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posted by martyb on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:45AM   Printer-friendly
from the having-your-cake-and-eating-it-too-OR-let-them-eat-cake? dept.

Zuckerberg Accused of Setting Dangerous Precedent

Zuckerberg accused of setting dangerous precedent:

Mark Zuckerberg is setting a "dangerous precedent" by allowing a post by Donald Trump to remain on Facebook, a group of civil rights leaders has warned.

[...] In the post, the president wrote he would "send in the National Guard", and warned that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts".

Mr Trump shared the same message on Twitter, where it was hidden behind a warning label, prompting an escalating row between Twitter and the White House.

Mr Zuckerberg had previously defended his decision to leave the same post up on Facebook, saying he disagreed with Mr Trump's words but that people "should be able to see this for themselves".

After meeting Mr Zuckerberg, three civil rights leaders responded that he was wrong.

[...] The joint statement, released on Monday night, was signed by Vanita Gupta, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Sherrilyn Ifill, director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. It has been published online by Axios.

A Facebook spokesman said: "We're grateful that leaders in the civil rights community took the time to share candid, honest feedback with Mark and Sheryl [Sandberg, Facebook's COO].

Mark Zuckerberg on Leaked Audio: Trump's Looting and Shooting Reference "Has no History of Dogwhistling

Mark Zuckerberg on leaked audio: Trump's looting and shooting reference "has no history of being read as a dog whistle":

In an internal video call with Facebook employees on Tuesday obtained by Recode, CEO Mark Zuckerberg doubled down on his controversial decision to take no action on a post last week from President Donald Trump. In the post, Trump referred to the ongoing protests in the US against racism and police brutality and said, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Facebook's handling of Trump's post — which included language similar to what segregationists used when referring to black protesters in the civil rights era — has divided employees at Facebook and prompted them to openly criticize Zuckerberg in a way they never have before. Around 400 employees staged a virtual walkout of work on Monday, at least two employees have resigned in protest, others have threatened to resign, and several senior-level managers have publicly disagreed with Zuckerberg's stance — calling for him to take down or otherwise moderate Trump's post, as Facebook's competitor Twitter already has.

[...] "I knew that the stakes were very high on this, and knew a lot of people would be upset if we made the decision to leave it up," Zuckerberg said on the call. He went on to say that after reviewing the implications of Trump's statement, he decided that "the right action for where we are right now is to leave this up."

[...] "We basically concluded after the research and after everything I've read and all the different folks that I've talked to that the reference is clearly to aggressive policing — maybe excessive policing — but it has no history of being read as a dog whistle for vigilante supporters to take justice into their own hands," Zuckerberg said on the call. He also said that, overall, Facebook still reserves the right to moderate Trump.

Civil Rights Leaders Slam Zuckerberg Over Response to Trump Posts, Says Report

Civil rights leaders slam Zuckerberg over response to Trump posts, says report:

A group of civil rights leaders issued a scathing statement on Monday about Facebook in the wake of a meeting with the social networking company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg and other top executives, according to a report by Axios. The meeting was set-up to discuss Facebook's decision to leave up a post by US President Donald Trump that the civil rights leaders say incites violence.

"He [Zuckerberg] did not demonstrate understanding of historic or modern-day voter suppression and he refuses to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump's call for violence against protesters," the heads of the The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Color of Change said in a joint statement. "Mark is setting a very dangerous precedent for other voices who would say similar harmful things on Facebook."

The meeting, which was held on Monday night over video call, came after Facebook employees staged a rare protest in the form of a virtual walkout to express their anger against Zuckerberg's response to Trump. It also followed Twitter's move to hide the same post by Trump behind a warning that says the tweet violated the site's rules against "glorifying violence."

"We're grateful that leaders in the civil rights community took the time to share candid, honest feedback with Mark and Sheryl [Sandberg]," a Facebook company spokesperson said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. "It is an important moment to listen, and we look forward to continuing these conversations."

[...] "We believe that if a post incites violence, it should be removed regardless of whether it is newsworthy, even if it comes from a politician."


Original Submission #1 Original Submission #2 Original Submission #3

 
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by qzm on Thursday June 04 2020, @06:46AM (22 children)

    by qzm (3260) on Thursday June 04 2020, @06:46AM (#1003099)

    I think that if you hate him so much then you would be happy that his stupidity and lies are as widely seen as possible.
    Is there any BETTER way to shame him?

    Would you rather he quietly sat behind some nice smooth savvy political frontmen and did his work without us seeing clearly what he thinks?

