Greater danger to America: Google-Facebook or Russia?

Perhaps you saw the story in the New York Times last week about an uprising by Facebook employees over the company's Stalinist corporate culture.

I have to admit, it was a shocker to see it exposed in the Times – whose corporate culture might be only 5 degrees to the right of Facebook.

But there it was – no denying it. Yes, it was one of those stories that permitted the discerning reader, one able to "read between the lines," as I like to say, to appreciate what an ideologically closed and culturally insular universe Facebook represents. I can only imagine it's something akin to what you would experience at UC Berkeley.

You needn't go Googling it though, because the Times, as you probably know, will ask you to subscribe to the paper to read just about any content it produces. If you do that, you will be contributing to the continued degradation of American journalism, if that is even possible. You can actually glean more insight about what the Times reported by reading WND's judicious rewrite, well within the bounds of fair use rules, I might add.

It seems a libertarian senior engineer at the social media monopoly had enough of political correctness in the workplace and bias in the algorithms. Like Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the Wittenburg door, Brian Amerige posted a more condensed treatise on the Facebook internal message board in late April.

Here are some of the highlights of his 500-word digital monograph:

• "We are a political monoculture that's intolerant of different views. We claim to welcome all perspectives but are quick to attack – often in mobs – anyone who presents a view that appears to be in opposition to left-leaning ideology."
• "We are entrusted by a great part of the world to be impartial and transparent carriers of people's stories, ideas and commentary. Congress doesn't think we can do this. The president doesn't think we can do this. And like them or not, we deserve that criticism."

The reverberations were instantaneous.

While many Facebook employees reacted in horror, demanding that Amerige be shown the Facebook back door if not publicly flogged, then drawn and quartered, some 100 other employees posted sympathetic encouragement – mostly anonymously, of course, fearing retaliation.

Now there's a new club at Facebook – "FB'ers for Political Diversity."

From small rebellions like this, sometimes come great revolutions.

There's actual genius in the carefully chosen words used by Amerige, whose very name is related etymologically to Amerigo and, thus, America.

Take a closer look at Amerige's second comment: "We are entrusted by a great part of the world to be impartial and transparent carriers of people's stories, ideas and commentary. Congress doesn't think we can do this. The president doesn't think we can do this. And like them or not, we deserve that criticism."

First, who is the "we"? Facebook.

Second, he notes that Facebook is "entrusted … to be impartial and transparent carriers of people's stories, ideas and commentary." This is a very insightful statement – but one little understood by most Republicans in Congress who actually entrusted Facebook and Google with monopolistic powers and favors to do just that. Take special note of the word "carrier." It's a very important word, which distinguishes what Facebook and Google do from what publishers do. Publishers have wide latitude to say, write and publish – or not publish – whatever they want. The First Amendment supports their right to do just that. Not so with "carriers." Carriers are akin to utilities – like the power company, the telephone company, the gas company. They are to treat everyone equally. They are not to practice politics. They have no right to use their monthly bills to tell you how to vote. They can't censor phone calls you get. They can't boycott customers with whom they have political disagreements. It's exactly the same for Google and Facebook. Yet in reality we all know these are ultra-left companies who do precisely that – shadow-banning, censoring, shamelessly propagandizing, and practicing partisan politics not only with their financial contributions but with their publicly entrusted monopoly utility. Every American needs to understand this critical distinction that illustrates why Google and Facebook are out of compliance with laws like the Communications Decency Act of 1996. If you want to know how and why Google and Facebook are breaking the law by flouting the First Amendment and interfering in American politics, this is the Rosetta stone.

Third, Amerige adroitly notes: "Congress doesn't think we can do this. The president doesn't think we can do this. And like them or not, we deserve that criticism." It's a wakeup call to his colleagues. He's explaining why what they are doing is not only unethical, but illegal. If only the Republican caucuses in the House and Senate were so deft.

As the White House and certain committees of Congress begin scrutinizing the political gamesmanship of Google and Facebook, which I like to call the "Speech Code Cartel," Amerige has succinctly and adroitly provided the blueprint.

Ayn Rand would be proud. So would Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, I suspect.

Likewise, I can't stop thinking about what Harvard psychologist Robert Epstein, no conservative he, reports about how Google and Facebook are now capable of shifting millions of American votes without those voters realizing the manipulation they are experiencing.

Think of all the fuss Robert Mueller, CNN and the Democrats are making about "Russian collusion." The only evidence anyone can find are a few Facebook ads purchased by Russians in the 2016 election. Some ads supported Hillary and some supported Trump. Compare that with the endless, incessant drumbeat of attack journalism we endure daily – on President Trump, Republicans in general, conservative ideas, Christianity, borders and America's heritage of liberty.

Which do you think represents the greater threat to the spirit of the First Amendment and electoral integrity – Google and Facebook, or Russia? Maybe we need another independent counsel.

As you know, the threat posed by Google-Facebook et al (call them the "Speech Code Cartel) is no joke to WND and the rest of the independent, alternative media. I have been chronicling the way the most powerful communications force on Earth since the Tower of Babel is attacking the lifeblood of the opposition press – our advertising (of which they control more than 75 percent) and our traffic (of which these "carriers" control over 95 percent). We must be very important obstacles in their path to total control of America's thoughts! Therefore, I have no hesitation in asking you to support us in our daring and bold opposition to their efforts at nothing short of a coup d'état.

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