Protest Songs vs Robo-cop Censors
I recently wrote and recorded a protest song called We’re All Niggers on Wall Street, making and decrying the point that the world’s people, regardless of race, religion etc. have been enslaved, exploited and brutalized by heartless Wall Street brigand capitalism. I made a video illustrating my accurate view. I posted this video on Youtube after checking whether “the n-word” would get me censored. Turns out there are tons of songs there that use it so feeling confident I posted it. Two days later my video was removed and Strike number one for violating Community Standards. The details of this censorship, obviously by Youtube computer sentinels, are laughable, but the Strike and threat to my channel/account and social media profile are not.
Youtube was unusually specific saying that this picture, which protests Wall Street’s apathy toward gun violence, depicts children in a potentially violent situation. I agree, that looks pretty dangerous but not for the same reason.
Not only was the photo downloaded from 100s of similar Google images (don’t they own Youtube?) but there are countless videos and pictures on Youtube some showing child soldiers, for example, actually firing automatic weapons.
My appeal was rejected in less than 5 minutes while the song is 5:38 long. LOL! Not only is this censorship-by-computer maddening, disheartening, unfair and possibly criminal but it is just plain wrong. Terms of Service extort 1st Amendment human rights and there is no recourse. Political criticism is not allowed. Protest songs are against social media law.
Of course the “thought police” are computers which have no sense of humour, context, irony or any other trace of reasoned human judgment. ( “We /wiː/pronoun 1. Used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people considered together”). Youtube has an alternative fact definition of “we” as their judgments and punishments are meted out by computers not people. I understood my Terms of Service Agreement to be with humans.
There is no penalty for Youtube or any of these platforms for violating Agreements or Constitutional rights. The subscriber can close their account. That’s it. And the humans at Youtube, FB won’t even know much less care.
Facebook is worse. They banned me 30days for saying; “Americans the dumbest smart people on Earth.” This is hate speech according to their 1st Amendment robo-cops. LOL! And FB doesn’t even pretend to employ people, using Covid as an excuse to fire humans leaving “we” too short-staffed to consider appeals. So contrary to their agreement there is no appeal even possible with FB.
To put this all in 21st century context I quote from a Bob Dylan song which appears in dozens of Youtube videos. The song is Masters of War.
“And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand over your grave
’Til I’m sure that you’re dead”
I’m still wondering how that gets by the hate-speech guards. LOL! And after nearly 60 years of freedom evolution in 2021 I wouldn’t dare post a lyric like that on any platform I know of…. Yikes! I am still sensitive that Miss Therrian, my 1st grad teacher would surely have censored me for trying to end this essay with a preposition.