Althouse: Sunrise

December 13, 2022

Sunrise — 7:15.

40 comments:

gilbar said...: U.S. Eyes Giving Ukraine Patriot Missile Defense Systems
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could sign off on the plan as soon as this week

makes you glad, that There's NO WAY ON EARTH; that Any of these could get resold on the open market; 12/13/22, 6:45 PM
h said...: For as long as the US has had elections:

A newspaper or magazine can make editorial decisions to fail to report stories that are hurtful to a candidate the outlet favors.

A newspaper or magazine can refuse to publish opinion pieces or letters to the editor that are hurtful to a candidate the outlet favors.

None of these refusals is a violation of the first amendment or freedom of speech. And nobody has ever argued that they were.

None of these refusals has ever been interpreted as an in-kind contribution to the favored candidate.

No one has ever said that these refusals “interfered with the fair election”.

Why is it different for twitter?

Is it:

1. Twitter’s refusals or interference is considerably more effective than the “old-fashioned” media refusals or interference.
2. A newspaper or magazine will have similarly sized and similarly influential counterweights on the opposite side of the political spectrum; but there is no similar counterweight to twitter (or facebook or…).

I welcome more possible answers.

I think we must reject the view that “I accept censoring by a private monopolist when that censoring helps my candidate; but I reject such censoring when it hurts my candidate.” (And this is approximately where we are in the current debate.)

I welcome Musk’s effort at opening twitter to all viewpoints. And modern technology makes possible the exchange of ideas much more quickly and less costly than the old fashioned “letters to the editor” format. So “opening to all viewpoints” is technically possible. But it also creates problems of messiness or information overload. And once you decide that it’s okay to invoke editorial censorship for purposes of organization or to avoid nearly-universally-condemned opinions, you accept such a degree of subjectivity that you’ve okayed “no pro-Trump opinions because they are nearly-universally-condemned” decision.; 12/13/22, 6:59 PM
Achilles said...: There is this place called the Husband Store. The only rules are once you go up a set of stairs you cannot go back down and once you choose a husband you win!

So the lady goes into the first floor and the sign reads: These men will marry you and are fairly good looking.

She thinks: "Hmmm, I think I will try the second floor."

She goes up the stairs and the sign on the second floor reads: These men will marry you, are fairly good looking, and will keep a job, and not cheat on you.

She thinks: "That is OK, but I think I can do better."

She goes up to the 3rd floor and the sign reads: These men are very attractive, make a lot of money, will help with housework, and treat you like a queen.

So she spends some time here and thinks: "This is really good, but I think I can do better."

So she goes to the 4th floor.

The sign reads: There are no men on this floor. Everyone who would be on this floor realizes there is no pleasing women who make it this far.

But we have some cats.; 12/13/22, 7:07 PM
Political Junkie said...: Regarding the D's making South Carolina their first state...While I think Biden will run for re-election, if he chooses not to run, then South Carolina going first will definitely help KH. Otherwise, I think she would be vulnerable in IA and NH.; 12/13/22, 7:12 PM
Achilles said...: There is another store for men called the Wife Store.

Same rules, once you go up no going back down. Have fun at the Wife store!

So the gentlemen enters on the first floor and the sign reads: These women are willing to have sex with you.

So he agonizes for an hour. But eventually he decides with enough beer he could get that anyways.

So he goes up the stairs to the second floor and the sign reads: These women are attractive and will have sex with you.

It takes him about 30 seconds and he finds a wife.

But something is bothering him. While he was looking he didn't see any stairs going up so he went to talk to the manager and he asks him where the stairs are.

