Brickbat: Stop Sharing

Thirumurugan Ponnusamy / Dreamstime

The chairman of Germany's Social Democratic Party has proposed fining Facebook 500,000 euros for each "fake" news story on the site. Thomas Opperman says Facebook should be required to set up a commission within Germany to which people could file complaints about false stories. But he denied that such a commission would be an "opinion police" or "truth commission."

Comments

[thrakkorzog]

FFS we can't even make fun of the Germans anymore.

[Cyto]

We could poke fun at them for copying us.

[Ted S.]

I guess Facebook is shutting down the SDP's Facebook page now?

[Brochetta's magic (((pants)))]

I've speculated on here for months that Russia has Hillary's Secretary of State emails, and hasn't released them because they are considered far more valuable than the relatively trivial stuff released during the campaign. That info would have intelligence value and blackmail potential. From some more anonymous sources:

There was also strong resemblance -- including the use of the same computer malware -- the Russians have used against targets in Europe and the marriage of traditional espionage tactics used by Soviet and Russian intelligence such as bribery, blackmail and internet vulnerabilities, which they said Putin has devoted increasing resources and attention to exploiting.

For example, one official said, the Democratic databases and email servers the Russians hacked also contained personal information that WikiLeaks has not published.

[straffinrun]

One such example, the officials said, was that intercepted messages and conversations among senior Russian officials in Putin's inner circle indicated they were aware of the hacking campaign and celebrated Trump's election as a victorious end to the campaign.

We've gone from Glasnost to Glasshoust.

[Suthenboy]

Fat-lot 'O good it'll do 'em now.

[Brochetta's magic (((pants)))]

It's strange to me that the Russians, hellbent as they supposedly were on getting Trump elected rather than just fucking with the Democrats who have sniped at them for 8 years from their ivory towers, would hold back material to blackmail partisan hacks at the DNC. Their objective, after all, was to ensure that those people did not get into power. If you had evidence of, say, illegal activity or even just a lot of dirt on these people, why the hell wouldn't you use it to defeat them?

Why hold back Hillary emails that more directly implicate her?

And for those who doubt that the Russians had anything documenting potentially illegal activities, ask yourself why the DNC and Hillary campaign refused to give the FBI access to investigate the compromised servers.

[Suthenboy]

Early version: Hillary did not compromise national security by using a private server housed in a cheap apartment bathroom. It was totally secure and no one hacked it or stole material off of it.

Current version: The Russians are furiously hacking into every computer in the US in order to manipulate the power structure here. They egregiously violated the Democrats privacy and our national security.

If you step back and look at the big picture the democrats have been spinning absurd bullshit, contradicting what they said yesterday almost every day, distracting, obfuscating and lying their asses off to the point that they make banana republics look sane. One of the worst of the emails that was released doesnt get enough attention: The one where the two DNC staffers were bemoaning the fact that if Hillary tells the same lie more than once she comes to believe it herself and then you cant get her to stop telling it. Ex. - She still claims she never sent classified material over an insecure server.

For anyone who pays even a little attention and has a scintilla of intellectual honesty it is breathtaking.

[Wizard4169]

Huh, I guess that confirms my theories about Hillary. She doesn't actually lie, because she's so delusional she believes her own bullshit.

[ScareCroWoodChippeRepair]

I think that describes most politicians. They do sometimes know they are lying, as for instance hiding bribes in freezers. But the primary feature of politicians is believing in their own super-worth to the point that saying whatever it takes to get elected and gain power is for the greater good, so not a lie. Private and public, all that stuff.

Hillary's only difference is how long she has been doing it with so little gain. One campaign win -- one appointed SoS -- two campaign losses. A pretty dismal record for such a long political career.

[ScareCroWoodChippeRepair]

I realize that actually believing your lies is a slight difference from not thinking your lies are insignificant when in support of the greater good. But it's all part of the same pattern.

[Radioactive]

is that like inhaling your own ass fumes?

