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ancianita's JournalGovernor Cuomo Pandemic Update May 28 2020
Trump, Twitter, And Free Speech
I found this on my Facebook page because I "Like" Techdirt.
I "Like" media who use social media to promote all kinds of discussion about free speech.
I also think it's in our future interests to support such platforms that make us to think through how to fight for our democratic freedoms. Doing that on these platforms, freedom fighters can win against the enemies of constitutional rights and freedom.
Last year and this year, the Russian 'doubt machine' theme was "just walk away." But this year, Americans have learned to stand their Internet ground long enough to identify and fight cyber insurgents, whether from Parscale or Putin.
(bolding below is mine)
We're only partway through this week, and Donald Trump has already created a textbook's worth of content moderation questions to explore. It started with Trump going nuts with a bunch of tweets about a blatantly disproved conspiracy theory regarding a young staffer of TV host Joe Scarborough from back when he was in Congress. That staffer, Lori Klausutis, died from an undiagnosed heart condition years ago. The police and coroner found no evidence of foul play. And suddenly Trump, who used to appear on Scarborough's show back in the day, decided to spew a bunch of utter nonsense hinting strongly at the blatantly false idea that Scarborough had something to do with Klausutis' death.
This is straight out of the Trump playbook. It is blatant false news (the accusation he likes to make about anyone who reports accurately on his activities). It is insane conspiracy mongering. It is hurtful. It is hateful. It is potentially dangerous. And it serves Trump in two distinct ways: as a distraction from his ongoing cataclysmic handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as part of his never-ending intimidation campaign against anyone in the media who dares to point out that the emperor has no clothes. As the Atlantic noted, this is malignant cruelty. It is disgusting.
I have mourned my wife every day since her passing. I have tried to honor her memory and our marriage. As her husband, I feel that one of my marital obligations is to protect her memory as I would have protected her in life. There has been a constant barrage of falsehoods, half-truths, innuendo and conspiracy theories since the day she died. I realize that may sound like an exaggeration, unfortunately it is the verifiable truth. Because of this, I have struggled to move forward with my life...
The letter was first published in a NY Times article by Kara Swisher in which she, too, backs the idea that the tweets should be deleted. Swisher's article is carefully argued -- and she notes that Twitter is facing a Gordian knot (though, not quite sure that's the right metaphor) with no good solution. She points out that kicking Trump off Twitter is a non-starter. As she says, it "would be pointless and too drastic," and (perhaps more importantly), "the firestorm it would set off would alone be disastrous for Twitter to manage." She also feels that labeling the tweets as false wouldn't do very much at all (more on that in a moment...) and concludes that the best of a bunch of not-good options is to delete the specific tweets. As she notes, it would be different if this was just about two public figures, like Scarborough and Trump...
And to make that case, let's look no further than the second big content moderation case study that Trump has kicked off this week. Trump spewed some more of his usual nonsense, claiming that mail-in ballots would result in widespread voter fraud -- a laughable claim not supported by any of the data out there, including among states that already do universal mail-in ballots.
Given Twitter's policies regarding misinformation directly around elections, as well as its recently launched tools to label certain tweets as misleading, Twitter (for the first time with a Trump tweet, but not the first time using this feature) put an additional note on Trump's tweet that simply said "Get the facts about mail-in ballots" and linked to a Twitter Moments page detailing the facts regarding mail-in ballots.
This is a pro-free speech approach to handling these matters. It's a "respond to bad speech with more speech" approach. Hell, even the notes on Trump's tweets were incredibly tame. I've seen other ones that directly claim that certain tweets are "misleading." The note on Trump's tweet didn't even say that -- it just said "get the facts" (indeed, I saw some people who thought the wording of the notification almost looked like it was in support of Trump's tweet.
And yet the crybaby in chief still threw a ridiculously stupid temper tantrum ...
Twitter is already held legally liable from content that they themselves publish. So if they added something to a tweet, they would be liable if that content violated any law. But they are not liable for moderation decisions and it would be totally counterproductive if they were.
Hell, if Rubio or others removed Twitter's Section 230 protections, it seems quite likely that Trump's tweets about Klausutis would be among the first removed, because without that protection, the site might face legal liability.
But all this brings us back around to the question of what Twitter should do in this situation. If merely adding a link to more information causes Trump and his cadre of yes-men to freak out to this level, imagine the insanity that would rain down on us if Twitter actually did delete one of his tweets. It seems highly unlikely that it would create a good outcome.
