- Thread starter Joe Fan
- Start date
I'm not surprised you're not a fan of antitrust laws. Most libertarians aren't. I view them as a mixed bag. When they're brought against businesses that are in the sack with government, I'm more favorable. When they're brought against companies that have acquired market dominance by simply being better than everyone else, I'm less of a fan unless there's pretty clear cut evidence of anti-competitive practices.
I saw they are suing Amazon, but I expected them to sue Apple and Google too.
That is the one against AWS, not Apple and Google. Hearing on the TRO was this morning, but ruling to be disclosed later...
The Declarations made for interesting reading...even if AWS counsel insisted on them ONLY being filed with redactions of the names of the persons making them.
They still can. They're likely starting with the more obvious claim, and as they conduct discovery and learn more specifics of what went down, they can join Apple and Google if the evidence leads there.
Monahorns
10,000+ Posts
Your viewpoint is more or less what libertarians say.
The only thing I would add is that historical analysis has shown that antitrust laws haven't really done much to reduce monopoly problems. If a company is in the sack with the government, the answer should be clear enough. Get them out of the sack, don't give them further involvement with the government. It doesn't work.
Joe Fan
10,000+ Posts
Antitrust suits can last forever
One of my profs' entire career in private practice was a single antitrust case - i kid not. One case.
And thus very expensive
Startups cannot hang
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Joe Fan
10,000+ Posts
What I did find interesting is that the judge did not rule on the TRO yesterday...seems like many of those are pretty much an on-the-spot decision.
I am left with the impression that the judge was not thrilled with the response from AWS counsel when asked if they could get Parler back online if changes were made. AWS did not say yes or no but instead claimed they did not believe Parler would make the changes. As described, that comes across as AWS telling the court they are going to do what they want and no judge is telling them otherwise.
Joe Fan
10,000+ Posts
Sometimes they will let something like that hang but give a signal and strongly encourage the parties to resolve it before the ruling becomes official. Not all districts are the same, but most judges are always looking for ways to lessen the number of cases on their docket.
Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
Twitter and the other tech giants continue to run scared. Post-1/6 analysis will likely show that their platforms were being leveraged to coordinate a coup. Their responses post-1/6 were of the CYA variety. Just like the incredible intelligence failure by the Capital Police and Seargent-at-arms for the House and Senate, these platforms realized the depths Trump and QAnon rhetoric on their platform was being used to motivate true sedition in sites like Parler, Gab, Signal, etc. only after the seminal event
They can’t be held liable for third party content. Some are running scared due to the fact that they committed tortious interference.
Duck Dodgers
1,000+ Posts
The ACLU has always been a fraud. It was for free speech and against censorship, when the viewpoints being pushed out were the same as theirs. Now that their side has control of the media, Big Tech, and the education establishment, they are all for it.
Joe Fan
10,000+ Posts
You could argue this but I say they used to actually stand up for rights when no one else would. What other group of jewish lawyers would fight for the principle that even the Nazis get to march in Skokie?
Duck Dodgers
1,000+ Posts
Ahh the Skokie march, they've been gravy training off that for years.
The National Socialist movement was a weak, pitiful, marginalized group with dozens of followers. Going to bat for them did nothing to impact the left's march through various institutions, which was their plan all along. Once they achieved total control of the media and educations outfits, the real censorship could begin.
The National Socialist movement was a weak, pitiful, marginalized group with dozens of followers. Going to bat for them did nothing to impact the left's march through various institutions, which was their plan all along. Once they achieved total control of the media and educations outfits, the real censorship could begin.
4th_floor
Dude, where's my laptop?
Yeah we let them fix elections, but now they've gone too far.Google now thinks it can order you to love aggy
Edit: Google should be careful. I would say the large majority of Longhorns and aggy are on the right - snowflakes excepted. The one thing we can agree on is governance. Perhaps we can disguise our communications to plan our response to their crimes as coming together again.
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Joe Fan
10,000+ Posts
Now they are maneuvering to prevent banks from making loans to conservatives
Democrats Pledge To Fight Rule Ensuring Banks Serve Conservatives
Democrats Pledge To Fight Rule Ensuring Banks Serve Conservatives
4th_floor
Dude, where's my laptop?
A few days ago, I got an email from the Bee inviting me to become a paid subscriber - I subscribe to a few websites besides this one. The email said that they are being pressured by big tech and are expecting to be deplatformed. I deleted the email since I am tapped out right now. Maybe I will reconsider since I think we need the Bee.
Joe Fan
10,000+ Posts
Longish post, sorry
We saw it in the Project Veritas hidden video of Jack Dorsey. He made it clear they are not stopping with just the ban of Trump. Trump was just their first volley - he was the start of a much bigger and fareaching plan. They are going to come after all of us. I think that you will not even have to actually tweet anything. Twitter is going to start banning people because of who they follow.
And Twitter is a relatively small fish in this pond. Think of the combined power of Apple + Google + Amazon. With the current infrastructure of the internet, it is basically impossible for anyone to fight them. The politicians wont help either, big tech and China are already deep in their pockets. There is no one left to help.
I suspect they will eventually come for forums like this one. They will make threats and put pressure on the board owner to shut down The West Mall or else. I have long believed that it was just a matter of time before they made me walk the gangplank. And it has come close. I will give you one small example. I honestly cannot recall if this was this board or the previous board, but I think it was this one. Anyway, I was making one of my usual clever posts with a lovely pic to dramatize the point (you know the type). I just went to Google and grabbed a random foto of a cute woman in a bathing suit (I have no memory of what the post was even about). Well, for some reason, Google contacted the board owner over the pic and called it 'porno.' There was no nudity, no protruding nipples, no exposed buttocks. It was just a bathing suit. But Google threatening them financially over it. They were not mucking about. To this day, I still do not understand what the issue was with that picture. It was in no way pornographic and they were the ones hosting it! But none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered is that Google either got what it wanted, or else. Neither of us knew exactly what it was they wanted. But I said "OK."
Anyway, back to the point. My view on all this has now evolved. I no longer think they are going to come for me individually (although that is always possible) -- I now think they are going to come for all of us as a group. Why? Because it is more efficient to just shut it all down at once than it is to take the time to identity individuals for banishment. And if these guys are about anything, they are about brutal efficiency. And, as we have seen recently, they have zero tolerance for ideas, thoughts and words that do not fit their own personal paradigm. Which covers quite a bit of the content here. I suspect they may even be devising ways to keep us from communicating at all. And "by us" I mean people who disagree with them (on anything). Zero tolerance.
And so they are going to eventually threaten this board owner more generally over what people post in here and he will not have any choice.
The West Mall is on the clock.
Duck Dodgers
1,000+ Posts
Agree completely. Just a matter of time before some leftist at Big Tech starts going after forums like this, saying they are MEAN!!!, for various postings, and that their Holy of Holy Terms of Service require that ...
Notice how Twitter is not a publisher under 230 and so is not responsible for what is posted, while the Big Tech outfits use what is posted on sites they don't like to censor them.
There will be widespread censorship of anything but left wing views, and the Coward John Roberts will allow it, while navel gazing at cases such as if an Asian band can trademark the name, The Slants.
Notice how Twitter is not a publisher under 230 and so is not responsible for what is posted, while the Big Tech outfits use what is posted on sites they don't like to censor them.
There will be widespread censorship of anything but left wing views, and the Coward John Roberts will allow it, while navel gazing at cases such as if an Asian band can trademark the name, The Slants.
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