Stay Free with Russell Brand
Exposing The Censorship Industrial Complex (Matt Taibbi & Michael Shellenberger)
Mon Jul 03 2023
CensorshipFree SpeechGovernment SurveillanceSocial MediaAuthoritarianismDisinformationTechnologyJulian Assange
Description
The episode covers topics such as censorship of Hunter Biden's laptop story, government-funded censorship, legislation allowing government access to private messages, criminalization of VPN use, increased tolerance towards minorities, elites driving hate speech censorship, the launch of a free speech alliance, the importance of free speech, construction of a digital surveillance system, Twitter fiasco, living in the present moment, censorship-industrial complex, cluster B personality disorder, the Global Engagement Center, authoritarianism, misinformation, media landscape, alternative viewpoints, inversion of left-wing and right-wing thinking, power of technology, need for more censorship, impact of the pandemic, coming together for basic rights, Julian Assange's case and imprisonment, fight for truth, censorship on social media, and the fight for transparency.
Insights
Censorship industrial complex
The episode explores the concept of a censorship industrial complex and its impact on free speech.
Doublethink and binaries
The discussion highlights George Orwell's concepts of doublethink and binaries in relation to censorship and societal division.
Psychological aspect of censorship
The psychological aspect of unhealthy obsession with totalitarianism and evil is examined in the context of censorship.
Global Engagement Center
The Global Engagement Center's role in countering disinformation and its transformation into internal censorship is discussed.
Authoritarianism and misinformation
The perpetuation of crisis as a precondition for authoritarianism and the spread of misinformation within the censorship industrial complex are explored.
Inversion of left-wing and right-wing thinking
The episode discusses how traditional affiliations of left-wing and right-wing thinking have been inverted.
Impact of technology on communication
The impact of technology on communication and the challenges it poses to centralized control are examined.
Julian Assange's case and fight for truth
The episode delves into Julian Assange's case, the importance of defending truth, and the need to fight against abuse of legislation.
Censorship on social media and transparency
The issue of censorship on social media platforms, the search for alternative platforms, and the demand for transparency are discussed.
Combating control systems
The importance of personal moral fortitude, open-mindedness, investigative skills, sacrifice, inclusivity, kindness, service, and love in countering control systems is emphasized.
Chapters
- Censorship of Hunter Biden's laptop story and government-funded censorship
- Legislation, criminalization, and tolerance
- Elites driving hate speech censorship and free speech alliance
- Importance of free speech and advocates for free speech
- Construction of a digital surveillance system and Twitter fiasco
- Living in the present moment and censorship-industrial complex
- Cluster B personality disorder and the Global Engagement Center
- Authoritarianism, misinformation, and media landscape
- Journalism, media landscape, and alternative viewpoints
- Inversion of left-wing and right-wing thinking and the power of technology
- The need for more censorship and the impact of the pandemic
- Coming together for basic rights and Julian Assange's case
- Julian Assange's imprisonment and the fight for truth
- Censorship on social media and the fight for transparency
Summary
Transcript
Censorship of Hunter Biden's laptop story and government-funded censorship
06:15 - 15:33
- Censorship of Hunter Biden's laptop story before the US elections
- Identification of 50 organizations worldwide involved in government-funded censorship
Legislation, criminalization, and tolerance
06:15 - 15:33
- Legislation in various countries allowing government access to private messages and promoting official media sources
- Attempts to criminalize VPN use and search homes without authorization
- Increased tolerance towards racial, religious, and sexual minorities
Elites driving hate speech censorship and free speech alliance
06:15 - 15:33
- Elites driving hate speech censorship
- Launch of a free speech alliance to fight against the censorship industrial complex
Importance of free speech and advocates for free speech
06:15 - 15:33
- Importance of free speech for democracy and free market
- Introducing Matt Taibbi and Russell Brand as advocates for free speech
Construction of a digital surveillance system and Twitter fiasco
15:09 - 23:40
- The larger issue discussed is the construction of a digital surveillance system designed to condition people to censor themselves.
- George Orwell's concept of binaries, where complex issues are simplified into two opposing sides, is applied to the Twitter fiasco.
- Stanford University's virality project aggregated information from major internet platforms and made recommendations on content moderation.
- Stanford suggested that Twitter consider labeling certain posts as misinformation, even if they were true stories about vaccine side effects or jokes about natural immunity.
- Questioning authority is now seen as disinformation, leading to a society unable to identify what's true or false.
- There is a relentless effort to sort people into categories and create binaries in media and society.
- Orwell's concept of doublethink, holding two opposing ideas simultaneously, is mentioned.
Living in the present moment and censorship-industrial complex
23:10 - 31:09
- Orwell defined doublethink as holding two opposite ideas simultaneously and believing in both
- News stories constantly change without acknowledging previous errors
- Example of conflicting stories about the Nord Stream pipeline bombing suspect
- Living in the present moment allows people to avoid contradictions and stay sane
- Living in a narrow intellectual world with limited choices
- Censorship and obstacles aim to prevent independent free thinking
- The Twitter files revealed a secret coordinated effort to debunk a story about Hunter Biden and Burisma before it was released
- Questioning whether this censorship-industrial complex is organic or part of cancel culture
- Psychological aspect of unhealthy obsession with totalitarianism and evil
- Totalitarian societies are often led by psychopathological individuals with cluster B personality disorders
Cluster B personality disorder and the Global Engagement Center
30:53 - 38:26
- Cluster B personality disorder is marked by grandiosity, self-centeredness, and splitting.
