Tuesday, December 13, 2016



The war on "fake news"

The biggest source of fake news in the mainstream media

The latest, and potentially most dangerous, threat to the First Amendment is the war on “fake news.” Those leading the war are using a few “viral” Internet hoaxes to justify increased government regulation – and even outright censorship – of Internet news sites. Some popular websites, such as Facebook, are not waiting for the government to force them to crack down on fake news.

Those calling for bans on “fake news” are not just trying to censor easily-disproved Internet hoaxes. They are working to create a government-sanctioned "gatekeeper" (to use Hillary Clinton’s infamous phrase) with the power to censor any news or opinion displeasing to the political establishment. None of those wringing their hands over fake news have expressed any concern over the fake news stories that helped lead to the Iraq War. Those fake news stories led to the destabilizing of the Middle East, the rise of ISIS, and the deaths of millions.

The war on “fake news” has taken a chilling turn with efforts to label news and opinion sites of alternative news sources as peddlers of Russian propaganda. The main targets are critics of US interventionist foreign policy, proponents of a gold standard, critics of the US government’s skyrocketing debt, and even those working to end police militarization. All have been smeared as anti-American agents of Russia.

Just last week, Congress passed legislation creating a special committee, composed of key federal agencies, to counter foreign interference in US elections. There have also been calls for congressional investigations into Russian influence on the elections. Can anyone doubt that the goal of this is to discredit and silence those who question the mainstream media’s pro-welfare/warfare state propaganda?

The attempts to ban “fake news;” smear antiwar, anti-Federal Reserve, and other pro-liberty movements as Russian agents; and stop independent organizations from discussing a politician’s record before an election are all parts of an ongoing war on the First Amendment. All Americans, no matter their political persuasion, have a stake in defeating these efforts to limit free speech.

SOURCE

7 comments:

Use the Name, Luke said...

"None of those wringing their hands over fake news have expressed any concern over the fake news stories that helped lead to the Iraq War."

An article decrying the problem of attempted censorship via the excuse of "fake news" tends to lose credibility when the author* engages in this kind of historical revisionism.

* The author is Rand Paul writing on "antiwar.com". Why am I not surprised?

Bird of Paradise said...

Fake news lots of fake news like back in 1993 when NBC/DATELINE faked a explosion of a GM truck and Katie Courics edited UNDER THE GUN or the Rodney King incdent more reasons you cant ever trust the main-stream news media and Global Warmings another Fake News lying about 2014 being the hottest on record when it was realy 1934 long before SUV's were around

Anonymous said...

"Fake News" is any news not sanctioned by the DNC.

Spurwing Plover the Fighting Shorebird said...

Fake news is what we get 24/7 52 weeks,365 days and 12 months from ABC,NBC,CBS and CNN

Anonymous said...

This fake news witch hunt looks to be the latest version of McCarthyism.

Use the Name, Luke said...

11:53,

McCarthy had a list of names. The Venona Intercepts showed that every person on his list was a Soviet agent. The only problem with his list was that those intercepts showed that it was incomplete. The government actually was thoroughly infiltrated with spies.

Firebird said...

McCarthy was right all along about these commie scumbags their in our own goverment,in the schools collages and universities their in various enviromentalists groups and their espcialy in Hollywood