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @07:34AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @07:34AM (#1003107)

    #BunkerBoy #JusticeForCarolyn Musterfunking Dumpfkoptkeitlich Shiecen Swinehund.

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by c0lo on Thursday June 04 2020, @07:48AM (8 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 04 2020, @07:48AM (#1003109) Journal

    I think that if you hate him so much then you would be happy that his stupidity and lies are as widely seen as possible.

    Mate, I don't even care about him, he's just deep into the indifference territory. True, the fact that I live in Australia helps.

    What I still care is the effect the idiot has on Americans. It may happen that I'll reach a point where I don't care even about that, but I'm not there at the moment.

    Is there any BETTER way to shame him?

    I can't even imagine why I'd be interested in shaming him. I'd be a lot more interested in having a person that does a reasonable job as POTUS.

    Would you rather he quietly sat behind some nice smooth savvy political frontmen and did his work without us seeing clearly what he thinks?

    Compared with making public his "fine people on both sizes" endorsement of killers?
    Yes, absolutely.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @09:18AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @09:18AM (#1003115)

      We Americans feel your love, c0lo, thank you for your support!

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Thursday June 04 2020, @10:41AM

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 04 2020, @10:41AM (#1003124) Journal

        Love is a bit too far. Let's say I care a bit.

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:28PM (5 children)

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:28PM (#1003235) Journal

      What I still care is the effect the idiot has on Americans. It may happen that I'll reach a point where I don't care even about that, but I'm not there at the moment.

      It may be a bit brusque to point it out, but the best reason for Australia to care about America is Australia. Do Australians want their kids to speak English, or Chinese as a subject state within the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, Mark II?

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.
      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:58PM (4 children)

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:58PM (#1003258) Journal

        Now that you mention, what are the chances USofA can be of any use with idiots at the helm?

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday June 05 2020, @02:19PM (3 children)

          by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday June 05 2020, @02:19PM (#1003749) Journal

          If you doubt the resolve and ability of the American people, then the best advice to give you is start boning up on your Mandarin.

          --
          Washington DC delenda est.
          • (Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Friday June 05 2020, @02:41PM (2 children)

            by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 05 2020, @02:41PM (#1003756) Journal

            Right, Afghanistan was one of the last demonstration of the "resolve and ability of the American people", I might as well.

            --
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
            • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday June 06 2020, @10:20AM (1 child)

              by Phoenix666 (552) on Saturday June 06 2020, @10:20AM (#1004138) Journal

              Hell, we were there for 15 years, which is longer than we fought the Nazis, so I'd say that shows resolve. Together with Iraq we spent about $6 trillion. I'd say that shows some resolve, too. We killed Osama bin Laden and drove the Taliban from power, so that's ability. We killed Saddam Hussein and destroyed the Ba'ath, so that shows ability. Building functional democracies in those places has been less successful, but, then, those places never have had such a thing, ever, so it's an uphill climb. Presumably on the latter score we'd do a little better defending Australia--Aussies can still govern themselves, can't they?

              But that's cool if you don't want American help against China. As nice as Bondi is, my children don't need to die to defend it; we have good beaches and surf in the States, too.

              --
              Washington DC delenda est.
              • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday June 07 2020, @12:21AM

                by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday June 07 2020, @12:21AM (#1004373) Journal

                Hell, we were there for 15 years, which is longer than we fought the Nazis, so I'd say that shows resolve. Together with Iraq we spent about $6 trillion. I'd say that shows some resolve, too.

                I'd call it stupidity but, well, that's a personal opinion.

                Together with Iraq we spent about $6 trillion. I'd say that shows some resolve, too. We killed Osama bin Laden and drove the Taliban from power, so that's ability. We killed Saddam Hussein and destroyed the Ba'ath, so that shows ability. Building functional democracies in those places has been less successful, but, then, those places never have had such a thing, ever, so it's an uphill climb.

                While, in the same time, you helped China get most of your industry and R&D and pushed China in a position to become the next potential global aggressor; and that's without even convincing the Chinese population that democracy is better than what they experience now. So, what gives? A couple of hundred millions at best (still not convinced about democracy and freedom) vs 1B+ entrenched into an authoritarian way of life?

                These letting aside the actual motives behind the American "liberation wars" - I'm not buying the "freedom and democracy" story, oil and control over oil resources (USofA without the petrodollar? That's when US deficit becomes a death blow) is a far more a realistic reason.

                But that's cool if you don't want American help against China.

                I have so mixed feeling about it that I don't even know if I want to think of it.
                Especially looking of what the "American dream" devolved into in its own home.

