Caitlin Johnstone

Twitter Censorship, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

If people truly understood the extent to which mental narrative dominates their experience of life, propaganda, advertising and all other forms of psychological manipulation would be regarded by our society similarly to physical assault or property theft. ~ It is very telling that Twitter only started censoring Trump for violating terms of service when he…

Caitlin Johnstone
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If people truly understood the extent to which mental narrative dominates their experience of life, propaganda, advertising and all other forms of psychological manipulation would be regarded by our society similarly to physical assault or property theft.

~

It is very telling that Twitter only started censoring Trump for violating terms of service when he promoted violence against Americans. He’s been tweeting insanely hawkish threats against people in other nations for years, but they don’t count as real people.

~

FYI if you’re more upset by Twitter censoring one of the most powerful people in the world for inciting violence than by Twitter routinely censoring anti-imperialist accounts, it’s because you’re a mindless partisan hack.

~

Twitter going to war with Trump benefits ordinary people. If we’re lucky Twitter winds up being forced to scale back its censorship protocols. If we’re really lucky Trump stops advocating murdering people for looting.

~

It’s so fascinating how liberals think they can just end conspiracy theories by having them censored by a blanket collaboration of shady Silicon Valley tech oligarchs. Says a lot about how little they understand – or want to understand – about other perspectives.

I mean how do they imagine that’s going to work exactly? “Oh okay I used to think that 5G was for controlling nanobots injected into us under the pretense of a mandatory coronavirus vaccine, but now all the online posts about that have been removed by an opaque conspiracy of tech billionaires so I guess I’ll stop believing that.”

~

The establishment doesn’t fear Trump’s “populist” base anymore than they fear Trump. They’ve been easily propagandized into backing longstanding establishment agendas against Iran, China, Venezuela, Russia, Assange, etc. They’re as worthless and neutered as Obama’s base was.

Support Assange? Okay well we need to extradite him for his safety. Oppose Russia hysteria? Just ignore all Trump’s cold war escalations then. Oppose war? Those are Obama’s wars, not Trump’s. A slight narrative adjustment was all it took to herd them in.

~

If you believe fighting the deep state has something to do with beating the Democrats and supporting Donald Trump, then you are not actually interested in fighting the deep state. What you are actually doing is called “being a Republican”.

~

Life pro tip: If you find yourself cheering for the same “people’s uprising” in a foreign nation that the US State Department is also loudly cheering for, it’s because you’ve been propagandized. Please revise your media consumption habits and critical thinking skills accordingly.

~

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you will never, ever hate China hard enough to make manufacturing jobs return to America.

~

People think they’re making a profound and important distinction when they say “No I hate the Chinese government, not the Chinese people.” As though all the worst warmongers haven’t babbled about supporting “the people” of Iraq/Libya/Syria/etc prior to every act of imperialism.

~

Complete list of arguments I’ve received against my opposition to cold war escalations with China:

– You love the CCP

– You think they’ve never done anything wrong

– Commie

– How many yuan were you paid to say this?

– If you love China so much you should move there

End of list.

~

If people moving too far to the left features anywhere on your list of major imminent threats to our society, you are an asshole.

~

Trump is not a Nazi Putin puppet, nor is he a populist savior. He’s a miserable rich man from a miserable rich family who did what was necessary to become the president of a corrupt bloodthirsty empire, and then had a bunch of gratuitous narratives heaped on that from both sides.

~

I’ve never encountered anyone online with whom I consistently agree, and if you’re an independent thinker you won’t either. Spend less energy concerning yourself with which individuals are good or bad and more on what information and ideas are true and helpful.

______________________

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33 responses to “Twitter Censorship, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix”

  1. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    I FUCKING SWEAR CAIT GETS BETTER WITH EACH WEEK. THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE READ FROM HER SO FAR. LIKE….BY FAR. I literally was standing up cheering at my laptop screen in my living room. I think I stood up, claped my hands and yelled, “FUCK YEAH!!!”

