and every new novel (and history-book?) published has to pass this test.
Apparently it is not whether the literature is suitable for children by age-range and academic development, as is the normal consideration, but whether it meets the watchers' dogma. Whatever they intend, it would seem basically a desire to confine the children's or library-users' minds and outlook on life to that dogma. I wonder if The Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, 1984 and The Second Sleep are among the proscribed works....
I rather wonder too what would happen if some student replies to a teacher telling a class "Though Shalt Not Read 'XxxxYyyZzz' ", that, "Oh, my parents bought it and we all really enjoyed it!"
My point about going to a bookshop was not simply facile; but that neither Amazon nor those overbearing parents, school non-governors and library book-nonbuyers can really stop anyone reading what they want, and may even make the books more attractive as "forbidden-fruit".
I am though rather surprised at Amazon's action, partly for that reason, but also since it exists to sell as much as possible over as wide a range as possible, to make as much money as possible while destroying as much of the normal retail trade.... as possible.
Obviously it will say what books it has banned but does it give any explanation, specific to each book, beyond "We disagree with it"?
It seems to echo what others have said elsewhere on SW, that there are small, self-arranged, largely-voluntary groups in a few places in the USA, who have appointed themselves the arbiters of what books may or shall not be read in schools or even public libraries, unless first read and approved by these vigilante types. One contributor here pointed out that it means essentially any and every new novel (and history-book?) published has to pass this test.
Apparently it is not whether the literature is suitable for children by age-range and academic development, as is the normal consideration, but whether it meets the watchers' dogma. Whatever they intend, it would seem basically a desire to confine the children's or library-users' minds and outlook on life to that dogma. I wonder if The Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, 1984 and The Second Sleep are among the proscribed works....
I rather wonder too what would happen if some student replies to a teacher telling a class "Though Shalt Not Read 'XxxxYyyZzz' ", that, "Oh, my parents bought it and we all really enjoyed it!"
My point about going to a bookshop was not simply facile; but that neither Amazon nor those overbearing parents, school non-governors and library book-nonbuyers can really stop anyone reading what they want, and may even make the books more attractive as "forbidden-fruit".
I am though rather surprised at Amazon's action, partly for that reason, but also since it exists to sell as much as possible over as wide a range as possible, to make as much money as possible while destroying as much of the normal retail trade.... as possible.
Obviously it will say what books it has banned but does it give any explanation, specific to each book, beyond "We disagree with it"?