Facebook's Lab-Leak About-Face

"Question: When does "misinformation" stop being misinformation on social media? Answer: When Democratic government authorities give permission.

Witness Facebook's decision to stop censoring some claims about the origin of Covid-19 the same day President Biden said his Administration will investigate whether a Chinese lab may have been involved.

It's been clear for more than a year that the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which collects and tests coronaviruses, deserved scrutiny over the emergence of the pandemic in Wuhan. Yet Facebook announced in February that it would expand its content moderation on Covid-19 to include "false" and "debunked" claims such as that "COVID-19 is man-made or manufactured." Facebook deployed fact-check warnings against an influential Medium post this month on the origins of the virus by science journalist Nicholas Wade.

As long as Democratic opinion sneered at the lab-leak theory, Facebook dutifully controlled it. But ideological bubbles have a way of bursting, and the circumstantial evidence -- most of which has been available for months -- finally permeated the insular world of progressive public health. This prompted officials like Anthony Fauci to say more investigation is needed, while the White House issued new intelligence directives reflecting lower certainty of a natural emergence.

Facebook acted in lockstep with the government: "In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of COVID-19 and in consultation with public health experts, we will no longer remove the claim that COVID-19 is man-made or manufactured from our apps," it said Wednesday.

The shift is better late than never, but note the apparent implication: While a political or scientific claim is disfavored by government authorities, Facebook will limit its reach. When government reduces its hostility toward an idea, so will Facebook.

YouTube's Covid-19 policy similarly forbids contradicting "health authorities." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is run by a political appointee and its evolving guidance is clearly influenced by political considerations. YouTube, owned by Google, used this policy to remove a roundtable on virus response with scientists and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Perhaps the social-media giants think their censorship carries more legitimacy if they can appeal to government. In fact such coordination makes censorship even more suspect. Free speech protects the right to challenge government. But instead of acting as private actors with their own speech rights, the companies are mandating conformity with existing government views.

In 2019 a wiser Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO, said "I don't think it's right for a private company to censor politicians or the news in a democracy." If he'd stuck to that spirit instead of bending to pressure, he'd have avoided this embarrassment, and the more like it that are sure to come." [1]

American Democrats rule Facebook, and Facebook rules Lithuanian conservatives and liberals. 

1.Facebook's Lab-Leak About-Face
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]28 May 2021: A.14.  

Who are you in Lithuania? Broom holder. The beggar's bag is very close to you

  "In an interview published on TV3.lt on Wednesday, the representative of the carriers R. Austinskas, when asked why the carriers do not share the income and profit with their employees, used an outrageous comparison in response.  

“And why do I have to share it with the broom holder? Will you answer me? Who is a driver? This is the operator sitting between the steering wheel and the seat. What is his investment in business success? He drives the car from point A to point B. And that's it, "said a carrier spokesman in an interview."

 

Kas Tu esi Lietuvoje? Šluotos laikytojas. Iki ubago maišelio Tau visai netoli

 "Trečiadienį TV3.lt paviešintame interviu vežėjų atstovas R. Austinskas, sulaukęs klausimo, kodėl vežėjai nesidalina pajamomis ir pelnu su savo darbuotojais, atsakydamas panaudojo pasipiktinimą sukėlusį palyginimą.

„O kodėl aš turiu dalytis su šluotos laikytoju? Jūs man atsakykite? Kas yra vairuotojas? Tai yra operatorius, atsisėdęs tarp vairo ir sėdynės. Kokia jo yra investicija į verslo sėkmę? Jis vairuoja mašiną nuo taško A iki taško B. Ir viskas“, – interviu sakė vežėjų atstovas."

How to kill your competition with Maxima if you want to start selling better quality fresh potatoes

 

"The Lithuanian Crop Service reminds that all persons growing potatoes for trade must be registered in the Phytosanitary Register and the potato packages must be marked accordingly. Number of potatoes (given by the grower, purchaser or marketer), quantity of potatoes, country of origin code, quality class and size of potatoes (indicating the diameter of the smallest and largest tuber in the fraction (look for the smallest tuber all day long, stupid). The  labels have to be disposable (adhesive or affixed when the packages are closed in such a way that the label is damaged when the package is opened) The label must be firmly affixed to the package The re-use of the same label is prohibited. The information on it must be written clearly and legibly. These requirements are valid for trade in both Lithuanian and potatoes imported from other countries." 

