censorship everywhere

… seems to be the new norm.

Censorship is something we in the western-type democracies used to think only existed in other parts of the world, but now it is so normal everywhere that even the Norwegian primeminister have uttered that there is nothing wrong with censoring.
Clear signs of lack of understanding within, and far from limited to, our national government … no wonder my country is going downhill fast.

Censorship is always counterproductive … everywhere. Silencing people don't solve any problems. Silenced people are unpredictable. Let them speak in public, so we get to know where they stand on issues that matter to us, and can prepare and act accordingly.

Difficult to understand how those in charge, and in support, of the various de facto censorship schemes can really be so shortsighted. Knowledge about human minds and history can not be their strongest sides the way they handle the present situations – in the US and elsewhere.
Are we entering the “Animal farm”, again, or is “1984” being enacted, again? Nobody asked for “reruns” of either AFAIK, but we risk getting an awful mix of both.

why do some favor censoring?

Why is it that some think that censoring is a good idea? Why won't they let the public hear, see and read what others have on their minds, and make up their own minds about it? Why don't they trust the common man and woman and their ability to think and decide for themselves?
Or is it rather that the most eager supporters of censoring fear those of us who choose to think and decide for ourselves regardless of what we are being told?

What makes the censors more trustworthy than the censored? Hasn't history proven over and over again that it is always the least trustworthy who impose and support censorship, so why is it any different now? Are there any reasons to believe that censoring will only be imposed upon “the few that deserve it”?

Soon any and all requests for free speech in our s.c. “democracies” will be put down, and even the thought of free speech will be interpreted and presented as a sign of mental illness by the leading individuals in our “most civilized” societies.

At least some of us can imagine how the story will expand and roll on forward until there is no going back, and it most likely won't be a pretty sight when the weakly braced floodgates they try to erect break down under pressure from the masses that simply won't accept being shut out and silenced.

don't shout “FIRE” in crowded spaces…

We all know that some utterings and actions can be dangerous in particular situations, and therefore illegal. Nobody in their right mind would challenge censoring of and other reactions to such stupidities and those behind them.
It is however not up to any individual to add whatever they personally do not like themselves or anybody else to hear, to that short list as they see fit. That would be disastrous in the long run, as we would end up with all these long and often conflicting lists that nobody would be able to make heads or tails of – least of all those who wrote any of them.

Problem is that there already are a number of such non-valid but powerful lists of “non-mentionables” in circulation, made up by official and “less official” figures, and too many in all walks of life abide by them and apply censoring and self-censoring for no good reasons but plenty of bad ones.
No wonder truth is so hard to come by these days, as few professionals in any field dare to utter anything that isn't already “officially sanctioned”, for fear of negative consequences to their careers and private lives.
Really sad to see the most thruth-loving among us being bundled up with the most truth-fearing, and all because of aggressive and nondiscriminatory censoring being applied at the orders of people that are given no rights to define or order them.

personally…

I want the right to free speech to be universal (or at least global), and I want the right to evaluate what is true and what is false of what anyone says after having been able to listen to them when and as I please. With censorships in place everywhere, all rights I have as an individual human being will be eradicated, and I won't accept that outcome no matter the reasons anyone can manage to come up with.

As with all freedom; I am personally responsible for what I do and say, same as all others whether they like it or not. Further along those lines; we all should apply the degree of self-censorship necessary to avoid and/or prevent dangerous situations of our making to occur.

Common sense and personal responsibility, beat all forms for censorship applied by big brother et al. That is how it has always been, and nobody can convince me that more censoring and restrictions will lead to improvements, locally or globally.
Thus, I have to conclude that “improvements” are not on their lists of reasons for what they do, and take it from there…

sincerely georg; sign

Hageland 16.jan.2021
last rev: 16.jan.2021

censorship on social media

While those behind social media platforms and services can do pretty much as they please beyond what is explicitly written in global and regional laws, the way the most dominating ones apply censorship is not very impressive when measured against our rights to free speech in public media. Again, we are treated as if we are not able to master the art of thinking and judging for ourselves, and that we are in constant need of protection and guidance.
Why they really do any of what they think they are doing, is not all that interesting. However, a more hands-off policy regarding all matters related to free speech, would be appreciated.

Personally I have never been bothered by how social and other public media handle, censor and mess up stuff, and I don't rely on any of the major ones for anything serious anyway so what do I care.

Others have not been that fortunate, but at least some have been smart enough to have accounts on and sources via more serious and user-friendly platforms for when the major internet players fail them.

there are always exceptions…

Funny how those behind and in support of social and other media, manage to create exceptions to ensure that their friends and colleagues get a “pass” when encountering censorship and other blocking-rules. Yes, funny, but that is how it works in some circles, and who know better how it works than those who control the various ins and outs of the systems.

Anything wrong with the above? Not really, the way I see it, but no love lost on them either. If they prefer to play in their own private pens they may just keep at it for ever for all I care. I won't go down there to watch…

irresponsible fools, and others…

One can not visit public places – social and other on-line media for instance – without observing some less than civilized utterings here and there. Some individuals clearly could do with some filtering between themself and whatever channels they open up on, for their own good if nothing else.

Maybe a few really do need increased filtering – censoring if you like, but for most these minimally filtered virtual public places act as safety-valves for minds and souls, and ultimately save lives because we don't have to act on our justified anger and frustration.

Humans need places to let off steam, and blocking or censoring people who enter these places with a less than politically correct attitude can be likened with tying down the safety valves on steam train engines in order to increase efficiency and speed a little.
May appear to work just fine for a while, but now nothing prevents the engine from blowing up as/if/when the energy in the boiler increases beyond safe and containable levels. Apart from local disasters from the “bang” itself, all activities within reach will pretty soon come to an absolute stand-still.

From the above one can safely conclude that censoring, blocking and illegalizing in themself, are control-techniques that in the long run tend to cause at least as many problems as they solve, and should only be applied in the most extreme cases and then only with the outmost care.

Those who are too sensitive to tolerate the many outbursts of less than civilized utterings on the internet and elsewhere, are better adviced to develop their own protective shields to the point where they feel safe in the real world, rather than try to transform the world around them into something it can never become. The world will never be safe enough to satisfy everyone's wants and needs no matter how much we all would want it to, but most of us can create our very own safe spaces within it from which we can continue to interact with others. That will have to do, and we don't have much of a choice anyway.

censorship every­where

… seems to be the new norm.

why do some favor censoring?

don't shout “FIRE” in crowded spaces…

personally…

censorship everywhere