It’s pretty safe to say MAGA Nation is freaking the fuck out over Twitter and Facebook “censoring” the New York Post story about Hunterghazi and Burisma and whatever the hell it’s supposed to be. Seems that these emails were hacked by Russians and Rudy Giuliani is such a drunken dumbass that the story he came up with for how they made their way to the New York Post couldn’t even last until noon before it fell apart under scrutiny. Yet another tale of MAGA malevolence undone by stunning incompetence. Same old, same old. The aftermath is the interesting part.
That the NY Post story came less than 24 hours after the Washington Post reported what was supposed to be Bill Barr’s October surprise (Unmasking) turned out to be complete bullshit is probably no coincidence – almost to the day four years ago was when the Access Hollywood tape was reported by the Washington Post and then a few hours later a whole shit ton of Hillary’s emails dropped as part of Roger Stone and Russia’s efforts to try to stave off a total Trump campaign collapse. This time, it looks like they won’t be so lucky. People have wised up.
Twitter and Facebook, for all the incalculable damage they’ve allowed to be done to our culture and politics in the past, really do deserve a good amount of credit for quickly squashing the story, labelling it false and harmful, thereby dulling its impact right out of the gate.
People who believe the bullshit they read on Facebook and Twitter about FEMA camps in Walmart parking lots and secret dungeons under pizza places and all sorts of other fairy tales believe it because well if the social media companies were allowing that stuff to propagate then it must be true to them. If some not particularly well educated housewife in Ohio sees on her iPad that Facebook banned a news item for being false then it’s probably not going to stick with her.
Which is exactly the reason why you see this sort of meowing from MAGA world today:
Next week when the full Senate returns we should VOTE on my bill allowing Americans to sue #BigTech for censorship & unfair treatment
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 14, 2020
Setting aside the irony of Senator Bro from MO bitching about Twitter on Twitter, their outrage and umbrage isn’t coming from a position of strength. It’s weakness and powerlessness over the situation. This was a golden opportunity to change the conversation and Twitter and Facebook fucked them out of it. Not only did the social media networks fuck the GOP out of this opportunity, but they made it clear that the next Russian email dump will get even less traction. There are less than 20 days left until the polls close on November 3rd. They don’t have a lot of other chances to turn things around. They’re afraid.
Facebook and Twitter sure as hell would not be doing this if the shoe were on the other foot with Trump’s polling numbers and they believed that Hawley had any chance whatsoever of making good on his threats. They know which way the wind is blowing. Zuckerberg is a scumbag, but he’s not dumb. For three years he allowed the MAGA Reich to spread absolutely radioactive shit on his network. Now suddenly he’s getting his house in order and cleaning up in anticipation of seeing some new sheriffs in town. Dorsey too (though he’s been arguably much more proactive). These two and their companies do not seem like they’re expecting the same regime to still be around, “regulating” them as constantly promised this time next year. They’re not afraid.
Yes. Continue to hate Facebook and Twitter. They fucking suck. But they did the right thing today and Republicans are pissing their pants with rage – and fear.