                --
                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by hendrikboom on Thursday June 04 2020, @11:55AM

    by hendrikboom (1125) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 04 2020, @11:55AM (#1003145) Homepage Journal

    Is there any BETTER way to shame him?

    What Twitter did.

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by TheGratefulNet on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:35PM (4 children)

    by TheGratefulNet (659) on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:35PM (#1003239)

    logical fallacy.

    fact is, most americans are not smart enough to see evil when its right in front of them. trump is a professional con-man and his skill is great. he's a pussy, down deep, and a coward, but he gives off the authoritarian 'smell' and his followers are tuned to that smell, for lack of a better word.

    simply showing a pig as being a pig, his red hatters (sorry linux guys, but that term now means something entirely different and probably will never refer to linux again, especially since IBM and RH deserve each other, lol) will not see it as we see it.

    speaking of pigs, reminds me of the famous saying: two things happen when you fight with a pig; you get dirty and the pig has fun. this applies when you engage with trump and his followers.

    so, while smarter people will see an idiot by his words, those who are in love with the orange bastard will never turn away from him. that's how deep idol worship goes. like little children who only know their emotions and nothing else.

    allowing him a platform continues to put fuel on the fire. fires are not smart enough to 'know' that what they are doing is harmful. we, humans, need to step up and do the smart thing.

    deplatform him.

    he has enough 'air time' with faux lose. he does not need any more and clearly does not deserve more.

    --
    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:39PM (3 children)

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:39PM (#1003243) Journal

      And when a social media platform wants to un-person a President you like, I'm sure you'll be OK with that, right? I'm predicting, you'll scream bloody murder.

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.
      • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:47PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:47PM (#1003249)

        You like Trump? Wow, you actually are clueless and immoral. #ThatHappened

        Tell us more about those eeeevvvvvil Clintons.

        • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday June 05 2020, @01:50PM (1 child)

          by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday June 05 2020, @01:50PM (#1003729) Journal

          I like that you and other statists hate him. I enjoy that the elites hate him. No President has the power to change the country much, but at least we get to watch the people who have been spitting on us for decades gnash their teeth and rend their garments.

          I hope Trump wins re-election because I want more of that.

          --
          Washington DC delenda est.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @05:00PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @05:00PM (#1003828)

            You could have been forgiven during the election, and given a lot of slack maybe even a year ago. Not now.

            You're an absolute fool.

  • (Score: 4, Informative) by cmdrklarg on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:01PM

    by cmdrklarg (5048) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:01PM (#1003260)

    Is there any BETTER way to shame him?

    Not possible. Assholes like him have no shame.

    --
    The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:35PM (4 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:35PM (#1003281) Journal

    Right, censorship is never the answer. It's a symbol of the weak mind.

    Is there any BETTER way to shame him?

    Everyone knows you can't shame a psychopath.

    People have to learn to turn their backs on him and his followers. Attention is their fuel. They will die without it, and they'll put up a fight to stay on the front page. It is safer and better to ignore them until they throw the first punch. Then you have to stomach the brutality it will take to put them in their place and keep the peace.

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:52PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:52PM (#1003290)

      Hmm, looks like education is the real answer here.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_free_speech_exceptions [wikipedia.org]

      "Categories of speech that are given lesser or no protection by the First Amendment (and therefore may be restricted) include obscenity, fraud, child pornography, speech integral to illegal conduct, speech that incites imminent lawless action, speech that violates intellectual property law, true threats, and commercial speech such as advertising.

      Along with communicative restrictions, less protection is afforded for uninhibited speech when the government acts as subsidizer or speaker, is an employer, controls education, or regulates the mail, airwaves, legal bar, military, prisons, and immigration."

      So no, Trump is actually not protected by the 1st amendment and taking down his post would actually be in accordance with the law. Inciting violence is specifically prohibited.

      • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday June 04 2020, @05:33PM (2 children)

        by fustakrakich (6150) on Thursday June 04 2020, @05:33PM (#1003299) Journal

        The courts issuing such restrictions are corrupt.

        In real life, "no law" means no law, regardless what crooked lawyers will tell you

        --
        La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @07:21PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @07:21PM (#1003329)

          How old are you if you don't mind me asking?

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @12:03AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @12:03AM (#1003447)

            No response, I'm guessing Fusty is stil a teen. Edge lord to the max, which explains why he never has any answers to his generic "politicians are al corrupt" uhh, ahem, "wisdom."

            Would also explain how he vaccilates between positions and can't help when his conscience pops its head up. He hasn't had decades of practice towing the party line and dismissing inconvenient truths so he still gets caught up in genuine righteousness.

            There is hope for you yet buddy.