Is liberal government just a new form of authoritarianism?

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Not saying the N word is government policy though, via hate speech legislation. And you nay get a visit from the police if you do that too.

Er... sure, although that's still infinitely better than being unable to criticise pretty much any government policy (which was/is the norm under authoritarian regimes).

Reply 21

DSilva

Original post by Davij038

Conservatives had the really dumb idea that corporations and business people are just concerned about making money, and as rational actors wouldn’t do things that would damage their profits.

This is is of course a load of rubbish, and conservatives esp people like Tucker Carlson have realised this and we are now seeing a new ‘alt right’ which is aware of this and other phenomena

Well quite. There's a lot of lefties out there, especially amongst the young who are more likely to use tech and social media. It's no surprise the market is tailoring towards them! But that's what libertarians argue for, how great private enterprise always is

Reply 22

Davij038

Original post by ap.ferro

Not so much the government, but the liberal idelogy in the 21st century has gone from "you can have your opinion" to "you can have your opinion as long as it doesn't offend mine and if it does I'm not going to talk to you". I think its stupid to compare it to the soviet era as many on the right in the US do but it is a different form of censorship, like how three big tech companies all banned Alex jones at once. Deep state in action

It’s a bit more than ‘not going to talk to you’ it’s ‘we’re going to get you fired, give left wing mobs impunity to harass you, set the media on you and not let you talk anywhere’n

Reply 23

username4477046

We are not in America. They are brainwashed with land of the free. We can say the N word here. We are brits. We invented the slave trade. Show some patroism. Everyone on the count of 3
3..
2..
1..

******!

Reply 24

username4477046

Damn you filters. limiting my god given right to say meaningless stuff on this student forum

Reply 25

Davij038

Original post by SHallowvale

Er... sure, although that's still infinitely better than being unable to criticise pretty much any government policy (which was/is the norm under authoritarian regimes).

Well it’s not just that is it, there are a whole range of positions you can have which could land you in trouble. authoritarian regimes generally leave you alone if you leave them alone- whereas with liberal ones want to control what you think

Reply 26

SHallowvale

Original post by Davij038

I'd much rather land in trouble with Twitter than I would with an authoritarian government. Being banned on social media for saying things which the owners of said media dislike is far better than being thrown in prison for saying something against the government.

Reply 27

stoyfan

Original post by yudothis

Not banned from making your own, but from using existing ones (those with significant economies of scale). E.g. a website to raise funds temporarily banned an organization recently just because so many liberal activists harassed them to do so. Think China's social score rating system but done by the will of angry, often anonymous internet activists.

Except that China's social score has serious consenquences. Getting banned from Twitter or Facebook has little to no consequences and you can easily make a new one.

These social score systems and facebook are two very different things.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 28

stoyfan

Original post by Davij038

liberal ones want to control what you think

Same thing happens to Authoritarian reigimes.

They'll leave you alone when you leave them alone, but so do social media companies (by not breaking their rules) and any other democratic society (by not breaking their laws).

Reply 29

username4477046

China seems to deem western social media as propaganda. They have the same view of us as we have of them. And obviously why both sides are locked in these dispusts and edgying closer to war. Same problems of Russia.

Social media is no longer a simple tool. It is a weapon of war, being wielded by Coperations and Governments

Reply 30

username1148663

Original post by SHallowvale

Generally speaking people do have the right to refuse service to anyone.

We have certain protected classes/cases but outside of that it's fair game, really.

Being sexuality, race, disability, sex, age, religion and so on......

Let’s not forget a few private companies now control online places where people exchange thoughts and ideas, being banned for them isn’t the same as being banned from sports direct.

Reply 31

SHallowvale

Original post by paul514

It's their online space, so what's your point?

Unless you wish to say that we should have a 'right' to express our opinions through someone else's platform?

Reply 32

Davij038

Original post by SHallowvale

I’d rather be punched in the face than stabbed, that doesn’t mean I particularly want either.

they are using different methods to achieve the same end - shutting down dissent. I find the liberal method much more sinister though. At least with the CCP you know where you stand.

Reply 33

SHallowvale

Original post by Davij038

Sure I'd rather be punched too, but do you really think being banned on Twitter is even remotely comparable to being put in prison? It shouldn't have to be explained that being put in prison (or to death) is far worse.

The "liberal method" as you call it isn't at all close to being as sinister to how the CCP sent people to slave labour camps for daring to say the wrong thing about the glorious party.

Reply 34

Davij038

Original post by SHallowvale

No but it’s still a form of censorship in what is supposedly a ‘free’ country

Reply 35

username1148663

Original post by SHallowvale

It's their online space, so what's your point?

Unless you wish to say that we should have a 'right' to express our opinions through someone else's platform?

Of course that is what I am saying 🙄

Reply 36

username4477046

After reading this student forum with the liberal views. I am going to pray to almighty god. Please Mr Putin and Xi Jinping. Rebuild our societies. Because the Liberals have ****ed ours up

Liberals have made Razors into a rape weapon and they have a death wish against Liam Neeson

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 37

ChaoticButterfly

Original post by AperfectBalance

"Hurr durr it is a private business it can do what it wants" without thinking if it is right or wrong,

Since when do leftists think private business can do what the hell it wants?

(Original post by Davij038)
liberal limits to state power seem to just be another form of authoritarianism but unlike traditional forms take away clear accountability. For instance, in authoritarian regimes the state will arrest you for criticising government policy- in liberal regimes you will be banned from platforms or from making your own by third parties eg twitter and GoDaddy. The liberal state seems to have outsourced its coercive powers to third parties.

This is just capitalism surely?

Reply 38

username1148663

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

It’s to do with free speech not an economic system

Reply 39

Davij038

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

Since when do leftists think private business can do what the hell it wants?

This is just capitalism surely?

Since they started attacking the Alt Right. My enemies enemy is my friend, hence the unholy alliance between Antifa, Big Biguisness and NeoCons.

Possibly. Although authoritarian capitalists such as Pinochet and thatcher used traditional centralised state power, so this seems to. E a more liberal phenomen so they don’t get their hands dirty