  2. Antonio Germano Avatar
    Antonio Germano

    “It is very telling that Twitter only started censoring Trump for violating terms of service when he promoted violence against Americans.”

    Which Americans has Donald Trump been threatening? Against which Americans has Donald Trump been promoting violence?

    I’m not a Trumptard by any stretch, but this sounds like quite a reach. I don’t dispute the latter part of that paragraph.

  3. John Day Avatar
    John Day

    This is a remarkably good Solari Report, on conspiracies (how things get done) and “vaccination” with nanorobots for 5G mind control. SURPRISE! Can’t sue “Vaccine Companies” for nanobot-mind-control.
    This is a good time to OPEN UP POLITICAL SPEECH and open your mind to listen, and … not decide right away. https://home.solari.com/deep-state-tactics-101-the-covid-injection-fraud-its-not-a-vaccine/

  4. 100thmeridian Avatar
    100thmeridian

    Trump stating the fact that “looting leads to shooting” is not equivalent to “advocating murdering people for looting.” What do you think looting leads to, a pat on the back? Do you think looting is a valid form of protest? Do you actually believe that the people who are ransacking stores give a damn about George Floyd?

    In 2015 Obama addressed the nation in regard to the death of Freddie Gray and the ensuing riots. He said:

    “…when individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they’re not protesting, they’re not making a statement, they’re stealing. When they burn down a building they’re committing arson, and they’re destroying and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own communities, ….that rob jobs and opportunities from people in that area. So, it is entirely appropriate the Mayor of Baltimore, whom I spoke to yesterday, and the Governor, whom I spoke to yesterday, work to stop that kind of senseless violence and destruction. It is not a protest. It is not a statement. It’s people, a handful of people, taking advantage of a situation for their own purposes, and they need to be treated as criminals.”

    Surely you must know that there have been numerous tweets that unambiguously encourage violence against fellow Americans that have been ignored by Twitter, do you not? So why did Twitter ignore those tweets? They ignored them because the tweets attacked those who don’t share Twitter’s ideology. Twitter censoring Trump has nothing to do with supposedly protecting Americans. The people who run Twitter are protecting an ideology, and they see Trump as a threat to the beliefs they are promoting.

    The majority of the elites who run the country want a figurehead other than Trump to promote their “humanitarian” regime change operations, someone more eloquent, more charming. And they want someone who is not an obstacle to their ongoing social engineering projects. They will use any means possible to assure that Trump is not re-elected.

  5. Larry C Avatar
    Larry C

    “Spend less energy concerning yourself with which individuals are good or bad and more on what information and ideas are true and helpful.”

    Wait a minute….you mean like careful analysis, sifting fact from opinion, actually opening myself to other viewpoints???

    No thanks….ad hominem attack is my favorite pastime.

  6. Harry S Nydick Avatar
    Harry S Nydick

    Well, Caity, I agree with you far more than I don’t. But, I’m still an independent thinker. For years, I resisted opening a Twitter account. I finally gave in, with the idea of following one person. Sadly, I found it to be exactly what I always thought it was, so deleted my account five minutes after opening it.I have no desire to ever go back. I question almost everything to which I don’t already have an answer. If ti is too good to believe, it probably is. And, if it seems blatantly obvious, then it’s probably false. Doing deep research takes up an inordinate amount of time, but anything less than thorough is a waste of time. Some conspiracy theories just sound off-base, others seem quite logical. That’s when I begin researching them.

    I could comment on every statement in this article, but don’t want to write that long. So, lets just say, I don’t swallow bad Ideas and don’t blindly accept what look to be good ideas. I don’t use my phone for all of the distractions that others do, Consequently, I don’t care one iota about 5G. I don’t know if it is dangerous and really can’t find enough information to make a determination. However, as long as my phone will work as a phone, send and receive a few texts, and make it easy for me to get weather information, I couldn’t care less about 5G. If it is a mind tracker, I’ll have to make an aluminum hat. LOL Seriously, I’ve lived a good life; I speak my mind; if people (and/or the government) don’t like it, what’s the worst they can do? Kill Me? If so, I guess, on the next day, I won’t care who does what. Until then, I’ll continue to speak my mind and act accordingly.

