The absurd Big Brother micromanagement by social media of postings by individuals can be seen reflected in the recent labeling as "false" by Instagram of a post linking Joe Biden's 1994 crime bill to mass incarceration.
This was highlighted by Steven Nelson in Wednesday's New York Post in an article titled, "Instagram censors post for linking Joe Biden’s 1994 law to mass incarceration."
Facebook-owned Instagram on Wednesday censored as “false” a user’s claim that President-elect Joe Biden’s 1994 crime law contributed to the mass jailing of black people.
That claim is vehemently supported by both left-wing and conservative criminal justice reform advocates, and by lawyers for people with long prison sentences.
Artist Brad Troemel, who has more than 100,000 Instagram followers, posted a photo of Biden and then-President Bill Clinton, writing: “Find someone that looks at you the way Biden looked at Clinton after Clinton signed Biden’s crime bill into law. Bringing mass incarceration to black Americans.”
The Instagram censors could not allow their newly beloved Biden to be categorized in such a way so they quickly placed this warning label on the post: "Fact-checkers say at least one photo or video in this post contains false information."
And who were the all-wise, all-seeing fact checking purveyor of the truth? Why it turns out it was a USA Today reporter, Doug Stanglin, who was armed with the wisdom of the ages to make this judgment call. A quick peek at Stanglin's Twitter account displays the usual liberal bias within two clicks:
Not only that, Stanglin's USA Today assessment will remain in place pending a possible appeals process:
Facebook spokeswoman Stephanie Otway told The Post that Instagram won’t end its censorship unless USA Today changes its assessment. “People can appeal a rating by contacting a fact-checking partner directly. Fact-checking partners are ultimately responsible for deciding whether to update a rating, which will lift enforcement on the content,” she said.
Let's stipulate that blaming politicians for "bringing mass incarceration" sounds like the people being incarcerated aren't responsible for committing crimes. Every incarceration sounds like an injustice. But it's quite possible that McPaper wouldn't make this "fact check" objection if it weren't defending Biden. Donald Trump is always assumed to be racist in his policy preferences.
Among those that Instagram (or Facebook) might have to censor by citing the sacred USA Today judgment call on the Left are professor Cornel West and radio host Charlamagne Tha God. Cornel West revealed his heresy on this matter last year when he stated, "“When [Biden] says it didn’t contribute to mass incarceration, I tell him he has to get off his symbolic crack pipe.”
As to Charlamagne Tha God, he too would have to be similarly censored should he repeat on Instagram what he said earlier this year:
When [Biden] was on [his radio show "The Breakfast Club," another part of that interview that people miss is that I asked him about the ’94 crime bill, and the ’94 crime bill being the catalyst for mass incarceration in this country. And he said it wasn’t the crime bill, it was the ’86 mandatory minimum sentencing. But I’m like, "Joe, you wrote that too."
Exit question: Is the one making the judgement call at St. Peter's Gate a reporter for USA Today?
