by Gregory Hood, The Unz Review:

It’s one thing when journalists want people deplatformed. Countless articles and columns are veiled demands for censorship. It’s far more serious coming from the White House.

Spotify recently posted warning labels on episodes of Joe Rogan’s podcasts about COVID-19. “So, this disclaimer, it’s a positive step,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, “but we want every platform to continue doing more to call out misinformation while also uplifting accurate information.”

TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

The assumption is that the government knows what is “misinformation” and what is “accurate.” Joe Rogan posted his own response to Spotify, admitting that he occasionally gets things wrong. However, he also pointed out that the supposed science — the expert opinion about COVID-19 — has changed over the course of the pandemic.

That didn’t end the controversy. Musicians Neil Young, David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Stephen Stills pulled their music from Spotify. “While we always value alternate points of view,” said a statement from the latter three, “knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences.” They said a “concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce.” Others may pull their music. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have also reportedly “expressed concerns” to Spotify about “misinformation.”

This goes beyond Covid. India Arie, who is apparently a musician, pulled her music because of Joe Rogan’s “language about race.” Joe Rogan made a throwaway comment during an interview with Jordan Peterson that the term “black” was “weird” unless “you’re talking to someone who is like 100 percent African, from the darkest place.” This is apparently serious; CNN promoted Miss Arie’s campaign.

Credit Image: © Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press

We’ve been through this before: deplatforming, denial of financial services, and being cut off from businesses because of political views. Where is it coming from?

Acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan admitted in 2019 that DHS works with social media companies and “watchdog” groups to encourage deplatforming. It was under the Trump Administration that “deplatforming” at the behest of major corporations and media became the norm, especially after the ill-fated Unite the Right protest in 2017.

Donald Trump may have been handicapped by his own staff, but he was so ineffective against censorship that he lost social media himself. It’s not clear what he would do differently if he regained office in 2024.

What we’re seeing is the expansion of an American social credit system. The first targets were white advocates, but now other dissidents are fair game. Mr. Rogan may not understand the racial angle, but he clearly sees the parallel with China. He recently retweeted an overview of China’s social credit system, bracketed by posts about YouTube censorship and why Canadians have to turn to India to “get the unbiased truth.”

Acting Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan testifies before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on June 11, 2019. (Credit Image: © Stefani Reynolds / CNP via ZUMA Wire)

“Truth” is always political. “What is truth?” Pontius Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38. He then went out to the mob and said he found “no fault at all” in the prisoner. Nonetheless, to prevent an uprising, he allowed Christ’s crucifixion. Some “truths” need to be suppressed for social peace.

Jared Taylor says that many people have told him they agreed with him on race, but could never say so openly. “Crucifixion” would be a wild overstatement about what happens to us, never mind Joe Rogan, but we should understand the system under which we live.

Nick Fuentes is on a no-fly list even though he hasn’t been charged with anything, let alone convicted. The federal government also seized his assets because a foreigner sent him bitcoin. The White House reportedly is working on more regulation of cryptocurrency on grounds of “national security.” Laura Loomer is banned from social media as well as services such as Uber, Lyft, Medium, and even Chase Bank — even though she won the Republican primary in President Trump’s own congressional district.

The federal government is working with groups such as the Anti-Defamation League to “investigate and prosecute violent domestic extremism.” Investigating and prosecuting violent domestic extremism would be good if it meant stopping antifa or if the federal government were actually fighting violent crime. Instead, President Biden spent yesterday braying about gun control, ominously telling Americans that “there’s no amendment that’s absolute.” If that’s the case, why bother with the Bill of Rights?

December 14, 2021, Washington, DC, United States: Washington, DC, United States: Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director Anti-Defamation League (ADL), speaking at the announcement of a civil lawsuit filed by the District of Columbia (DC) Attorney General against the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers for their actions on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol. (Credit Image: © Michael Brochstein / ZUMA Press Wire)

It’s not new to say that America is building a Social Credit System. We shouldn’t say our system is different because it is being set up mostly through private companies. That’s not always true. Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s statement that “more” could be done to restrict speech shows that the government takes sides. It takes sides on race. Tax dollars fund groups that want to stop “disinformation circulated online by white supremacists.” In America, posting a pro-white flier can lead to a police investigation, but large-scale riots in support of black criminals lead to dropped charges.

The government controls the key infrastructure for communications, electronics, and finance. The dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency gives the United States great power over private institutions around the world. The United States is considering banning Russia from the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) system. The government wants to do to Russia what some banks are already doing to dissidents.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we can ask whether the “public/private” distinction still means anything. Richard Hanania argued that “wokeness” isn’t a strange cultural phenomenon but the inevitable outgrowth of civil rights laws. Ever since Griggs v. Duke Power Co. (1971), “disparate impact” justifies intrusive federal meddling in private businesses. If differences between groups must be seen as caused by discrimination, civil rights bureaucracies must stop this discrimination. If that doesn’t lead to equity, it means only that discrimination was worse than anyone realized.

Ibram Kendi’s proposed “anti-racist constitutional amendment” would baldly state that “racial inequity is evidence of racist policy,” make “racist ideas” unconstitutional, and “establish and permanently fund the Department of Anti-racism.” This isn’t extreme. It is a logical extension of American law. If all inequality is unjust, the sphere for government action is practically unlimited, especially if no constitutional protection is “absolute.”

Read More @ Unz.com