  7. Jp Jude Avatar
    Jp Jude

    I knew yesterday about Ms Merkel refusing to go to Trump’s G7, and his fury in response. I haven’t looked at the papers yet to see what is being said in response. Zero hedge has a thing on it…bad idea blah, blah. My own Canadian Prime Minister was the first to jump on the band wagon to go, before our country had even decided to re-open its borders. Ms Merkel hasn’t decided not to go, so much as her country men are still under lockdown, so she is. Add to her probable inclination not to go is the fact before politics, she was a Scientist (I think botanist or biologist) and is ACTUALLY following Scientific recommendations. She is not going to go just to open American markets. Despite Trump’s belligerence. I don’t think she is afraid of him.

    Which kind of underscores my own PM’s nonsense; he is going despite listening to Scientific advice. And he makes a big deal about how he does listen to it. Canada is literally an example of double speak culture because ALL our political leaders typify it.. Fighting climate change by selling oil. Peace advocate despite Canada being a weapons supplier to Saudi Arabia. Believing in democracy despite participating in a coup against Venezuela.

    If I actually followed the narrative in the press, I would think Canada is a pretty good place.

    I was ashamed listening to a ‘Useful Idiots’ podcast comment on the deep racism in Canada; we are terrible to our First Nations. Yet, we tell ourselves we are such nice people.

    I tell my own story because I do not like the one I hear in the MSM, here; I want to change what is going on and if the only way I can is to publicize a critical view of my own country, so be it.

    You can’t fight climate change by selling oil; you are not peaceful is you sell weapons; you do not support democracy supporting a coup, and God Forgive us for letting the racism against First Nations go on. It is wrong.

    Sorry for taking advantage.

  8. John McClain Avatar
    John McClain

    Being “old”, and having spent four years of my life, between Spain and Italy, arriving in “these united states” at six, I began with a 19th and 18th century perspective on “America, these united states”, the many “states” each having their own flavor, if you will, but bound together by an ideal established in our Declaration of Independence, with the expectation, “anyone can find, among these states, one which fits their own perspective and purpose”, and this ensured by the Individual sovereignty of the “several Sovereign States” united under our first principles, enumerated in our Constitution.
    From the first, there were many intent on making an “American Empire”, well among the founders, fought off by President Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, at the end. That we inherited “slavery” should surprise no one, every Nation in the world had such, at the time, and our efforts to end it, began before we rebelled, and succeeded to separate from England.
    We had a very good system devised, however the best of plans can be twisted, to evil, few of the general public took up the challenge of “being a Sovereign Citizen”, most of us were willing, eager in fact, to have “representatives, rather than themselves, choosing issues, and expecting representatives to follow their own, the Citizen’s, lead”.
    I’m very happy to see this challenge to twitter, because those corporations do act as platforms, and they do censor with political persuasion. I don’t believe we are well served with pretty much any of our “political class”, however, we, as “voters”, get what we demand. If we wanted reasoned, factual debate, we’d get it, unfortunately, we want debate on the level “everyone can understand”, meaning it must be reduced to the least common understanding, denominator, so we get the least of possible, rather than the best of possible.
    At the current time, “turning left” is very dangerous, we are already far beyond bankrupt. At the same time, “turning right” isn’t that at all, but turning left, the other way, into direct fascism, our politician’s full intent.
    If we would have “America”, we have to become individuals, capable of considering reality, able to tell it from propaganda, and we are four decades behind in education, having failed to educate, while fully propagandizing all opinion, even in science. A people who won’t discriminate between valid truth, backed by facts, and emotional feelings, backed by tears, anger, mobs, can’t govern itself, nor can it make a rational choice to be governed.
    “The freedom to choose” each, our own way of life, was the premise we began on, and the sole means of growing “the America, put up for our example”. Every bit of choice, given to authoritarian government, reduces the rational response only “people, individuals, seeing their market, and making their own choices” that literally informs all, where profit it, what our neighbors want, and what we can make to earn our own wants. We broke the “central control of the market”, and prospered for a couple short decades, and then reverted, slowly, like a frog in a pot of cold water, on the stove, and returned to a Mercantilist form, which is the entry way to fascist government. The Monroe Doctrine established this with our means to become an empire, based on our sense of “our own right to pillage South and Central America”, not by the American People, but by the same families who controlled our local governments, under Britain’s rule, and we became partners in crime with greater Britain, and then senior partner, in the rape and pillage of the “post thirty year war, world”.
    I suspect we are far more likely to fail, economically, and be forced to break up, perhaps into several sub-nations, half a dozen or so, like minded regions, or total collapse, if our central, not federal government refuses to heed the facts on the ground, and refuses to cede the power it hasn’t, and acknowledge a “multi-polar world” as a natural norm, we’ve distorted, as every other empire has, throughout history.
    I have far less fear of either Russia or China, than I’ve always had with our central government and its perpetual wars. We are a defacto social democracy, for internal politics, while being the worst sort of fascist empire, for external policy. Neither is conducive to a moral, honest form of government. Since we have refused to educate ourselves, we won’t be choosing, just doing what happens.
    Semper Fidelis,
    John McClain
    Vanceboro, NC, USA