They manager tells him they hadn't been used for years and were removed.; 12/13/22, 7:13 PM
Beasts of England said...: The kiddie-diddling imbecile invited a few drag queens to the signing ceremony today in D.C. And if that wasn’t enough, his later remarks defended the surgical mutilation of children’s genitals. I hope his voters have set aside a few moments this evening to luxuriate in the political nadir of our country. You must be so proud…; 12/13/22, 7:33 PM
TickTock said...: God, you sure know how to frame a shot!; 12/13/22, 7:44 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: Good fusion news; 12/13/22, 7:58 PM
FullMoon said...: I am not buying my wife a Tesla for Christmas.; 12/13/22, 8:27 PM
Original Mike said...: "Good fusion news"

Kudos to the researchers, but break even does not mean what many think it means. For input energy they only count the energy they put onto the fuel pellet, not the much large amount of energy powering the lasers and running the facility. I'm pessimistic inertial confinement will ever yield power-plant level power output.; 12/13/22, 8:44 PM
Political Junkie said...: Gonna go watch some tv with the wife. Last thoughts for the night.
I hear talk about elections/winning/red/blue/conservative/liberal, but what about big ideas.
I think there is a populist right way to attack federal deficit/federal debt/wealth inequality/immigration/personal responsibility/Americanism, but I think there is zero appetite for this in the parties, political consultants, and party faithful.

I speculate when average American asked in general terms about the above, I bet it would poll quite well.; 12/13/22, 8:46 PM
LibertarianLeisure said...: As someone else said, great framing on this shot. Majestic blue, looks cold, but I repeat myself saying so.; 12/13/22, 8:49 PM
Gahrie said...: Why is it different for twitter?

Because Twitter has a reach and influence far beyond what it deserves. It is the ecosystem of the "thought leader" and drives the public zeitgeist

Bear with me a moment. Let's go back to the First Amendment. The First Amendment prohibits the government from "abridging the freedom of the press". Sadly this clause is misunderstood today. 99% of people believe that the word "press" here is referring to journalists and reporters. However when the First Amendment was written, the word "press" was commonly understood to refer to the machinery needed to print books, newspapers and broadsides; a printing press. When the First Amendment was written, access to printing presses was often strictly restricted by foreign governments and rulers. What the First Amendment was actually protecting was the right to broadly publish your thoughts and ideas.

That being said:

I think there is an argument that Twitter should be nationalized and run as a public utility.; 12/13/22, 9:07 PM
gilbar said...: Why is it different for twitter?

twitter "SAYS" that They are NOT a newspaper; 12/13/22, 9:15 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: H said...

I welcome more possible answers.

One difference between a newspaper and Twitter is that selection of content is manual. If nothing is selected then there is no newspaper. And since they want the best paper possible they must make judgements about what to include and what not to include. The default is that items are not included and it takes human action to include them.

On Twitter the system is set up to automatically share tweets. There are algorithms to guide it in choosing the best content to share. And for violations of terms-of-service there a combination of algorithm and human review. But the default is for everything to be published according to the underlying algorithms.

In this case Twitter took extraordinary action to prohibit the sharing of the Hunter Biden laptop story, as well as banning Trump even though they knew he did not violate their terms-of-service.; 12/13/22, 9:19 PM
Drago said...: Lem: "Good Fusion News"

No, its not.

Granholm and crew are lying about the experiment.

They were nowhere close to yielding a net positive energy result. They only calculated the energy in one of the lasers as the input and compared that to the output.

They disregarded all other required energy inputs.

Was it a step forward? Who knows when we are decades, a century?, away from figuring this out.; 12/13/22, 9:25 PM
rhhardin said...: We briefly achieved cold fusion in a potato clock once.; 12/13/22, 9:38 PM
Gahrie said...: I'm also pessimistic about the bug fusion energy news. That being said, when and if the big breakthrough happens, it's going to happen out of the blue and be announced in just this way.; 12/13/22, 10:04 PM
Big Mike said...: I much enjoyed Glenn Reynolds’s column in today’s New York Post:

“One argument for electing candidate Joseph Robinette Biden was that a Biden administration would restore normalcy to Washington. Instead of crazed, self-obsessed MAGA performers, a Biden team would be made up of sober, sensible establishment types. Boring, perhaps, but not crazy.”