Everyone who already thinks Trump is a giant man-baby who shouldn't be anywhere near the halls of power wouldn't be any better off. But Trump and his fans would be able to play the victim, which is about the only role he seems able to play. There's no need to give him that martyrdom. It would just entrench the false belief that Twitter is targeting a particular political viewpoint, and do little to help anyone.
Twitter should stand its ground here, even while recognizing that Trump is going to continue to work the refs to make sure more of his nonsense is left unimpeded. But taking down one of his tweets seems only likely to make things worse, not better.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200527/01005344579/trump-twitter-free-speech.shtml?fbclid=IwAR0XMWxfYenVbNOKMQC3EJRT3fsT-51HUlC5-MlS5cP7O35sPkQ1jAA6S-M
Governor Cuomo Pandemic Update May 27 2020
That Uplifting Tweet You Just Shared? A Russian Troll Sent It
On the new troll world, from The Rolling Stone...These accounts also harness the goodwill theyve built by engaging in these communities for specific political ends. Consistent with past Russian activity, they attacked moderate politicians as a method of bolstering more polarizing candidates. Recently, Vice President Biden has been the most frequent target of this strategy, as seen in dozens of tweets such as, Joe Biden is damaging Obamas legacy with his racism and stupidity! and Joe Biden doesnt deserve our votes!...
The IRA generated more social media content in the year following the 2016 election than the year before it. They also moved their office into a bigger building with room to expand. Their work was never just about elections. Rather, the IRA encourages us to vilify our neighbor and amplify our differences because, if we grow incapable of compromising, there can be no meaningful democracy. Russia has dug in for a long campaign. So far, were helping them win.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/russia-troll-2020-election-interference-twitter-916482/
EDIT: copyright infringement warning
Judge Sends Devin Nunes' SLAPP Suits Against CNN And Washington Post Off To Their Proper Venues
Go, Judge Payne! Teach those power politics dopes and babies about jurisdiction!
The court then notes that NY is much more convenient for most material witnesses, and again brushes off Biss/Nunes' attempts to throw some "local to Virginia" witnesses into the stew to muddy things up:
CNN argues that the witness convenience factor "squarely supports transfer" because Ward, Cuomo, and Bondy all reside in New York.... That all three key witnesses reside in New York favors transfer.
The only witness Nunes has identified as residing in Virginia is Parnas's former attorney, Edward MacMahon, who was mentioned only once in the Article and who has not been shown to be a material witness.... Additionally, Nunes contends that Jake Tapper..., who resides in Washington, D.C., and Parnas and Igor Fruman--Parnas's business partner and co-defendant,... who reside in Florida, are "material witnesses." ... It is clear that Tapper is not a material witness.... With respect to Parnas and Fruman, even assuming that they are material witnesses, both of these witnesses would need to travel from Florida, and New York is likely to be more accessible than Richmond, Virginia. Additionally, as CNN notes, both Parnas and Fruman are under indictment in the SDNY.
One other interesting point: the court points out that the parties are debating whether or not California's or New York's laws should apply to the case, and that supports a transfer to SDNY, which obviously understands NY law. And, the court says, even if it turns out that California's laws will apply (in which case, California's anti-SLAPP could be applied...), the court says that the SDNY is readily familiar with California law.
... the Court has significant concerns about forum shopping. As the Court has explained to Plaintiff's on numerous occassions, the "Court cannot stand as a willing repository for cases which have no real nexus to this district. The 'rocket docket' certainly attracts plaintiff[s], but the Court must ensure that this attraction does not dull the ability of the Court to continue to act in an expeditions manner."...
Court documents are included in the full report.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200525/00562244569/judge-sends-devin-nunes-slapp-suits-against-cnn-washington-post-off-to-their-proper-venues.shtml?fbclid=IwAR3xoQSnT_bjWD4wSZO7-7pSTuxwkb71qHzVHCKNC-UiaK6FMx6uEUzqQDc
Governor Cuomo Pandemic Update May 26 2020
Tarantino, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, Jamie Foxx Talk About Agency
This is not a press conference as much as a discussion.
As we remember those who have suffered and died, this is a reminder of how our arts help us remember that " ... we are the answer to these people's prayers. That the people who did this work dreamt of a day where you could not be property, but own property; where you could read; where you could vote; where you could get married; where you could have a job and be compensated."
... And again, on that sacred ground, it forced everybody to shift, to man up, and own how blessed we are that we get to be here and tell this story... and know that it's the story of a hero... a profound opportunity."
Thank you, Kerry Washington, for remembering that learning moment, when we learn why we honor the deaths of those who've come before us -- to be agents for our forebears.
Governor Cuomo Pandemic Update May 25 2020
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Gender: Do not displayHometown: New England, The South, Midwest
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Current location: Sarasota
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