Fake news and its effect on the community

[basilio]

Interesting update from the BBC on the consequences of Fake news and misinformation in 2020.
This has become more personal in my family because a young niece has now become enmeshed in the whirlpool. Playing havoc with family and friends...

The casualties of this year's viral conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories ripped through the internet this year, destroying relationships and endangering lives.

www.bbc.com

 

[SirRumpole]

Interesting update from the BBC on the consequences of Fake news and misinformation in 2020.
This has become more personal in my family because a young niece has now become enmeshed in the whirlpool. Playing havoc with family and friends...

The casualties of this year's viral conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories ripped through the internet this year, destroying relationships and endangering lives.

www.bbc.com

Sorry about your family issue bas. Apart from this site I keep away from S M . I can't see why its so addictive. Better to just email your friends.

 

[Smurf1976]

Sorry about your family issue bas. Apart from this site I keep away from S M . I can't see why its so addictive. Better to just email your friends.

I can see a use for it, it's a way of sending a message to anyone who might want to know whether they're a true friend or not and no problem, some have a use for that.

It's like any tool though. Useful for a purpose but incredibly destructive if used for the sake of using it. Someone with a hammer can do a hell of a lot of damage pretty quickly if they're hammering things for the sake of hammering them and not with an actual purpose.

 

[SirRumpole]

I can see a use for it, it's a way of sending a message to anyone who might want to know whether they're a true friend or not and no problem, some have a use for that.

It's like any tool though. Useful for a purpose but incredibly destructive if used for the sake of using it. Someone with a hammer can do a hell of a lot of damage pretty quickly if they're hammering things for the sake of hammering them and not with an actual purpose.

Yes it depends on the "customer base".

Groups like this with a common interest can discuss that interest rationally (mostly), same with cars, motorbikes, travel or whatever, the problem starts when things go off topic, as we have found with "General Chat", there is a greater diversity of opinion than there is with the share market and things tend to get emotional.

I think our moderator is basically correct in keeping these issues under control while still allowing a degree of discussion. He's walked a fine line pretty well imo.

Sites where things are not as well controlled are more of a problem, emotions are allowed to run free and things can turn nasty. They are the sites I keep away from.

 

[bellenuit]

The chickens are coming home to roost....

Dominion Voting Systems sues Rudy Giuliani over false election claims, seeks $1.3 billion​

Dominion Voting Systems sues Rudy Giuliani over false election claims, seeks $1.3 billion

The complaint outlines evidence of Giuliani's false claims about how Dominion "fixed" the election.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[sptrawler]

Yes it depends on the "customer base".

Groups like this with a common interest can discuss that interest rationally (mostly), same with cars, motorbikes, travel or whatever, the problem starts when things go off topic, as we have found with "General Chat", there is a greater diversity of opinion than there is with the share market and things tend to get emotional.

I think our moderator is basically correct in keeping these issues under control while still allowing a degree of discussion. He's walked a fine line pretty well imo.

Sites where things are not as well controlled are more of a problem, emotions are allowed to run free and things can turn nasty. They are the sites I keep away from.

Spot on IMO, I have visited whirlpool about half a dozen times and only for an answer to a specific question, it seems to have a good knowledge base, but it will obviously attract trolls which spoils what is otherwise a great resource.

 

[moXJO]

The chickens are coming home to roost....

Dominion Voting Systems sues Rudy Giuliani over false election claims, seeks $1.3 billion​

Dominion Voting Systems sues Rudy Giuliani over false election claims, seeks $1.3 billion

The complaint outlines evidence of Giuliani's false claims about how Dominion "fixed" the election.

www.nbcnews.com

That just means Giuliani will have access to all their data, historical files, business dealings. Will be interesting to see if it goes ahead or not.

 

[bellenuit]

That just means Giuliani will have access to all their data, historical files, business dealings. Will be interesting to see if it goes ahead or not.

Hardly an issue for Dominion, unless you actually believe they did what Giuliani said.

What is more interesting is what Giuliani's response may be, now that it appears he will not receive a presidential pardon. I say appears because a day or two ago Cohen (ex Trump lawyer) said that it was likely Trump has secretly pardoned himself and his family. Maybe Giuliani was included.

