by Douglas Murray
“Disinformation” is once again in the news.
On one side are people who say that if something sounds like a fake news story and smells like a fake news story then it is indeed a fake news story.
On the other side are people who say that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it’s probably already been eaten by a Haitian immigrant.
Who to believe?
In any normal period it would be fairly easy to work out what is going on.
In a story like the one from Springfield, Ohio, people make claims, the media investigates them and then everyone decides who they believe.
But who can you believe today?
Over recent days a lot of effort has once again gone in to highlighting the problem of online “misinformation.”
This week the Australian government threatened to fine social media companies that “enable misinformation.”
Under proposed new laws the Australian government could fine internet platforms up to 5% of their global revenues if the companies fail to stop the spread of such material.
They would particularly chase after platforms that failed to crack down on stories that hurt election integrity or public health.The decisions over who is guilty of this would be made by an Australian regulator which would set up its own standards and fine companies for non-cooperation.
Personally, I’m not certain that the Australian government has thought this through. And not just because it’s unclear how they expect to collect the loot from social media companies over whom they have stood as judge, jury and executioner.
Will they ask them to send a wire transfer? Or would they like the money to be handed over by check?
Perhaps they didn´t notice the mess caused when other governments tried to tread into this area.
In 2022 the Biden administration set up its “Disinformation Governance Board.” It was launched by Secretary Mayorkas’ Department of Homeland Security and was led by one Nina Jankowicz.
Remember her? She was famous for about 15 minutes after being appointed, when embarrassing videos of her singing surfaced online.
Surprisingly, for several months Mary Poppins was technically the person tasked with deciding what was true or untrue in the whole of the United States and cyberspace.
Unsurprisingly, she couldn’t perform the job and the “Disinformation Governance Board” was disbanded after a few months.
To be fair to Jankowicz, it wasn’t her fault. Because it wasn’t just that she wasn’t up to the job. The point is that nobody could be.
Other governments have gone in harder and faster. Last month the government of Brazil banned the platform X (formerly Twitter) for allegedly spreading disinformation.
Like the American and Australian governments, you have to almost coo at the sight of the Brazilian government complaining about fake news.
One reason why we shouldn’t allow governments to make decisions over what is true and what is not is that they aren’t very good at it.
Remember that these are the same authorities who spent recent years making claims that were completely untrue. As well as stopping people saying things that turned out to be very true indeed.
For example, readers might remember the summer of 2021, when Anthony Fauci went on TikTok to urge people to get vaccinated.
In an interview with TikTok star Mia Finney, Dr. Fauci said, “If you get COVID, recover and then get vaccinated, your level of protection will be extremely high. The (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) still recommends that even though you’ve been infected that you should get vaccinated for the extra degree of protection.”
That turned out to be what we used to call “untrue.” But I have never seen any of these “disinformation experts” call for the censoring or fining of Dr. Fauci.
It is even worse in Australia. Having been the world’s worst lockdown zealots during COVID, Australian officials got away with saying the craziest things.
As premier of Victoria, Dan Andrews, seemed to relish every restriction he could force on the Australian public. At one point in the COVID era he got frustrated that as restrictions lifted his power was waning.
He discovered that some Australians had the gall to drink beer outside. For shame!
Andrews was furious that the public would dare to have a bevy – even when socially distanced – and in one news conference furiously told the Australian public that it wasn´t enough for them to lift their masks between sips.
According to him, if a person was so selfish as to have a beer on their own or with others outdoors then they should drink their beer through a facemask.
In other words it is entirely reasonable that any person should be skeptical that the Australian authorities – anymore than the Americans or Brazilians – can actually police what is true and what is not. Let alone worldwide.
There is absolutely no evidence that they can manage it. Government misleads the public all the time. As do some portions of the press and media.
At one end of this are outright lies. At another there is what you might call an “approved narrative.”
For example, just in the last few weeks we have seen the Democrats pretend that Kamala Harris never had any oversight on the southern border.
Is that disinformation? I should say so.
But would you want the government of Australia, Brazil or anywhere else decide that for us? Of course not. The American public can decide that for ourselves.
Exposing the ‘anti-racist’ con artists
I’ve just watched Matt Walsh’s new documentary film, “Am I Racist?” The creator of “What is a Woman?” is back with another amazing expose. This time taking on the “anti-racism” industry.
Through speaking to a range of completely inexpert experts Walsh not only makes a serious point about the only acceptable racism in our day.
He also makes for a lot of laughs along the way. Not least against the queen of this sinister hustle – “author” Robin DiAngelo.
She seems to have erased her social media since the film came out this week. A great example of light – and laughter – being the best disinfectant.
https://nypost.com/2024/09/12/opinion/government-censorship-is-a-greater-threat-than-disinformation/