How has Maxima fitted us with such bureaucracy? Clearly bribes. Šimonytė, Armonaitė and Nielsen do not understand any other language. After all, all three are very liberal, followers of the bribe-master Eligijus Masiulis.

Kad nekonkuruotumėte su Maxima, pardavinėdami geresnės kokybės šviežias bulves

 "Augalininkystės tarnyba primena, jog visi auginantys bulves prekybai asmenys privalo būti registruoti Fitosanitariniame registre ir atitinkamai ženklinti bulvių pakuotes. Bulvių etiketėje turi būti nurodyta jų paskirtis, veislė, bulvių augintojo, supirkėjo ar realizuotojo registravimo Fitosanitariniame registre pažymėjimo numeris (etiketėje vartojama santrumpa „Fitosanitarinio registro Nr.“), bulvių siuntos numeris (suteiktas augintojo, supirkėjo ar realizuotojo), bulvių kiekis, kilmės šalies kodas, kokybės klasė ir bulvių dydis (nurodant mažiausio ir didžiausio gumbo skersmenį frakcijoje (ieškok mažiausio gumbo nors visą dieną, asile). Etiketė turi būti vienkartinio naudojimo (lipni arba pritvirtinta uždarant pakuotes taip, kad atidarant pakuotę etiketė būtų sugadinama). Etiketė turi tvirtai laikytis ant pakuotės. Antrą kartą naudoti tą pačią etiketę draudžiama. Joje pateikta informacija turi būti parašyta aiškiai ir įskaitomai. Taisyti etiketėje esančios informacijos negalima. Šie reikalavimai galioja prekiaujant tiek lietuviškomis, tiek iš kitų šalių atvežtomis bulvėmis."

Kaip Maxima įtaisė mums tokią biurokratiją? Aišku, kad kyšiais. Šimonytė, Armonaitė ir Nielsen kitokios kalbos nesupranta. Juk visos trys yra labai liberalios, kyšininko Eligijaus Masiulio pasekėjos.

The most important problems of Lithuania

 "The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated some of the old challenges of increasing gender and income inequality and relative poverty (and before the highest in Europe), the continuing weakness in the quality of education and the associated unfavorable innovation environment. Healthy life expectancy has increased slightly but remains 16 years shorter. In terms of the quality of education and the global innovation index, Lithuania last year ranked last among the Baltic and Nordic countries. 

According to the OECD survey of students' abilities, Lithuanians remain the last among the Baltic and Nordic countries, and it is most worrying that even every fourth student does not reach the minimum level of abilities. This problem is most common in small schools that have joint classes but do not have adequate teaching infrastructure, environment and culture. Last year’s results, when almost one in three students did not pass the state math exam, many had a cold shower, which is likely to be repeated this year as well. ”

Svarbiausios Lietuvos problemos

 "Pandemija išryškino ir pagilino kai kurias senas problemas – padidėjo lyčių ir pajamų nelygybė bei santykinis skurdas (ir taip didžiausias Europoje), vis dar šlubuoja švietimo kokybė ir su tuo susijusi nepalanki inovacijų aplinka. Sveiko gyvenimo trukmė šiek tiek padidėjo, bet išlieka 16 metų trumpesnė nei, pavyzdžiui, Švedijoje. Pagal švietimo kokybę bei globaliame inovacijų indekse Lietuva pernai liko paskutinėje vietoje tarp Baltijos ir Šiaurės šalių.

Pagal EBPO atliekamą moksleivių gebėjimų tyrimą, lietuviai lieka paskutiniai tarp Baltijos ir Šiaurės šalių, o labiausiai neramina tai, kad net kas ketvirtas moksleivis nepasiekia minimalių gebėjimų lygio. Dažniausiai su šia problema susiduriama mažose mokyklose, turinčiose jungtines klases, bet neturinčiose adekvačios mokymo(si) infrastruktūros, aplinkos ir kultūros. Pernai metų rezultatai, kai beveik kas trečias moksleivis neišlaikė valstybinio matematikos egzamino, daug kam buvo šaltas dušas, kuris, tikėtina, bus pakartotas ir šiemet."