What costs are Giuliani willing to incur to defend himself in a (hopeless) case against a much bigger adversary, particularly when he has failed in every attempt thus far to prove fraud. If he has not been pardoned, what might he reveal against Trump in some plea bargain.

 

[moXJO]

Hardly an issue for Dominion, unless you actually believe they did what Giuliani said.

What is more interesting is what Giuliani's response may be, now that it appears he will not receive a presidential pardon. I say appears because a day or two ago Cohen (ex Trump lawyer) said that it was likely Trump has secretly pardoned himself and his family. Maybe Giuliani was included.

What costs are Giuliani willing to incur to defend himself in a (hopeless) case against a much bigger adversary, particularly when he has failed in every attempt thus far to prove fraud. If he has not been pardoned, what might he reveal against Trump in some plea bargain.

That's the point. Whoever backs down obviously has something to hide. Interesting to see where it heads in a few months.

 

[bellenuit]

That's the point. Whoever backs down obviously has something to hide. Interesting to see where it heads in a few months.

If Dominion had something to hide, they wouldn’t have started the lawsuit.

 

[satanoperca]

Hardly an issue for Dominion, unless you actually believe they did what Giuliani said.

What is more interesting is what Giuliani's response may be, now that it appears he will not receive a presidential pardon. I say appears because a day or two ago Cohen (ex Trump lawyer) said that it was likely Trump has secretly pardoned himself and his family. Maybe Giuliani was included.

What costs are Giuliani willing to incur to defend himself in a (hopeless) case against a much bigger adversary, particularly when he has failed in every attempt thus far to prove fraud. If he has not been pardoned, what might he reveal against Trump in some plea bargain.

Let's see how good he is as a lawyer, Giuliani. Easy to talk the talk, but different when defending oneself.

 

[moXJO]

If Dominion had something to hide, they wouldn’t have started the lawsuit.

Well.... soon going to find out.

They may have been after a retraction. I'm fairly certain dominion didn't have a clean record. But the allegations that Big G made went to a whole other level.

 

[rederob]

I'm fairly certain dominion didn't have a clean record.

Perhaps you can tell us what led to that conclusion as it seems as dubious as hundreds you have reached as ASF.

 

[bellenuit]

I'm fairly certain dominion didn't have a clean record.

What makes you think that? Is it a case of if enough mud is thrown, some will stick? There was no discrepancy between the electronic results and the paper results.

 

[basilio]

I think the crux of the matter is that it seems Rudy does not have a shred of evidence on fraud in the elections.

All the "fraud" cries were made in the public arena. No lawyer made such charges in any any of the 60 plus court cases challenging the election results.

So here is the big opportunity for Rudy and Sidney Powell. To stand up and provide the solid proof that the election was stolen. That at least three States results were demonstrably unsound because of recognisable fraud.

I believe this is what 74 million Republican voters need to see. The proof that they were robbed and that Trump should have been President.
... Or Not as the case might be.

The claim for $1.3B damages is spectacular. In practical terms Rudy is worth "only" $50m so they won't be getting any more than that out of his hide. It would be interesting to see if there are any legal insurance companies on the hook in this action. If so there would be serious concerns from those quarters.

I also don't think this case will be be settled privately even if Rudy rolls over. I think Dominion would want to have the opportunity to fully explain in public how effective their voting procedures are, subpoena the various States to detail exactly how the votes were checked and counted and then invite Rudy to present his proof of widespread fraud. There were at least 50 public denunciations of Dominions machines and the result of the repeated allegations has been a total loss of faith in the election system by at least 50 million people. That needs a serious public examination IMV.

 

[basilio]

IMV there is another critical issue in this case.

Rudy is attempting to frame it as an attack on his First Amendment Rights to Free Speech and an effort to cower everyone else into silence on the issue of the stolen election. So the question to be answered by the courts is

"Are people free to make completely unfounded, outrageous, allegations that destroy reputations and undermine confidence in the integrity of people or institutions ?" Is this inviolable "Free Speech" or defamation ? Be well worth breaking out the popcorn for this tussle.

