#ThisIsCNN

This was one of Chris Cuomos’s producers at CNN. Horrific abuse. https://t.co/ns77NibHj7

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 11, 2021

I Have Two Problems With This

Facebook says it's not liable for false "fact checks" used to censor, because they're “protected opinion" (reclaimthenet.org)

Wait, what?

Back up. Let’s start at the beginning.

John Stossel, a libertarian journalist and author, filed a lawsuit against Facebook, claiming the platform defamed him through a “fact check” label. Facebook added a “misleading” label on a video he posted.

Stossel was censored on Facebook and his work was undermined by the “fact check” that he alleged was defaming his character by falsely accusing him of lying.

Hmm. Okay. And how did Facebook respond? Ah, here’s the part I have trouble with.

In recent court filings, Facebook’s attorneys argued that the “fact check” on the video was an “opinion” and not an actual fact.

Libel law protects opinions from defamatory liability.

We obtained a copy of the filing for you here.

“The labels themselves are neither false nor defamatory; to the contrary, they constitute protected opinion,” Facebook’s lawyers wrote in the court filings.

So, if they’re “protected opinion” doesn’t that mean they’re not actually fact checks?

And if they’re saying that “protected opinion” is free speech, doesn’t that kind of hurt their argument for censoring Stossel in the first place? If their fact check is “protected opinion”, how in the world does that tag not apply to Stossel’s post?

Just a thought.

Facebook wants the ability to allow fact checkers to accuse their users of lying and censor and ban users based on those “fact checks,” but not to have any liability for accusing those users of lying.

Well, I don’t know if that’s legal, but it’s certainly not just.

Yes. Yes, It Is.

Colorado's Democratic governor: I'm not mandating masks. The COVID emergency is over. – HotAir

The emergency is over. You know, public health [officials] don’t get to tell people what to wear; that’s just not their job. Public health [officials] would say to always wear a mask because it decreases flu and decreases [other airborne illnesses]. But that’s not something that you require; you don’t tell people what to wear. You don’t tell people to wear a jacket when they go out in winter and force them to [wear it]. If they get frostbite, it’s their own darn fault. If you haven’t been vaccinated, that’s your choice. I respect that. But it’s your fault when you’re in the hospital with COVID.

This is all true. And you’d be an idiot to deny it.

Of course, this is from HotAir, and it’s by AllahPundit, so he makes some attempt to deny it.

See above comment as to what constitutes idiocy.

Ariana Was Right, Too!

FLASHBACK: Ariana Grande Called Smollett Incident ‘Really F****** Sick’ | The Daily Wire

She tweeted, “what happened to jussie makes me really f****** sick to my stomach. i can’t believe s*** like this is really still happening everyday. what kind of world? sending all of the healing energy/love i possibly can and hoping for change. what can we do ? tell me & i’m there.”

That Tweet is gone now. I wonder why. It’s still true that this whole thing makes her really f****** sick to her stomach, isn’t it? It does for me. And I agree with this 100%. I also can’t believe s*** like this is still happening everyday. I also hope she’s still sending all of the healing energy/love she possibly can and hoping for change.

Frankly, I think this is pretty much a perfect Tweet. Not sure why she would delete it.

Maxine’s Dedication Has Paid Off

I’m so glad she was dedicated to finding the culprits here and bringing them to justice. Without her tireless efforts, we might never have gotten to the truth.

Maxine Waters In 2019: ‘Dedicated To Finding Jussie Smollett’s ‘Culprits’ And ‘Bringing Them To Justice’ | The Daily Wire

Jussie is my friend - a very talented & beautiful human being. It is so hurtful that homophobic haters would dare hurt someone so loving and giving. I'm dedicated to finding the culprits and bringing them to justice. Jussie did not deserve to be harmed by anyone!

— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) January 30, 2019

Thank you, Maxine for your tireless efforts in bringing the culprit to justice. We will forever be in your debt.

