I hate politics but am fascinated watching it in plain sight.

[JohnRoberts]

I guess this should be obvious but it really sank in yesterday while I saw a house committee meeting about censorship attempt to censor(?) RFK Jr.

Cameras became more widely used to record and broadcast congressional hearings since the 1970s. Presumably this should be a good thing, but it interferes with the founders intent for congress. Congress is supposed to question experts to educate themselves about problems important to the public. Instead congressional hearings have evolved to become a medium for testimony to the public telling us what to think and how to interpret world events.

This trial in the court of public opinion was driven home yesterday in a hearing about censorship. Ranking (minority) democrats tried to have the hearing changed to a private session effectively hiding witnesses from the TV cameras. They were upset because RFK Jr a democrat who is not singing the party line was testifying.

It has become clear that these hearings are not actually about fact finding, but imposing their opinions upon the public in a massive court of public opinion.

This has kind of been happening for decades, but the combination of TV cameras and social media has amplified the power of video clip/sound bites.

I am not sure how to fix this but it helps to understand the game we are in.

JR

 

[fazer]

RFK is such a threat to the Dems. When he talks there is such a depth in his conversation. He‘s a rare voice in todays conversation. I was talking to my brother in law the other day and realized he’s not part of the streaming world and was talking about the typical RFK is an antivac stance. And all I could ask is have you listened to him actually speak rather than a mainstream talking point. I said you need to listen to him speak on a podcast or YouTube. I don’t agree with everything he says but I would vote for him in a heartbeat today. A man with real convictions.

 

[JohnRoberts]

He has some unpopular positions with the mainstream worldview but his family name is political royalty, or at least it was (in MA). His father and uncle are democratic party icons which makes his current position embarrassing to the modern democratic party.

FWIW he is hard to listen to because of his rare spasmodic dysphonia speech affectation. Sadly this will probably keep him from ever gaining mainstream political traction. He is not embraced by the left leaning media who would rather ignore him so many in the public don't even know he exists.

At a minimum he will influence the democratic platform for 2024. He is a truth seeker, and his brain is working fine.

JR

 

[jabe]

Cameras became more widely used to record and broadcast congressional hearings since the 1970s. Presumably this should be a good thing, but it interferes with the founders intent for congress.

This trial in the court of public opinion was driven home yesterday in a hearing about censorship. Ranking (minority) democrats tried to have the hearing changed to a private session effectively hiding witnesses from the TV cameras.

It sounds like you're critical of public hearings while also critical when they aren't. I'll also note that is was the Republicans who called this hearing.

I think this about sums it up:

“I am being censored here,” Kennedy, a Democratic presidential candidate, told lawmakers at the nationally televised congressional hearing.

 

[fallout]

I don’t agree with everything he says but I would vote for him in a heartbeat today. A man with real convictions.

He's the Trump of the Democrat party. I don't agree with a lot of what he says but I'd rather him than any of the others that the Democrats have to offer, which isn't saying much.

If politicians on both sides dislike a potential candidate (ex. Trump, RFK), they have my attention. They must be doing something right.

 

[JohnRoberts]

It sounds like you're critical of public hearings while also critical when they aren't.

Sorry if I am making it difficult to read my mind.

I have been consistently critical of political manipulation of the public dialog. Congressional hearings have evolved into messaging platforms to publish talking points and create new sound bites. That's why they tried to keep RFK Jr out of the spot lights.

I'll also note that is was the Republicans who called this hearing.

No sh__, they have the majority in the house and are investigating the government directed censorship in partnership with big social media.

I think this about sums it up:

Yup, they attempted to censor RFK Jr by taking the hearing behind closed doors away from the cameras but the republican leadership thwarted the democrat strategy.

Thanks for your support.

JR

 

[jabe]

Congressional hearings have evolved into messaging platforms to publish talking points and create new sound bites. That's why they tried to keep RFK Jr out of the spot lights.

It's why the Republicans are having the hearings in the first place.

 

[JohnRoberts]

It's why the Republicans are having the hearings in the first place.

politics is undeniably about the court of public opinion, but the government has been playing dirty getting the big social media companies to censor voices they don't approve of. This is clearly violating the 1st amendment. If the government is allowed unfettered control of the social media dialog Free Speech is dead.

Elon Musk broke the unwritten rules of big tech "thou shalt not embarrass the government". Musk published smoking gun evidence of government directed censorship. It is not much of stretch to ASSume that the rest of big tech social media was getting the exact same marching orders.

You can try to dismiss this as some right wing conspiracy but they have copious evidence. If anything its a left wing conspiracy. Trying to censor RFK Jr during a censorship hearing is the height of hypocrisy.

JR

 

[Matador]

I don’t agree with everything he says but I would vote for him in a heartbeat today. A man with real convictions.

You mean the "Wifi causes chemicals to go past your blood-brain barrier - it's called 'leaky brain'!" guy?

 

[Gold]

Dude seems like an attention seeking crackpot. Lots of Americans seem to like that. Dishing out the real secret stuff that “they” don’t want you to know.

 

[fazer]

As an attorney on a mission with real abilities Not just a how to get rich politicians promised insider trading as their reward for following the party comrades. Go ahead stick your heads in the sand of your parties politics with an octogenarian and the Peter principle in full view of second in command standing in the wings.

 

[Gold]

I’ve seen him angrily denounce things he said as taken out of context and not what he meant. Then when he explains what he really meant it sounds an awful like his angrily denounced mis characterization. Sad. Addictive personality on full display.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I’ve seen him angrily denounce things he said as taken out of context and not what he meant. Then when he explains what he really meant it sounds an awful like his angrily denounced mis characterization. Sad. Addictive personality on full display.

sounds like a good idea to let him talk more not less...

