Good morning comrades! There is a lot to go through today but let’s start with the giveaway result. I used one of those random name generators this morning but messed up the recording thereof, it was 630am and the espresso gods themselves were still taking a smoking break, nevertheless the lucky winner chosen from everyone that subscribed to this newsletter is:
Chris Ollech
Please drop me a line and I will get the slugger sent out your way. To everyone else that signed up to take part in this giveaway, thanks and if this format isn’t for you unsubscribing from here takes one click. Obviously, I would be happy for you remain here but no hard feelings if not.
On that note, welcome, all you new people! The way this work here is relatively simple. The free tier gets you 3 emails a week with all the regular content and commentary that I would have published on IG, plus a little more. You then have the option to support this work with a monthly subscription that gives 1-2 additional emails a week with more thorough work on whatever subjects tickle my fancy. Those can include history, philosophy, music, art, politics plus a discount code for any and all Black Lodges drops. This subscription helps me keep the lights on here, put food on the table and so on. Since the gifting season is upon us there is an option to gift a subscription, if you have any one crazy enough in your life, and I hope you do, that would enjoy that gift.
We all have our own horror stories regarding FB/IG, from shitty layouts, bullying, every fucking -ism on the face of the planet to the more sinister notions of manipulation, corruption and grander conspiracy/dystopian visions of what Zuck’s powerful entity is up to. Ever since the breaking of the Cambridge Analytica story, one that is still being played out mind you, a level of certainty has arrived regarding the undemocratic, greedy and destructive forces at play within Facebook Inc.
Now I am not one to indulge the cries of shadow banning and such on social media platforms, they reek of ego validation without any real facts backing it up but with the destruction of factual truths and information bubbles creating individual comfort blankets to lull is into passivity the call for the regulation of falsehoods passed off as truths has significantly increased. So, FB/Twitter/Google etc have started labeling statements that are important, be it during the recent US election, the pandemic, vaccines and so on. In principle, a sound idea, but of course who watches the watchdogs? Especially, when we know that our tech overlords genuinely don’t give a rats ass about truths and serving a positive societal purpose. Cue the above article. Again, I don’t agree with Greenwald on many things, however, this piece of writing is worth your time, not because of he delivers any ground breaking news, but the systematic collection of information paints a very coherent picture, not only of the dangers of self-regulation of a capitalistic entity, but how truly necessary the break up of all these tech giants is - possibly not the conclusion Greenwald would arrive at but hey.
Long story short, IG via FB is flagging anyones account that claims Biden’s 1994 Crime Bill was as vile, destructive, racist as it was, solely on the grounds of one article from USA Today that states the opposite, and ironically, one they have since modified. Despite that Biden’s VP as well as anyone with half a brain knows this to be fact, we know have one of the most powerful propaganda machines working to stop facts that, in this instance, paint a clearer picture of who is heading into the White House. Seriously, read the article. Draw your own conclusion of how much time, money and power want to gives these companies.
To wrap up this week on here following are your snapshots of the fuckening to illustrate the continuing moral decay that is our fight to make good on. My social media bubble has been awash with the news of a potential second stimulus package being passed in the US which can only be described as an invitation to finally surround DC with pitchforks, at the very least. Again, looking at the corrupt monstrosity from here I do wonder if the the relationship between citizens and government in the US has finally outed itself as a toxic S&M relationship where we have forgotten the safe word.
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Thank you for sharing the Greenwald article! If anyone is interested in an audio format or extra info on social media fact checking vs censorship, imo Jen Briney provides an amazing deep dive into congressional hearings on the subject. https://congressionaldish.com/cd224-social-media-censorship/