 

Nancy Was Right Too

Nancy Pelosi In 2019: Smollett Incident ‘An Affront To Our Humanity’ | The Daily Wire

She was absolutely correct. People that fake hate crimes are deliberately trying to rip apart the fabric of our society. I’m sure Nancy is happy today, knowing that America has been served and justice has been done.

Hello @SpeakerPelosi, it appears you've deleted this tweet....care to explain why? #JussieSmollett #JussieHoax pic.twitter.com/MKjqbK8hqI

— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) February 18, 2019

Petey Was Right

Just not how he thought.

FLASHBACK: Buttigieg in 2019: Smollett Incident ‘Horrible Attack’ | The Daily Wire

It was horrible, but thankfully we have justice today.

While the struggle for basic hate crime legislation continues here in Indiana, this horrible attack calls all Americans to stand against hatred and violence in all its forms. https://t.co/AfXJt8DpOf

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 29, 2019

I call upon Mayor Pete to stand against hatred and violence in all its forms, particularly hate crime hoaxes.

Pretty Sure That He Would Know Best

Kyle Rittenhouse Body Guard Weighs In on Lefty Claims That the Kid Is a 'Racist' – PJ Media

T.C. Willis shadowed Rittenhouse throughout the trial and is disgusted by the mischaracterizations of the now-18-year-old by people who have no idea why he was found not guilty for the Kenosha shootings. He told a Knoxville TV reporter that people need to inform themselves “so at least when you do go into a debate you can debate efficiently and effectively.” The lead security professional also said that “most people are driven by their emotions, I’m not saying don’t have any, but don’t be driven alone by those.”

Yeah, but he’s just another whitey standing up for whitey, right? Err…no.

[T]he fact that he’s black and protecting a man the Left has reflexively labeled a “white supremacist” or “racist” put “a different perspective [on things] and I guess being black, obviously, for someone that was being called a racist for over a year and a half … no, they are definitely not racist.”

Huh.

I’ll resist the urge to comment further.

Build Back Better Back to the Drawing Board

BREAKING: Joe Manchin Just Killed the Build Back Better Act – PJ Media

After months of negotiations failed to achieve an adequate compromise, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) declared on Sunday that there’s no way he can support Joe Biden’s big government socialist agenda, known as the Build Back Better Act.

Manchin said on Fox News Sunday that he worked hard to reach an acceptable compromise.

According to Manchin, the legislation being pursued by Democrats was just too much on top of historic inflation, the national debt, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve done everything humanly possible,” he said. “When you have these things coming at you the way they are right now … I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation.”

“This is a no,” he added. “I have tried everything I know to do.”

Related: CNN Analyst Says Manchin Should Leave the Democrat Party

With the U.S. Senate split 50-50, Joe Biden needed every single Democrat to back the legislation. With Joe Manchin officially declaring he cannot support the bill, The Build Back Better Act is, at least for now, dead.

“I’ve done everything humanly possible.”

“This is a no.”

“I’ve tried everything I know to do.”

Manchin wants to be a good Democrat. I’m sure he generally wishes he could vote for the bill. But it has too many problems, too many things in it that are unacceptable to him.

Boeing Does Something Right

It’s been a rough couple of years for Boeing. But they stand up against the vax mandate.

Boeing Suspends COVID Shot Mandate For Staffers (lifezette.com)

Boeing has announced that it has suspended it’s COVID-19 shot mandate for its employees.

While Boeing told all staffers two months ago that they needed to get the COVID-19 jab or be fired, they have since told KOMO that they are suspending this mandate.

“Boeing is committed to maintaining a safe working environment for our employees, and advancing the health and safety of our global workforce,” a Boeing spokesperson said. “As such, we continue to encourage our employees to get vaccinated and get a booster if they have not done so. Meanwhile, after careful review, Boeing has suspended its vaccination requirement in line with a federal court’s decision prohibiting enforcement of the federal contractor executive order and a number of state laws.”

This is the right approach to take. Encourage, but don’t penalize.