Except, of course, that the members of this administration are batshit crazy. Sam Brinton is the poster child. He was finally fired after stealing a second woman’s suitcase. But what should we make of Biden’s VP, proclaiming that we are a good ally of North Korea — while standing in South Korea?

You don’t have to be certifiably insane to work for Joe Biden … but it helps.; 12/13/22, 10:14 PM
Gospace said...: Some differences between newspapers and social media.

Newspapers provide original content, by newspaper employees and wire services, etc.
Social media provides no content- all content is generated by their product- the users.
Both sell advertisers access to their product- the readers for newspapers, the users for social media.

Newspapers have never ever advertised themselves as being a public forum. Sure, some prints letters to the editor, and some op-eds the editors disagree with, but no one has ver been told- you can add content here to your heart's content! And, a newspaper being reposible for all content, if they make a whopping big mistake about you on the front page above the fold, will print a retraction or correction in one column inch on page 17 below the fold...
Social media has advertised itself as a public forum. And indeed, insistes they're not publishers, and not responsible for what their users publish. And hide behind that. BUT- this where they lie. Behinf the scenes- they have been altering content. They've been censoring viewpoints they don't like. And- they insist they have no obligation to correct things if their editorial decisions and censorship get it wrong! Now as a user, you're the product, not the customer. They need you to stay connected so they can sell access to you. I don't have a clue how Twitter advertising works. I see Facebook ads all the time. And I do note while they can immediately notice when I post anything about covid they can attach a warning, but they can't seem to notice that half the ads they sell are scams. If a newspaper had even 10% of the scam ads Facebook has- their reputation would be utterly ruined. I mean total scams, not your typical automobile ads which are misleading all get up and go...

Now social media is similar to phone/texting services, but different. I am a customer of Cricketwireless. As long as I pay- they cannot cut me off regardless of what I'm talking or texting about. FOr that matter- they're not supposed to be reading my texts- does anyone not believe they aren't all scanned realtime by the NSA? None of us pay for Twitter or Facebook- well, except for blue checks on Twitter. If they're paying they become something else- a customer/product hybrid. Nothing similar I can think of in any other business model. They're paying for special access, but still being sold as a product to advertisers, and the blue check status they have makes them more valuable...

Facebook, AFAIK, has no equivalent to blue check status. But they have affinity groups, that AFAIK Twitter doesn't have. I belong to an author's group. A political group. Scout groups at Council/District/Troop levels and particular camps. 4 groups for ships I served on, a HS and a college alumni group. And a few genealogy groups. I don't see advertising for tents when visiting the author's group, I don't see advertisements for editing software in the Scout groups... Facebook can target advertising much more efficiently then a newspaper. And the product, us users, cooperate in joining affinity groups.

Now should social media be treated more like the phone company and other common carriers- or like newspapers and be responsible for everything posted in their format? They're trying to have it both ways- they're publishers- but cannot be held accountable... No, that's not right. They're NOT publishers. They're not traditional common carriers because the customers base isn't the users, but the advertisers- who won't advertise if there's no user base...

For all practical purposes, they're common carriers and should be treated as such. Censorship of their userbase should be prohibited. Especially since there's no recourse when it turns out their "fact checkers" are not only wrong, but knowingly so.; 12/13/22, 10:25 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: The power of “good news”.; 12/13/22, 10:41 PM
Gahrie said...: big not bug; 12/13/22, 11:30 PM
wildswan said...: In the Ukraine war, they say that Russia is looking for troops from Belarus, Chechnya and now North Korea. But Russia just mobilized 300,000 troops, conscripted 93,000 more in September and enlisted thousands from Russian prisons into a private army called Wagner. Are they all wounded or dead? The Ukrainians are reporting incredible numbers of enemy soldiers killed - 16,000 in a single month, 24 tanks in a single day! It's unimaginable unless untrained men with old-timey weapons and summer uniforms are being sent to the frontlines and to the snow. Would even the Russians do that to their own people?; 12/13/22, 11:43 PM
Old and slow said...: When I read Ann Althouse I think of Ann Widdecome.