By censoring him they make him a martyr

JR

 

[Matador]

The dude is an absolute loon. He 'clarifications' are also often far worse than the original statement.

He also thinks:

• COVID was engineered to target whites and blacks, but spare the Chinese and the Jews
• Prozac is what causes mass shootings
• The CIA assassinated JFK and put a drugged Lee Harvey Oswald in the library to take the blame
• That Sirhan Sirhan was hypnotized and forced to kill his father
• That thimerosal in vaccines causes autism, and the government knew
• Chemicals in the water cause transgenderism
• AIDS is not caused by the HIV virus

And anytime anyone debunks any of the claims he shouts about the First Amendment and censorship, obviously oblivious to the fact that he's allowed to spew his nonsense all day every day.

 

[fazer]

He says that things such as antidepressants in teen use Correlates with the time school shooting started and that it should be looked into and studied.

He said that studies ( which is researched in his book )show that covid hit whites and blacks harder than Chinese and Jews and that the bio research done (such as at wuhan with GOF research) can be used and develop to target racial groups if employed as a military bio weapon.

Why has Biden not released the final 5000 pages of the classified JFK investigation if everything is on the up and up with the Warren report. If it walks like a duck…..

He said Sirhan fired and hit his father but in the autopsy report, shows burn marks from the barrel of a close fired gun into his backside that killed his dad and not Sirhan

You obviously did not listen to any of the numerous interviews done in the last month.

Vaccines should have requirements for testing potential side affects by the fda and there is no recourse against big pharma from observed possible groups having a negative condition like autism and other issues. Pharma is protected from lawsuits with vaccine. At least there should be studies done on the effects on kids for possible harmful conditions.

Also his kids as well as himself are vaccinated by their own choices not by mandates.

Covid has changed the trust in government and although you may have absolute trust in the bureaucracy that used a heavy hand in the lock down, there are a large group of people that have lost faith in the arguments and censorship the government put into place. We won’t fall for it a second time.

Listen to his interviews. It’s apparent to me you have not. You repeat your mutual admiration society’s sound bites. Please reread JR’s first post about censorship and see the Dems strategy on condemning with no opportunities for RFK to speak his words. Their afraid and he’s just getting started.

 

[Gold]

sounds like a good idea to let him talk more not less...

By censoring him they make him a martyr

JR

I’m against censorship but inviting someone to speak at a public hearing doesn’t sound like censorship to me.

 

[jabe]

To sum up, public hearings hearings interferes with the Founders' intent for Congress and are being misused to steer public opinion. Except this particular time it's great, and Republican use of the process for grandstanding is hunky dory. But the Democrats are bad for countering with their own points, and especially bad because one Democrat icalled for making the hearings nonpublic, like the Founders intended. And the subject is being censored so you should go read his numerous, readily available interviews, pieces and posts. Also JR hates politics but watches entire political hearings. Totally logical.

 

[Matador]

Listen to his interviews. It’s apparent to me you have not.

I listened to his Rogan interview: he's a loon. However he's free to be a loon.

Also, Brandolini's Law.

Totally logical.

The stuff I agree with is right, everything else is just fake news.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

The dude is an absolute loon. He 'clarifications' are also often far worse than the original statement.

He also thinks:

• COVID was engineered to target whites and blacks, but spare the Chinese and the Jews

If you were developing a bio-weapon, would it be advantageous that it be less effective on the race(s)/ethnicity(ies) of your own nation? It isn't a crazy idea that such developments have been attempted. I'd be interested to see a breakdown of the data.

• Prozac is what causes mass shootings

SSRIs are massively overprescribed as are ADHD drugs. It isn't unreasonable to study the correlation of the rise of use of such drugs and the mass shooting phenomenon to look for causality.

• The CIA assassinated JFK and put a drugged Lee Harvey Oswald in the library to take the blame

Given that this world-changing event happened nearly 60 years ago and all files have yet to be made public does raise questions. What entities still exist today that would have an interest in keeping this secret and why?

• That Sirhan Sirhan was hypnotized and forced to kill his father

As was stated earlier, the autopsy report and the injuries to others do not support Sirhan Sirhan being the only shooter in the room.

• That thimerosal in vaccines causes autism, and the government knew

Read this, especially the toxicity section. This compound was invented almost 100 years ago. It contains mercury, a known and potent neurotoxin. Its use was greatly reduced in recent decades. I remember having merthiolate (a tincture containing thiomersal) in the medicine cabinet and it being applied to minor scrapes and cuts when I was a child. Why is it no longer sold?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal

• Chemicals in the water cause transgenderism

Worth studying. Seems like pthalates and other chemicals in plastics have negative effects on human reproduction. I thought all y'all were against pollution?

• AIDS is not caused by the HIV virus

There is some potential merit to that as well. But somehow I sense your mind is closed to any skeptical thoughts about "settled science."

And anytime anyone debunks any of the claims he shouts about the First Amendment and censorship, obviously oblivious to the fact that he's allowed to spew his nonsense all day every day.

Censorship, like mass formation psychosis, is real. Some people manage to work around the cancel culture and mass media blackout to some degree. That doesn't make them wrong about what's being done to "protect us from disinformation."

 

[JohnRoberts]

I’m against censorship but inviting someone to speak at a public hearing doesn’t sound like censorship to me.

Correct, the life long democrat RFK Jr was invited by republicans to speak at the censorship hearing (because he has been censored before).

Ranking democrats on that committee tried to change it to a private hearing to deny RFK Jr public exposure.

It was attempted censorship at a censorship hearing. You can'r make this stuff up.

JR