  9. JWK Avatar
    JWK

    “If people moving too far to the left features anywhere on your list of major imminent threats to our society, you are an asshole.” You can call me an asshole. Whether too far to the left or right, the farther we go the more power granted to the Psychopaths In Charge to hold a gun to peoples heads and force them to do, or not do what the too far left/right wish them to. I prefer neither. I prefer liberty to do as one wishes as long as one does not cause direct harm to another, unless in defense against another presuming to cause direct harm to one.

  10. Infinite Onion Avatar
    Infinite Onion

    Onward, ever onward, bear our crosses until we can take the weight no more, and then summon up our justified rage, and carry onward, ever more. They cannot stop the march, they have killed so many, but onward, ever onward, we have risen from the ashes like the phoenix. We show our scars, they merrily gloss over theirs. Onward ever onward, my brothers and sisters, our fights continue, it is more urgent than ever that we march, onward ever onward.
    .
    Onward ever onward comrades, can you hear the sound yet? Our feet are growing louder, our voice is becoming clearer, we are on the march, onward ever onward, will you join us friend, aid in our common struggle, will you march, onward ever onward, towards the fight, onward ever onward, into the darkest of our night? They say it is always darkest before the dawn; my brothers and sisters, dawn is not guaranteed to us this day, we fight for the dawn, our future dawn, reawaken the hope that was stolen, the spirit that was crushed, reawaken your righteous anger. March onward ever onward, towards your oppressor, take his blows, punish him for it. Take his power, free those who cannot free themselves. Onward ever onward, towards our goal.
    .
    It’s the darkest it’s been, this brutal long night, it’s taken so many, through the years and the ages, onward ever onward, we continue, we rage, onward ever onward. Again and again, we see our light fade, onward ever onward, we cannot rest now, they will take it all from us, if we give them the chance, onward ever onward, we must end this now, onward ever onward, we cannot fail yet, we cannot fail now, this time is too important, onward ever onward, we must win this fight, onward ever onward.
    .
    Will you join us tonight?

    http://www.mediafire.com/file/k1omyaf0r73shvk/Twenty-Twenty-four.pdf/file

  11. Knackers Avatar
    Knackers

    Just as the lop-sided peace treaty that was agreed upon at end of WW1 generated unresolved tensions that inevitably led to the start of WW2, the Allied victory against Nazi Germany on behalf of international Jewry in WW2 also foreclosed on the fundamental contradictions at the heart of Western civilization that are now leading us inexorably into WW3. But this time the so-called racist, privileged white people are the universally hated Jews being wiped out by design, and the Jewish supremacists that occupy the US and UK governments, as well as many others in Western Europe, are the new Nazis – the common enemy of civilized humanity. And this time, prepare for things to explode in wildly unexpected ways. because the danger is always much more volatile when you’re not allowed to talk about the real problem…

  12. Westley Wood Avatar
    Westley Wood

    Delete

  13. Toby Yarwood Avatar
    Toby Yarwood

    I inconsistently agree with you all the time Caitlin.