This may be the best defense of free speech I have ever seen. I hate links to videos, but this is worthwhile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njj_rG_9HKM; 12/13/22, 11:49 PM
Night Owl said...: Twitter staff didn't just decide they wouldn't report a story that might impact a presidential election, they also decided to block anyone else from talking about it. And given the monopolistic nature of Twitter that meant essentially the story couldn't be discussed in the new public square.

If there were several different Twitter like platforms that had equal impact then the decision of one to censor a story wouldn't matter. But Twitter doesn't have any real competition. And tech companies like Apple and Google did their best to block competitors, like Parler.; 12/14/22, 1:01 AM
Howard said...: Good Morning everyone 🤪. What a great day to be alive here in the wonderful wealthy and stable United States of America. I for one, thank Gaia and Thor for these blessings that were given to me while 7+billion + were not.

I hope you have a happy and meaningful day!!!!; 12/14/22, 4:00 AM
Lawnerd said...: With Twitter there is evidence that actors in the government demanded that certain speech be censored.

If a newspaper did the same it would be equally wrong and problematic.; 12/14/22, 4:04 AM
wendybar said...: Isn't Mitch the Bitch the coolest Republican in America?? He is trying, with Chucky Schumer, to ram a hugh spending bill through Congress before the Republicans take over the House. THIS is what Hooker and her crew want. Congratulations Hooker. Looks like the Republicans are going to give it to you and the rest of us GOOD AND HARD. But Trump is the problem??

Enjoy the downfall.

https://therightscoop.com/mark-levin-blasts-mcconnell-for-defying-midterm-voters-with-massive-democrat-spending-deal/; 12/14/22, 5:24 AM
wendybar said...: A Christian group in Virginia were discriminated against because of their religious beliefs about gay marriage just last week. But I never heard Biden say a word about that. Virginia restaurant DENIES service to Christian group because of they are pro-life, pro-traditional marriage. Joe Biden is SILENT. The FBI are doing NOTHING.

BUT, Joe Biden lied yesterday and said "When a person can be married in the morning and thrown out of a restaurant for being gay in the afternoon, this is still wrong."

THAT has not happened. Joe is a liar. The only people run out of Restaurants are Republicans like Sarah Huckabee, or Ted Cruz (because of Maxine Waters telling her supporters that "they don't belong there....you tell them they are not welcome")
https://therightscoop.com/hypocrite-joe-biden-claims-gays-might-be-thrown-out-of-a-restaurant-for-being-gay-or-something-videos/

So sick and tired of the left dividing us and lying about their part in the dividing.; 12/14/22, 5:34 AM
Howard said...: I guess Mr. Brainwash is for realz. Good for him 😂

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/mr-brainwash-museum-banksy-2228079/amp-page; 12/14/22, 6:58 AM
Humperdink said...: Samuel was the last judge of Israel before Saul took over as king. He gave a farewell address that said in part:

"Now Samuel here I am: and I want you to witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? whose donkey have I taken? ["Who have I defrauded?"] who have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes? tell me and I will restore it."

My, how leadership has changed.; 12/14/22, 7:15 AM
tim in vermont said...: "The Ukrainians are reporting incredible numbers of enemy soldiers killed - 16,000 in a single month,"

Usually, the best way to read Ukrainian propaganda is to assume they are talking about themselves, it's generally confession by projection, telling their own people: "Sure it's bad, but you should see the other guy!" But time will tell, it's a war zone and war zones are the father of lies. Bakhmut appears to be in the process of falling, if you believe the Russian propaganda, and has been chewing up Ukrainian soldiers at the rate of hundreds killed a day, for weeks. If they are lying, Bakhmut will still be in Ukrainian hands in February. The thing is that there are videos of Russian soldiers in parts of the city already. Hopefully those are all fake.