Free speech or censorship? Social media litigation is a hot legal battleground

The ABA Journal is read by half of the nation's 1 million lawyers every month. It covers the trends, people and finances of the legal profession from Wall Street to Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue.

www.abajournal.com

 

[moXJO]

What makes you think that? Is it a case of if enough mud is thrown, some will stick? There was no discrepancy between the electronic results and the paper results.

My mistake, I'm thinking of Smartmatic. They were the ones with the history.

 

[bellenuit]

My mistake, I'm thinking of Smartmatic. They were the ones with the history.

I'm not sure if they have any bad history, other then right wing smears, but Smartmatic are also going to make the fake news spreaders eat their words.

I was really surprised when I heard Maria Bartiromo repeat the false accusations without question. I had a lot of respect for her when she was on CNBC and at that time she was known to be capable of shifting markets based on what she opined. I was shocked when she moved to Fox, but as she was primarily on the Fox Business Network, I assumed that she could maintain some integrity. But no.

Voting technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell over 'disinformation campaign'​

Voting technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell over 'disinformation campaign'

A voting technology company swept up in baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election filed a monster $2.7 billion lawsuit on Thursday against Fox News, some of the network's star hosts, and pro-Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, alleging the parties worked in concert to...

edition.cnn.com

Smartmatic's lawyer, J. Erik Connolly, told CNN Business that the case is one of the most "straightforward" he has ever seen. Connolly, who secured one of the largest defamation settlements ever in the "pink slime" case against ABC News, told CNN Business that because Smartmatic's role in the 2020 general election was limited to providing services to Los Angeles County, he could easily prove all the conspiracy theories false.

"By being able to say Smartmatic was in Los Angeles County and nowhere else, I've been able to prove a lie of everything they essentially said with one salient fact," Connolly told CNN. "I've been doing this for a long time and that might be one of the easiest ways to demonstrate falsity that I've ever had."

 

[basilio]

History (I'm not sure if they have any other then right wing smears) or not, they are also going to make the fake news spreaders eat their words.

I was really surprised when I heard Maria Bartiromo repeat the false accusations without question. I had a lot of respect for her when she was on CNBC and at that time she was known to be capable of shifting markets based on what she opined. I was shocked when she moved to Fox, but as she was primarily on the Fox Business Network, I assumed that she could maintain some integrity. But no.

Voting technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell over 'disinformation campaign'​

Voting technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell over 'disinformation campaign'

A voting technology company swept up in baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election filed a monster $2.7 billion lawsuit on Thursday against Fox News, some of the network's star hosts, and pro-Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, alleging the parties worked in concert to...

edition.cnn.com

Smartmatic's lawyer, J. Erik Connolly, told CNN Business that the case is one of the most "straightforward" he has ever seen. Connolly, who secured one of the largest defamation settlements ever in the "pink slime" case against ABC News, told CNN Business that because Smartmatic's role in the 2020 general election was limited to providing services to Los Angeles County, he could easily prove all the conspiracy theories false.

"By being able to say Smartmatic was in Los Angeles County and nowhere else, I've been able to prove a lie of everything they essentially said with one salient fact," Connolly told CNN. "I've been doing this for a long time and that might be one of the easiest ways to demonstrate falsity that I've ever had."

Powerful and dangerous case to bring before the courts.

The magnitude of the lies spread by Fox and Co are immense. In that context the scale of damages requested are equally huge.
If, as Smartmatic says, they will be easily capable of proving their case then the scale of damages could be ruinous for Rudy and Sidney and as serious problem for FOX .

And of course there is the Dominion defamation case on the boil as well.

2018-19: CNP delivered US$2.68 billion in operating profit, which was 93% of the total, with the free-to-air television division’s operating earnings of US$470 million.

2019-20: Fox News delivered again as CNP reported a US$2.71 billion operating profit, 97% of the total. The television division delivered US$430 million.

James Murdoch unloads again, but Fox News is too profitable to change

James Murdoch has once again unleashed on the News Corp and Fox News empire. But a look at Fox News' profit history suggests he's dreaming.

www.crikey.com.au

 

[basilio]

Just watched a discussion on the speech of Rep Marjorie Taylor Greenes in Congress. She is certainly a poster child of Trump.

Full of lies, conspiracy theories and hate stories all personally documented by her. And then she denies it all and accuses the "Fake Media\" of misconstruing her statements.