  14. Friedrich Avatar
    Friedrich

    Oh I don’t know? Hate, seems to be the new fossil fuel in the West. Works for Hogs.

  15. Ignatius Avatar
    Ignatius

    I only believe what I see! https://www.forbes.com/sites/robtoews/2020/05/25/deepfakes-are-going-to-wreak-havoc-on-society-we-are-not-prepared/?fbclid=IwAR0yAECMonOg8JpQouAo6uTJTGga-F8j-DksRxNvWtABEDWZTh5IcPvyze0#7d4647fd7494

  16. ron campbell Avatar
    ron campbell

    Ah, the Buddha Ms Caitlin speaks the truth once again. No twitter, no facebook, no TV, just jazz radio and the Internet for me. The “daily Donald Trump spectacle” is the highest rated soap opera ever. Everything now goes through the ” Donald Trump ” tainted filter and into the minds of the human masses. Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, forever!

  17. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    You are so concise and eloquent! Thank you for speaking for me! I much appreciate your poems and drawings as well!!

  18. John Bestevaar Avatar
    John Bestevaar

    If one really does support an oppressed people like West Papua. what other course of action is available than to say so on social media.

    1. Infinite Onion Avatar
      Infinite Onion

      Seize control of the empire and dismantle it in such a way that all oppressed peoples benefit.

      At least that’s our plan—all are welcome to join (we’ll certainly need some extra hands).

      1. John Bestevaar Avatar
        John Bestevaar

        Sure,,, but join what? You forgot to add the link?

        1. Infinite Onion Avatar
          Infinite Onion

          Sorry John, our name is always a link, which was why we neglected to post additional ones.

          Here you go: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/30/18833392.php

  19. jimmy gulag Avatar
    jimmy gulag

    yeah, th chinos say it was our covid…we say it was theirs. some say it was nature’s. batty stuff.
    i dunno. maybe both of us messed up. it happens. in foot ball andmovies. two stupids fartin around and voila, the broom starts dancing by itself. it was Winnipeg with those chinese straight-A students they had stealing it for Wuhan. or maybe also those 2 guys arrested around NC U. and their lab. the FBI called them co-conspirators

    so is the FBI the latest conspiracy theorist? someone probably dropped it in Wuhan but not on the bat aat first. at a party in the wealthy side of town. some Special Ops from CIa substitute soldier force Alpha.
    China and US labs both had it ready and willing.

    trouble is we are the ones threatening them with our navy in the China Sea. they might put a fleet in the Gulf of Mexico, but they do not trust the squid there. too much BP.
    ya gotta eat. SEE? Trump is a jackass but he’s our jackass. it’s all nature anyway. our capitalism opened up China to become our non-labor manufacturing zone until they took all our info and began copying us cheaper than ourselves. oht-oh. gotta love elites herein. what idiots. i told them all the way. don’t do it.
    now here we are bitching. they can make our stuff just as good and at `1/3 the price. Ooops.

    i’m too tired for this. war with china. oh sure. i expected it. we will all both everyone lose.
    end of species #1
    jesus always did say the meek shall inherit the Earth.

  20. Roy Avatar
    Roy

    Just got back from a little walk, must have been passed by at least two cop cars for every block we walked, some of them even turning around and be passing us twice ☺️ needless to say that they must be some of the bravest men in the world to risk their lives stalking an unarmed dog and her unarmed walker. The result no doubt for commenting on your website yesterday as the censorship is so bad I rarely get the chance anywhere else.

