“The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes safely can be carried out.” [Oliver Wendell Holmes] That was then almost a century ago. This is now at a point where free speech and a free press (First Amendment, U.S. Constitution) have become optional, regulated by the nine billionaires who control all forms of media. You would think elected representatives, up to the president, would be all over corporate censorship of free speech, using the power of the bully pulpit to force them to cease and desist. The silence from Washington is ominous. A free ride for the corporate hacks who increasingly tell us what to believe and refuse to allow contrary ideas on their sites. They even brag about sharing their tyranny with their partners in crime, the government — “We have shared information about our analysis with law enforcement, policymakers and industry partners.” Count on it, none of the political cowards in the executive or legislative branches of government are going to go toe to toe with the corporate scoundrels that keep them on the gravy train. Want to know how we got here? Why the real answer to “bad” speech is more speech not less? Check out “Somebody Please Tell Twitter, Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon that the First Amendment is Not Optional.”
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