Double Standards and Hypocrisy of the Left – Ep. 377
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https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peter-schiff-show-podcast/id404963432?mt=2&ls=1
Alex Jones Banned
Alex Jones was banned from iTunes, Facebook, YouTube - his entire YouTube Channel is gone! He had over a million subscribers. The Alex Jones videos on my YouTube channel where I appeared as a guest are still up, but the ones on Alex's site are no longer there.
What About the First Amendment?
This raises a lot of very interesting and disturbing questions. First of all, you have a lot of people talking about censorship. What about the first amendment? The most important thing to remember about freedom of speech is that all of that has to do with government. Government cannot infringe on your freedom of speech. This has nothing to do with a private business. So, Facebook or YouTube are private companies. I don't have a right to have a YouTube channel. When you sign up for YouTube, they have the terms & conditions and you agree... YouTube doesn't charge me to have a YouTube channel; I don't have a right to demand one - it's private property. I can still do videos and get them out on this website and on other channels. I can listen to the Alex Jones Show podcast, even though it is not on iTunes.
Banning an Opinion
I don't think YouTube and Facebook taking Alex Jones off is a First Amendment issue, or is censorship. It certainly is a double standard. Why are Alex Jones' videos being taken down? Supposedly because it is hate speech or fake news. It is his opinion, and if you don't want to listen to it, don't. I don't think he is out there inciting violence. There are actually sites on YouTube and Facebook that do advocate violence. There are Communist YouTube channels. Why is that allowed on YouTube? What is Communism? That is where the government forcibly steals private property. Communism is a much bigger threat to the families in Newtown than Alex Jones denying that there was a shooting there.
Intolerance for Any Opinion that Disagrees
The Alex Jones channel made a lot of money for YouTube. Why would they want to get rid of it? YouTube is about selling ads and they need content, and Alex Jones some very good content. I think the reason was pressure from advertisers who were getting pressure from consumers saying. 'We're not going to use your products if you keep selling ads on this channel."
This is the type of society we live in, where the left is so intolerant of any opinion that they disagree with that they will do anything they can to shut it down. Whether it is trying to use the power of government or trying to use their power as consumers to organize and put pressure on companies to silence people who are saying things they don't like.
Slanting Content Invites Fairer Competition
As long as it is not the government silencing free speech, the message is still out there. Alex Jones will still be out there, just not on YouTube, Facebook or iTunes. Ultimately, if places like Facebook or YouTube started to censor enough people, it would destroy the value of their franchise. If they slant their content it leaves the door open for a competitor to come in and offer free speech.
Where you see massive hypocrisy is the same people who are up in arms about a small bakery who does not want to decorate a cake for a gay wedding and use the full force of the U.S. government to force them to so something they disagree with, have no problem with a trillion dollar company (Apple) denying service to Alex Jones because they don't agree with what he is saying. You either defend private property and liberty or you don't. I don't think we can force a baker to bake a cake for a gay wedding and we can't force YouTube to provide service to Alex Jones.
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peter-schiff-show-podcast/id404963432?mt=2&ls=1
Alex Jones Banned
Alex Jones was banned from iTunes, Facebook, YouTube - his entire YouTube Channel is gone! He had over a million subscribers. The Alex Jones videos on my YouTube channel where I appeared as a guest are still up, but the ones on Alex's site are no longer there.
What About the First Amendment?
This raises a lot of very interesting and disturbing questions. First of all, you have a lot of people talking about censorship. What about the first amendment? The most important thing to remember about freedom of speech is that all of that has to do with government. Government cannot infringe on your freedom of speech. This has nothing to do with a private business. So, Facebook or YouTube are private companies. I don't have a right to have a YouTube channel. When you sign up for YouTube, they have the terms & conditions and you agree... YouTube doesn't charge me to have a YouTube channel; I don't have a right to demand one - it's private property. I can still do videos and get them out on this website and on other channels. I can listen to the Alex Jones Show podcast, even though it is not on iTunes.
Banning an Opinion
I don't think YouTube and Facebook taking Alex Jones off is a First Amendment issue, or is censorship. It certainly is a double standard. Why are Alex Jones' videos being taken down? Supposedly because it is hate speech or fake news. It is his opinion, and if you don't want to listen to it, don't. I don't think he is out there inciting violence. There are actually sites on YouTube and Facebook that do advocate violence. There are Communist YouTube channels. Why is that allowed on YouTube? What is Communism? That is where the government forcibly steals private property. Communism is a much bigger threat to the families in Newtown than Alex Jones denying that there was a shooting there.
Intolerance for Any Opinion that Disagrees
The Alex Jones channel made a lot of money for YouTube. Why would they want to get rid of it? YouTube is about selling ads and they need content, and Alex Jones some very good content. I think the reason was pressure from advertisers who were getting pressure from consumers saying. 'We're not going to use your products if you keep selling ads on this channel."
This is the type of society we live in, where the left is so intolerant of any opinion that they disagree with that they will do anything they can to shut it down. Whether it is trying to use the power of government or trying to use their power as consumers to organize and put pressure on companies to silence people who are saying things they don't like.
Slanting Content Invites Fairer Competition
As long as it is not the government silencing free speech, the message is still out there. Alex Jones will still be out there, just not on YouTube, Facebook or iTunes. Ultimately, if places like Facebook or YouTube started to censor enough people, it would destroy the value of their franchise. If they slant their content it leaves the door open for a competitor to come in and offer free speech.
Where you see massive hypocrisy is the same people who are up in arms about a small bakery who does not want to decorate a cake for a gay wedding and use the full force of the U.S. government to force them to so something they disagree with, have no problem with a trillion dollar company (Apple) denying service to Alex Jones because they don't agree with what he is saying. You either defend private property and liberty or you don't. I don't think we can force a baker to bake a cake for a gay wedding and we can't force YouTube to provide service to Alex Jones.
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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