I personally wait to believe things when they have settled out. For all I know, the Russians are out of shells and missiles this morning, and will have to leave with their tails between their legs, or resort to tactical nukes.; 12/14/22, 7:20 AM
boatbuilder said...: If I understand things correctly (big if), one thing that Twitter did was to knowingly mislead its customers by representing that their publications were being shared/published to Twitter's massive customer base, when in fact they were actively and secretly preventing that from happening. I.E., "shadowbanning."

You may say that they are not "customers" because they don't pay anything. But there was consideration in the form of providing content to attract visitors, from which Twitter benefitted.; 12/14/22, 7:21 AM
iowan2 said...: Framing the twitter debate around twitter just refusing to amplify some views is intentionally ignoring the fact that the FBI, DHS, and the ODNI having Weekly face to face meetings with twitter, telling them what narrative to amplify and what narrative to stifle.

Twitter, facebook, google, apple, microsoft, amazon.

These corporations don't just set the narrative. They literally control the entirety of the internet ecosystem.
All the server capacity, the ability to distribute apps, Total control of amplification.

We learned that Parler could not simply build some competition and go into business, because The competition would not sell them server space.

This is why it is a first amendment issue. The federal Govt is the one demanding what is allowed.; 12/14/22, 7:30 AM
Jersey Fled said...: From Marketwatch re: household net worth.

“Nominal net worth fell 4.6% to $143.3 trillion, as the market value of assets fell by $6 trillion and liabilities rose by about $900 billion. Households’ balance sheets—assets minus liabilities—were propped up by a 10% increase in home equity, which is the greatest source of wealth for most American families.

But the loss in real wealth from January through September was about twice as large as the nominal loss—$13.5 trillion in current dollars—after accounting for the rapid inflation experienced this year. Inflation makes both debts and liabilities worth less in terms of purchasing power.”

Never underestimate Joe’s ability to f*ck things up.; 12/14/22, 7:34 AM
Humperdink said...: On Tucker Carlson's show last night he stated there were a multitude of former intelligence officials on Twitter's payroll. And then rattled of their names. Nothing to see here.; 12/14/22, 7:47 AM
wendybar said...: FAUCI is going DOWN!!!

https://twitter.com/catturd2/status/1603032217478995969?; 12/14/22, 10:03 AM
wendybar said...: Every narrative set by the Corporate Media has proven to be false. Every single one that I can think of.

And that includes January 6th as well.

Corporate Medias is an extension of the Intelligence Community. And they don't even bother to hide it any more.
Hillary's email server.

Impending doom from "Global Warming"

Government spending & Inflation

Critical Race Theory

Cultural Marxism

Anthony Fauci

The Intelligence Community

The World Health Organization

We could continue this list ad infinitum.
We were right about the Russia-Collusion scam.

We were right about Carter Page FISA scam.

We were right about Steele Dossier scam.

We were right about Alfa Bank scam.

We were right about FBI Leadership, DNC & John Brennan being consummate liars.

We were right about it all. @Jeff Carlson

We were right about lockdowns.
We we right about the vaccine.
We were right about masks.
We were right about Hunter's laptop.
We were right about FBI election interference.
We were right about Democrat election interference.
We were right about Twitter suppression.
@ Cat turd; 12/14/22, 10:18 AM
wendybar said...: For two years now we have been witnessing a global coup d’état, in which a financial and ideological elite has succeeded in seizing control of part of national governments, public and private institutions, the media, the judiciary, politicians and religious leaders.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1602002599343194112.html; 12/14/22, 10:20 AM
wendybar said...: However, Rep. Thomas Massie has pointed out a reason for maybe giving Buttigieg a pass on eco-hypocrisy accusations considering the things he might have had to deal with:

Thomas Massie
@RepThomasMassie
Pete is flying private because he’s afraid Sam will snatch his luggage.
#sassywithmassie; 12/14/22, 1:15 PM