By Harold W. Pease Ph, D.
We have known since July that “Facebook and Instagram altered their content moderation policies and censored posts under pressure from the [Biden] White House,” this from “never-before-released internal documents, obtained via Judiciary Committee subpoenas” headed by Congressman Jim Jordan. These have been presented in at least three rollouts since, called The Facebook Files I-III. But the purpose of censorship is to keep what this committee has revealed, through incontestable documentation, from you and I.
Unless you are doing your own research or subscribing, listening, or viewing non Deep State sources, you remain controlled and ignorant, as Facebook and Instagram are Deep State outlets. This was also so of Twitter, now X, before purchased and changed to a free press outlet by Elon Musk (See “Twitter Files Confess: The Great COVID-19 Lie Machine,” Harold Pease, Ph. D. March 31, 2023, Liberty Under Fire.org, Column 707).
Pressure from the government is forbidden under the Constitution as it makes truth indistinguishable from government propaganda. That is why freedom of speech and press are critical to freedom. Government censorship is forbidden because it shapes the narratives to their benefit. Information that opposes theirs is termed misinformation and punished.
Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, “Facebook was continually pressed by ‘external stakeholders,’ including the Biden White House, to remove certain posts”—especially all “vaccine discouraging content.” Facebook Files # I and II exposed government’s efforts to delete messages that discouraged taking the experimental vaccine for Covid-19— even when from medical authorities. Not even memes were “spared from the Biden White House’s censorship efforts.” The Biden Admin. expected YouTube to fall in line similarly and both did.
In another email the White House was enraged that Facebook hadn’t censored Tucker Carlson for a comment he made suggesting vaccine hesitancy. Documents showed Rob Flaherty, White House Director of Digital Strategy, on the phone demonstrating a “clear effort at government-directed social media censorship.” This was frequent and common and often on a first name basis. Facebook “admits White House demands for removal of content were met even when a post did not violate any Facebook policies.”
In July 2021 Biden publicly denounced Facebook and other social media platforms, claiming “they were ‘killing people’ by not censoring alleged ‘misinformation.” On August 2, 2021, Face book announced it would be making changes to its policies “because of pressure from the Biden White House” and vowed “to be more aggressive against …misinformation” admitting that “this. is stemming from the continued criticism of our approach from the [Biden] administration.” Facebook and Instagram became Biden message clones— propaganda arms of the government making a direct assault on the First Amendment. They even “blocked information about vaccine side effects that THEY KNEW were true.” Today they do the same censorship of vaccine injuries which accounts for more deaths than did the virus itself.
The Committee, led by Jordan, concluded, “The collusion of the Biden administration, in coordination with multiple departments within the United States government and big tech, has led to the censorship, silencing and de-platforming of individuals and organizations and it is a direct assault on the First Amendment.” (Rep. Jim Jordan Releases Smoking-Gun Documents Proving Facebook Censored Americans at the Request of Biden Regime, Gateway Pundit. FACEBOOK FILES Part 1, Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit, July 27, 2023).
Facebook Files III focused on “newly subpoenaed internal notes of meetings between Facebook executives and Biden Admin officials” revealing “more about the lengths the Biden White House wanted to go to control true speech on Facebook.” They lacked tolerance for any other view. It bothered them that The New York Post could churn-out “articles every day about people dying” from the vaccine. “What is supposed to happen to that [them] from Policy perspective. Does that article get a reduction, labels?,” Rob Flaherty, President Biden’s then-Director of Digital Strategy, inquired. They mocked the notion that the people might be intelligent enough to decide themselves. Remember, none of the censors have medical degrees but they block those who do.
Biden administration officials had several conversations with Facebook employees. They wanted to reduce the “reach for any narrative, story they don’t like. Even if the narrative and story is true.” They wanted to control what was seen on Facebook. “They questioned whether Facebook could change its algorithm so users saw more posts from the New York Times and less from competing outlets like the Daily Wire.”
Flaherty readily admitted that, “We’re keen on what platforms are doing to reduce the spread of bad information, that platforms are not funneling people towards bad content. That’s our primary concern.” Under the Constitution the individual decides what is bad content, not government.
Donald Trump probably summed up best how the Deep State treats us when he said, “They use Big Tech to censor you, the Deep State to spy on you, the intelligence agencies to frame you, the media to slander you…They rig elections to disenfranchise you…all the while they claim they are the ones defending democracy and justice” (X22 Reports, Ep 3225b, Dec. 1, 2023).
Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College. Newspapers have permission to publish this column. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org Column # 746
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