42% of people globally use Facebook as their news source. That should be a chilling fact to anyone who still has some functioning grey matter. “Google” it, has become synonymous with doing a web search. That too, for those who know how Google operates, should chill us to the bone.
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Dead Wild Roses: Women in the United States are being Fired for Talking About Feminism -by M.K. Fain
We won’t back down in defending Women’s rights here at DWR. If commenting on Sasha White’s thread is enough to get one in hotwater, so be it. There is too much at stake to sit down and shut up over this issue. Women (adult human females) are currently being unfairly
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Globe and Mail Letter
Today’s Globe and Mail contains a letter to the editor from yours truly (second from the bottom) in response to an op-ed criticizing those who take offence at J.K. Rowling’s misguided views on trans people. I discuss one of my pet peeves in the current “free speech” wars — namely,
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Globe and Mail Letter
Today’s Globe and Mail contains a letter to the editor from yours truly (second from the bottom) in response to an op-ed criticizing those who take offence at J.K. Rowling’s misguided views on trans people. I discuss one of my pet peeves in the current “free speech” wars — namely,
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Welcome To The Brave New World
Speaking of censorious scrupulosity…. While censorship is rising rapidly, with Google, Facebook and Twitter, as well as the major media, controlling and restricting what people can see or read, say or share; Facebook is now blocking me from posting my own essays from my blog to my Farcebook page. Welcome
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Flash-Drive Revolution – AND – Who To Trust?
Amidst Protests, Uprisings, Simmering Revolt and Revolution, and A New Renaissance Emerging, vs Reactionary Efforts of The Establishment Powers of Entrenched Global Neo-Feudal Corporate Oligarchy To Resist Change, and To Consolidate Their Power Who Can We Trust, Who Is Worthy of Support, and Who Can Put Things Into Perspective?
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The Sins of Assange
“Assange’s arrest represents an abuse of power, highlighting not only how true journalism has now been banished in the West, but also how politicians, journalists, news agencies and think-tanks collude with each other to silence people like Julian Assange and his Wikileaks foundation who are a nuisance to US imperialism.
Continue readingThings Are Good: Use TOR to Access the BBC on the “Dark Web”
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched on the dark web to help those in authoritarian regimes access international news. To access the the site one only need the Tor browser and don’t need to use a VPN to get around national censorship firewalls. The TOR browser works anonymously by
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: Testifying at Parliament on Social Media Oversight
My address to the House of Commons Committee on Justice and Human Rights, on how government can or should combat the spread of hatred on social media platforms. Democracy’s most sacrosanct principles collide in this debate.
Continue readingThings Are Good: Watch This Anti-Palm Oil Ad Banned in the UK
Palm oil gets used in plenty of consumer goods and processed foods, as a result the demand for palm oil increases every year. The problem with using palm oil is that most sources of the plant are from unsustainable farming practices. Indeed, the cultivation of palm oil greatly contributes to
Continue readingScripturient: Are facts inflammatory?
Inflammatory is the word I was told the Connection used this week in rejecting an ad by mayoral candidate John Trude*. That ad challenged some of the claims of one of his opponents by stating what actually happened at council this term in four areas: open and accountable government, the
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The Social Contagion – The Toxic Aspect of Transactivism
From The Times: Hey folks just your weekly update from the Queer Ministry of Truth: “Natacha Kennedy asked people to list academics deemed to be transphobic” “A transgender lecturer orchestrated a smear campaign against academics across the UK in which universities were described as dangerous and accused of “hate
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Keep ’em separated
Recently the Government of Canada included on its summer student funding program a check box that asks whether the business (non-profit/agency/charity/etc.) applying for federal tax funding complies with Canadian law. Normally, that’s not a problem. Normally, if you apply for federal funding, you’re all, hells yes we comply with federal
Continue readingA. Picazo: How the far-right co-opted “free speech”
This column was published at Maclean’s on May 1, 2017 It was the third time in as many months that supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Berkeley, Calif., the historic birthplace of America’s Free Speech Movement and the cradle of anti-war protests in the Vietnam War era—but when met with
Continue readingThings Are Good: Even Massive Multinationals Support Net Neutrality
Net neutrality is what allows the internet to be what it is, and without it the internet would be pretty much useless. The Trump administration is presently trying to eliminate net neutrality to protect the profits of a very small group of companies. It’s worth noting that the Obama administration
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Facebook’s Secret Censorship Rules Protect White Men from Hate Speech But Not Black Children
Internal Facebook documents reviewed by ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom, reveal that the social media behemoth’s censors often condone hate speech by white men but punish racialized minorities and activist groups for legitimate political expression. The post Facebook’s Secret Censorship Rules Protect White Men from Hate Speech But Not
Continue readingKersplebedeb | Kersplebedeb: The Censorship and Persecution of Former Black Panther Jalil Muntaqim
Jalil Muntaqim, one of the longest held political prisoners in the world today, has been in the SHU at Attica prison in upstate New York, since December 6th for teaching Black History — a course approved by the Attica prison administration. Jalil had been teaching Black History for almost 2 months,
Continue readingLeft Over: …Then They Came for Me…
Online comments on news stories: a problem for everyone Syrian refugee stories on news sites are prompting some backlash in the comments section of some websites By Bal Brach, CBC News Posted: Jan 10, 2016 8:00 AM PT Last Updated: Jan … Continue reading →
Continue readingKersplebedeb | Kersplebedeb: Jalil Arbitrarily Denied Books including HIS OWN
On October 7, 2015, Jalil was arbitrarily denied receipt of four books after they had been approved by the package room. Jalil would like folk to write to Commissioner Annucci regarding this matter. Write to Commissioner Annucci at: Anthony Annucci Commissioner of DOCCS 1220 Washington Avenue The Harriman State Campus,
Continue readingKersplebedeb | Kersplebedeb: Mailroom Censorship at Attica
On October 7, political prisoner Jalil Muntaqim was denied 4 books which arrived for him at Attica Correctional Facility. Muntaqim is a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, and one of the longest held political prisoners in the world today; he has been incarcerated since
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