Popular podcast host Bridget Phetasy was very excited yesterday: this week’s guest on her podcast was Glenn Beck. She could share the podcast with all her followers, who could then listen to it… and who would undoubtedly be very happy to hear the two talk about the most important issues. One problem: when she tried to share the podcast on Facebook, the social network blocked it.
“I have firebrand Glenn Beck on the podcast this week and we delve into the value of struggle and overcoming hardship,” Bridget wrote in her introduction to the episode. “The cultural celebration of ‘victimhood,’ how tribalism and the culture wars trick people into thinking that the problem is outside themselves, and the dangers of buying into your own fame.”
She went on: “They explore the importance of being able to say ‘I don’t know,’ the loss of compassion that occurs when we stop seeing the humanity of the people we disagree with, Glenn’s surprising conversion to Mormonism, and what he found in the depths of his most recent dark night of the soul.”
That sure sounds great — and not even extremely political in nature. Absolutely no reason for the Trump-hating social media powerhouse to ban it, right? Well, guess what happened:
WTF @facebook blocked my podcast with @glennbeck for going “against community standards.” pic.twitter.com/04vVypOho7
— Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) September 3, 2019
“WTF,” Bridget said on Twitter, “Facebook blocked my podcast with Glenn Beck for going ‘against community standards.'”
Glenn Beck responded with shock, outrage, and a kind of fatalism very prominent on the right these days:
What?! By banning this podcast Facebook is confirming that their community standards are simple: no opinion or voice of common sense is allowed. #whostheFacist? @BridgetPhetasy @benshapiro
Ps: welcome to my world Bridget https://t.co/c9nVmsdG71— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) September 3, 2019
“What?! By banning this podcast, Facebook is confirming that their community standards are simple: no opinion or voice of common sense is allowed,” Beck wrote. He finished his tweet with an ironic “welcome to my world Bridget” and the hashtag #whostheFascist?
And still, there are those on the right who argue that no action should be taken against Facebook. It has a monopoly position, it routinely abuses its power in an effort to silence conservatives and libertarians, and (with a little help from its friends in high places) its legally protected so those who are silenced can’t do anything about it.
Something needs to be done about these crackdowns.
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