  21. Ross Scholes Avatar
    Ross Scholes

    The dogs may bark, but the train roars on.

  22. Charles Andrew Robinson Avatar
    Charles Andrew Robinson

    This guy is brilliant and spot on!

  23. khatika Avatar
    khatika

    People moving too far to the left are a threat to society along with those moving too far to the right. I guess the assholes in the center will just have to watch the extreme groups tear our respective countries apart.

    1. Greg Avatar
      Greg

      Because… the dominant centre is doing just fine with things as they are?

      OK, you’re an asshole. Congratulations on being ‘normal’.

      Key criteria for being an asshole: having no idea and no concern about just how much of an asshole you actually are.

      Another criteria of being an asshole: thinking you think, but not actually doing so.

  24. jerry fischer Avatar
    jerry fischer

    tweets by hocus-pocus bogus Potus 45 are no-less-than robocalls citizens are bombarded with by blitzkrieg tactics the capitalistic system endorses to assert dominance, manipulation & monopolization of the economy.
    “Carpet bombing, also known as saturation bombing” reveals the Trump administration strategy to overtake
    media coverage of the coronavirus as landmines~for~lungs by replacing information with propaganda about
    how right-wing Republicans have our back as long as we don’t turn our heads 180 degrees to see which weapons being pointed at us and who owns the munitions factories supplying the ammunition loading the
    deadly firearms we be subjected to for expressing dissent and/or exposing “fake news” when presented as official proclamations, soon to be a decree-to-be-believed once socially-mediated. How about a no-mention of TRUMP media day USA worldwide Universal airwaves ban on this despicable,deplorable,disgusting 5-letter word? A moratorium, suspension of insanity for 24-hours for the sake of experiencing our humanity without suffering the embarrassment and shame of forced association with a new York thug/bully/moron

  25. jerry fischer Avatar
    jerry fischer

    tweets by hocus-pocus bogus Potus 45 are no-less-than robocalls citizens are bombarded with by blitzkrieg tactics the capitalistic system endorses to assert dominance, manipulation & monopolize of the economy.
    “Carpet bombing, also known as saturation bombing” reveals the Trump administration strategy to overtake
    media coverage of the coronavirus as landmines~for~lungs by replacing information with propaganda about
    how right-wing Republicans have our back as long as we don’t turn our heads 180 degrees to see which weapons being pointed at us and who owns the munitions factories supplying the ammunition loading the
    deadly firearms we be subjected to for expressing dissent and/or exposing “fake news” when presented as official proclamations, soon to be a decree-to-be-believed once socially-mediated. How about a no-mention of TRUMP media day USA worldwide Universal airwaves ban on this despicable,deplorable,disgusting 5-letter word? A moratorium, suspension of insanity for 24-hours for the sake of experiencing our humanity without suffering the embarrassment and shame of forced association with a new York thug/bully/moron

  26. b.darcy Avatar
    b.darcy

    is telling people to fact check censorship?

    1. khatika Avatar
      khatika

      Interesting point but how do you fact check in this web of lies and misdirection. Do you pick your favorite spinmeister and believe them. Is CNN, FOX, MSNBC or PBS your holy grail of truth. Or do you believe Alex Jones and his ilk of Alt News. Stop all such censorship and let me decide on my own flavor of truth.

  27. John Knox Avatar
    John Knox

    I’ve never been on twitter, it looks like bumper sticker politics to me.

  28. Joseph Olson Avatar
    Joseph Olson

    I used to believe those 1980s articles in Popular Science about DARPA 5G crowd control systems and their “voice-to-skull” technology that Big Bush used on the Iraqis in the first Gulf War. The soldiers who weren’t machine gunned with their hands in the air said, Allah told them to surrender. But now that GooGhoul, FewTube, FakeBook and TwitWit said 5G is a cuddly puppy, I will obey.

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