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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   32144 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of January 23, 2023

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Trump is back on Facebook, Instagram too

Meta to restore Trump's Facebook, Instagram accounts

So this means he's back on all major platforms. I think this shows that maybe, alluding to the below about JK Rowling, that cancel culture does not work as well as on famous, rich targets: they get more chances, and also because they are such big draws and have so many fans, that it's shooting oneself in the foot to cancel them. I have observed the same on YouTube, with Rogan ,Jordan Peterson , and Fox News views being heavily promoted. I tested this by opening YouTube on an EC2 instance US IP, no browsing history. Big tech companies, like all companies, are motivated by profits in the end, more so than ideology. The big question is, will trump post? I think so eventually, come election season . At this point, I think the left has sustained a major defeat in the culture wars.

that cancel culture does not work as well as on famous, rich targets: they get more chances

I agree but I think you could expand that to really anything. The law does not work as well on famous rich targets. Two presidents and a vice president have just been found to be illegally in possession of classified documents and nothing is likely to happen. Britney grinner was rescued from jail in Russia for a crime she committed in exchange for an arms dealer so notorious that his nicknamed the merchant of death. And this was for a drug possession crime that US citizens are locked up in US jails for right now.

While the rich and famous may have more leeway they are not invulnerable, and once they are disciplined both them, and onlookers, can experience the chilling effect for whatever it is they did.

motivated by profits in the end, more so than ideology.

These are the same thing.

Rogan ,Jordan Peterson , and Fox News views being heavily promoted

none of these people stand to be a significant change to the status quo, and all of them know their place. Rogan didn't like vaccines and and trans women in womens sports. Peterson did like being FORCED to say pronouns, but would say them if asked. I am not going to address fox news.

And this was for a drug possession crime that US citizens are locked up in US jails for right now.

Actually, how many people in US actually are jailed for a possession of a less than a gram of weed? Does it actually happen in practice?

how many people in US actually are jailed for a possession of a less than a gram of weed?

I don't know about a gram, but for solely marijuana possession with no prior sentences, a very small amount in state prison and now none in federal prison, Biden pardoned them 3 months ago. However to my knowledge the federal law hasn't come off the books so anyone can still be charged. Overall enforcement by police is way down though.

Good point on the pardon.

Yeah, I know it’s on the books, but it doesn’t matter. We have a lot of laws are on the books but don’t really get enforced in a way books specify. What I really am interested about is actual figure. I know that this is really rare, and most incarcerated people are there for much more serious offenses, but how many people actually currently serve a sentence for simple possession of less than a gram of weed? 1000? 100? 10? Nobody?

Overall enforcement by police is way down though.

It was never that high. There was a report in the early 2000s where the median weed offender in state or federal prison had over 100 lbs (perhaps kgs, I'd have to re-check) in their possession. That is median, not mean.

Federal is the key word there. Most weed offenders are at the state level

No it included both.

you edited your post

I did not.

Why not? It equally counts people caught with .000000000001 lbs. Going by median is how you diminish outliers.

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