[Trigger Hippie]

"Their objective, after all, was to ensure that those people did not get into power. If you had evidence of, say, illegal activity or even just a lot of dirt on these people, why the hell wouldn't you use it to defeat them?"

I don't know. Maybe they didn't want Clinton in power but they also decided to hedge their bets and keep back enough damaging evidence to keep a president Clinton bent over a barrel when push came to shove.

Either way, the Russians were going to take advantage of any possible incoming administration. I'd rather it be by way of friendly trade relations, not be in the form of blackmail.

[Radioactive]

fingers in ears....lalalalalalalalalalalalala

[Wizard4169]

Personal dislike aside, it seems to me it would make more sense to support the people you had serious dirt on. Once they're in, you'd own them.

[Tyler.C]

If this were true, they would have supported her so that they could blackmail her.

[straffinrun]

Youtube has thumbs down. German Facebook to have palms down, arms raised.

[John C. Randolph]

Stupid Nazi is stupid. Of COURSE it would be "opinion police".

-jcr

[Andrew Lowe]

Hm..interesting point of view. I am one of the essay writers at my College. And I have recently written the research about Facebook.

[Wizard4169]

That's scary, the spambot is actually trying to be relevant to the article. On second thought, that's probably a fairly simple thing to script.

[Tyler.C]

Hm..interesting point of view. I am one of the essay writers at my College. And I have recently written the research about $TOPIC

[Suthenboy]

I dont Facebook but I have looked at it a few times. As I understand it Facebook doesnt publish anything, it's just a platform for individuals to sign up with an acct and publish for themselves. How many millions have accounts? How many of them are publishing, posting, re-posting, linking etc to every goddamned thing in the world? Is Facebook to be held accountable for everything any nut in the world posts on their page?

I suspect Herr Opperman *clicks heels* doesnt have any idea what he is talking about.

[Suthenboy]

Wife just looked over this:

"Another reminder of how easy it is to forget just how good we have it here in America. You think all of the stupidity that goes on here is bad until you see what all the other countries are doing."

I second that.

[Pope Jimbo]

I work for a large German company and when talking with our German colleagues, they will always say "your president, Hans Gruber" when explaining what the new plan for the day is.

The krauts are always stunned when you don't tow the lion after they point out that "your president" want something done.

[Radioactive]

sooo "Fuck Hans Gruber" is pretty much a career killing statement?

[invisible furry hand]

You know which other German politician wanted to control what others said...

[Suthenboy]

All of 'em?

[Radioactive]

easier to name those who don't...

[Marshall Gill]

Ok, name one.

[Radioactive]

Hans Gruber...see note above.

[Fist of Etiquette]

You know who else was from Austria and had a lot of Nazi stuff?

[Mickey Rat]

Stop backsliding into your old ways Germany.

[buybuydandavis]

Germans gonna German

[Jerryskids]

Thomas Opperman says Facebook should be required to set up a commission within Germany to which people could file complaints about false stories.

Ver?nderung.org

[benpal]

"Facebook should be required to set up a commission " and would then decide what is "News" or what is just "Opinion" including satire? Or would Facebook then refer to the German government for the final decision?
Anyway there is no doubt that German government officials and parti members will then hunt down "fakes" and report them to the commission.

[The Grinch]

C'mon you morons, this isn't a truth commission, it's just a board with the statutory authority to fine a company a shit ton of money when their facts don't line up with the government's take on a given issue. Wait a sec, that is a truth commission. My bad.

[Bra Ket]

Not-falsehood commission.
Affordable advertising commission
Common sense speech commission

[AlmightyJB]

I think I need to start giving daily "news" updates on Facebook about Opperman's know fetish for wearing women's underwear.

[AlmightyJB]

So they went from National Socialist to Social Democrats then?

[Microaggressor]

The chairman of Germany's Social Democratic Party has proposed fining Facebook 500,000 euros for each "fake" news story on the site.

Washington Post hardest hit.