Republicans in Michigan have proposed legislation that would force fact checkers at media organizations to register with the state and to pay hefty fines if the lawmakers "deem" the outlet to be incorrect. This came about after a Republican lawmaker, Matt Maddock, was repeatedly called out by fact checkers for lying to the public. Farron Cousins explains what's happening.
Republicans in the state of Michigan recently introduced legislation to hold those pesky little fact-checkers accountable for calling out politicians who lie. See, before I get to what this legislation does. I got to take you back in time a little bit, because this legislation was actually sponsored by a Michigan state lawmaker Republican by the name of Matt Maddick and Mr. Maddock. And both in his wife had both been called out by fact checkers on social media for repeatedly lying. And it got to the point where MADEC and his wife were being called out so frequently by the fact checkers on social media, that MADEC decided to sit down, carve out this new legislation, get all of his Republican buddies in Michigan to support it. And what this legislation would do is it would force fact checkers to ensure themselves at least a million dollars. So they'd have to buy special fact-checker insurance. They would also have to register with the state.
What it amounts to is that these Republicans want to be able to fine journalists for exposing lies that politicians don't want to be exposed. I think Farron Cousins is probably correct in saying that if this passes in Michigan (which hopefully it won't) this will become a blueprint that will be followed by other red states, who will do the same thing, until fact checking in the United States becomes illegal - at least in the red states.
No precept or claim is more suspect or more likely to be false than one that can only be supported by invoking the claim of Divine authority for it--no matter who or what claims such authority.
No precept or claim is more suspect or more likely to be false than one that can only be supported by invoking the claim of Divine authority for it--no matter who or what claims such authority.
It would not hold up under a normal judicial review. Think how rulings in the German courts have varied depending on who is in control.
Bad things can happen without vigilance.
Consider that Trump supporters have been stockpiling weapons and infiltrating the military and law enforcement even before Trump appeared. Trump was the pied piper who brought them out from under their rocks and piles.
Facts are like an enemy target for those wishing an alternate reality would engulf us.
Had you told me this measure was being proposed in Putin's Russia, I'd have nodded and said 'That figures'.
But in the First Amendment USA? Horrifying that anybody would seriously put forward the idea. Will it enable the prosecution of someone who posts on line a statement such as 'Having looked carefully at Mr X's statements on the matter of Y, and examined the evidential basis of his claims, I have come to the conclusion that they are materially untrue'?
If you can't say that, and say it as often and loudly as you want, where is freedom of speech?
But nothing matters to Republicans nowadays but the right to preserve minority rule unchallenged for eternity, the way God wants it to be.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
Start with two core assumptions when talking to a Conservative:
1. A god-given hierarchy is natural, inevitable, and desirable.
2. We live in a zero-sum world.
- Doc
Zero sum is certainly the way politics is viewed. Compromise has become an anathema to the majority of the GOP.
The great problem of any civilization is how to rejuvenate itself without rebarbarization.
- Will Durant "Of what meaning is the world without mind? The question cannot exist."
- Edwin Land
It is more obvious than ever that the current GOP is adamantly determined to sabotage anything the Democrats try to do, especially good, workable ideas and legislation. The better any idea proposed by Democrats is, the more adamantly GOP politicians will oppose it because they cannot bear the prospect that Democrats will get well deserved credit for anything good. I really think they would rather support a disastrous Democrat proposal than a good one, just so they can have something to blame Democrats for. Failing that, they will try to claim credit for any good Democrat legislation that actually works, even if everyone of them voted against it, like they are now trying to do with the Biden administration's popular COVID relief policies that are actually making a positive difference.
No precept or claim is more suspect or more likely to be false than one that can only be supported by invoking the claim of Divine authority for it--no matter who or what claims such authority.
If you can't say that, and say it as often and loudly as you want, where is freedom of speech?
Apparently to today's Republicans and conservatives, freedom of speech means unrestricted and exclusive license for them to lie without having to worry about being fact checked.
No precept or claim is more suspect or more likely to be false than one that can only be supported by invoking the claim of Divine authority for it--no matter who or what claims such authority.