- People with this disorder see the world as black or white, either with them or against them.
- Some individuals in the censorship industrial complex exhibit these characteristics.
- These individuals lack a sense of play and humor, making it difficult to joke around them.
- Working with Russell's team was a refreshing experience compared to more pathological institutions.
- The term 'censorship industrial complex' coined by Michael helped identify and rally against this phenomenon.
- The Global Engagement Center is an organization combating foreign disinformation that few people are aware of.
- In its first year, the center funded around $100 million worth of projects for various organizations.
- The number of anti-disinformation organizations associated with the center has grown to around 400-450.
- Many of these organizations receive public funding, raising questions about their activities and origins.
- The Global Engagement Center originated from the counter-proliferation movement in the US military to counter ISIS messaging.
- They shifted their focus to countering populism using similar techniques and technologies.
- This transformation of government mechanisms into internal censorship is what defines the censorship industrial complex.
Authoritarianism, misinformation, and media landscape
38:10 - 45:52
- The censorship industrial complex is using techniques meant for foreign terrorist communication to suppress domestic unrest and dissent.
- The perpetuation of crisis is a precondition for authoritarianism.
- Legacy media outlets are no longer accepting contributions from certain individuals, indicating a shift in the media landscape.
- There is an underlying authoritarian mentality among the leaders of the censorship industrial complex.
- Some key figures involved in combating misinformation may themselves be spreading misinformation.
- The goal of reducing harm and hatred in society is often used as a justification for censorship.
- Questioning authority and having open conversations with differing opinions is a central part of the anti-censorship movement.
Journalism, media landscape, and alternative viewpoints
45:22 - 53:14
- Some agencies that are supposed to combat misinformation may actually be spreading it themselves.
- Journalists are now expected to report emotionally and become believers in the information they present.
- The legacy media has become castrated and indoctrinated, unable to practice principled journalism.
- There is a requirement to adopt a cultural piety aesthetic, similar to religion but without forgiveness, redemption, salvation, unity, aspiration, love, glory, beauty, or service.
- Ensuring rigorous journalism and good faith communication is crucial for true democracy.
- YouTube has been cracking down on conservative voices and demonetizing certain channels.
Inversion of left-wing and right-wing thinking and the power of technology
53:07 - 1:00:40
- Rumble is a platform that allows content creators to be open and uncensored.
- The traditional affiliations of left-wing and right-wing thinking have been inverted.
- Technology has changed the ability to communicate, making centralized control more difficult.
- Verified facts should not be dismissed as conspiracy theories.
- Journalists who question mainstream narratives may face backlash and slanderous terms.
- The level of vitriol and hatred towards alternative viewpoints is concerning.
- Traditional media outlets are not interested in covering certain stories or information.
- Calls for censorship have increased, even from some politicians.
The need for more censorship and the impact of the pandemic
1:00:13 - 1:08:25
- There was a discussion about the need for more censorship in traditional media, although it was not explicitly stated.
- The FBI's monitoring of small Twitter accounts and sending emails to Twitter about them was seen as significant news, indicating widespread surveillance.
- The emergence of new technology has the potential for unprecedented levels of cooperation, democracy, and discourse, but also raises concerns about colonization and control by powerful entities.
- The economic model shift and collapse of advertising models have impacted mainstream media outlets.
- Tim Robbins asked how to communicate with people who hold different views in a tribal environment.
- The way forward involves being open-hearted, loving, and faithful in conversations with others, assuming comparable values and principles.
- Kindness, service, forgiveness are seen as necessary for progress and to avoid yielding to centralized authoritarianism.
- There is a recognition that something is broken with the internet and how people treat each other on platforms like Twitter.
Coming together for basic rights and Julian Assange's case
1:08:07 - 1:15:42
- Old school liberals and center-right individuals in the US are coming together to prioritize basic rights like free speech, free movement of money, and civil liberties.
- Running for political office provides some protection for speech, but censorship is still a concern.
- California's handling of issues like homelessness and addiction is troubling, with cases of neglect and poor management.
- Reform may need to be reversed in California, starting from the East and sweeping west.
- Independent media is becoming politicized and organized in response to censorship.
- Julian Assange's case highlights both overt and covert forms of censorship.
- Assange published evidence of war crimes and government misconduct through WikiLeaks.
Julian Assange's imprisonment and the fight for truth
1:15:17 - 1:24:27
- Julian Assange is in prison because he published and exposed the criminality of the country trying to extradite him.
- The UK, the country plotting his assassination, should not extradite him to the US.
- There has been a campaign to smear Julian in order to pave the way for his incarceration.
- Julian is a symbol and a message to journalists not to publish the truth if it angers powerful people.
- We need to push for truth, regain our rights, and fight back against abuse of legislation.
- Julian is facing up to 175 years in prison under the Espionage Act with no public interest defense.
- People around the world need to defend the truth and support Julian's case.
- A statue of Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, and Julian will be unveiled in Parliament Square on Saturday as a concrete action people can take.
- Our speech is crucial in shaping the world we live in; we must speak out before others occupy that space or silence us.
- The behavior of US media ignoring this story shows their myopia and blindness towards its significance for journalism's future.
- Daniel Ellsberg's case from the '70s is analogous; liberal America celebrated him but now wants to change journalism into protecting people from knowing dangerous truths.
- This shift in values is condemned as completely backwards by turning journalism into censorship while prosecuting Julian Assange.