If they are in fact members of the Alt-Right -- which it seems none of them deny -- then I don't see why any further explanation is required.
The Alt-Right is an SPLC-designated hate group. They promote vile hatred against People of Color, women, Muslims, LGBTQ2s, immigrants, etc. I find it disturbing that well educated people could possibly believe a privately-owned company has some duty to serve as a platform for that filth.
Twitter has a legal and ethical responsibility to not allow their platform to promote vile racism, sexism, Islamophobia, etc. No one owes anyone a platform to spew their hatred.
If the bigots don't like it no one is stopping them from getting their own websites.
What is the actual criticism? The Alt-Right is a hate movement. Twitter has a responsibility (both ethical and legal) to prevent their platform from being used to promote racism, sexism, Islamophobia, etc.
A single hashtag is in no way comparable to a fast growing white-supremacist hate movement which counts he President-Elect's right hand man (Steve Bannon) as a member.
This is absolutely horrifying. To know that there are so many rural, angry white men who are so driven by hatred. There are just no words. This is a huge win for racism, misogyny and hate. I just don't know how this disgusting country is going to survive.
There's a number of people throughout this thread espousing the same opinion, using similarly divisive doomsday rhetoric.
Doesn't this reaction seem hyperbolic? It's impossible for angry racist white men alone to elect Trump. What about all the Hispanic, black, Asian, female and other minority voters who must have voted for him? Would you dismiss their view as 'misguided', or would you listen to their opinions and concerns?
I respect that you are passionate about the candidates, but I feel that the certainty you have when you dismiss all Trump voters as racist hateful misogynists is surely misplaced.
It's very interesting that in these predictable "oh no, the PC culture is oppressing me" stories, the hapless victim is inevitably a white male of extraordinary privilege and power.
I put forward that this is not a coincidence. We tend not to see these stories written by, say, a trans Woman of Color who works as a cleaner. Why is that? Do you think she faces less oppression and discrimination in her day to day life than this privileged white male who works at NYU? Of course not!
What we see here is one of the subtleties of privilege, power structures and white supremacy in this country. White people, upon encountering even the slightest challenge to their power, will lash out with extraordinary anger and self righteousness (exhibit A: the Trump campaign).
In contrast, trans people, People of Color, undocumented immigrants, and pretty anyone whose not a straight white Christian male is expected to endure any number of indignities at the hands of the white power structure.
What we are seeing now is People of Color, LBGTQs, and other oppressed groups saying to white men like the author is we've had enough. I commend them for it and hope everyone can see past his crocodile tears.
The FBI is not infallible. It's an organization made of largely of middle aged privileged white men.
Considering Drumpf's campaign is more or less the white supremacy's last gasping rage that white people are going to have to start sharing there privileges in this country, it's not too far fetched to suggest an organization with that background would be sympathetic and therefore have a vested interest in helping Drumpf.
If we're going to have discussions on Hacker News about this, we can't let them immediately devolve into conclusions supported by such things as "bromances".
Hacker News is, as clearly stated in the FAQ, "for things of interest to hackers". Given how widely discredited WikiLeaks is -- pretty much every neutral observer acknowledges they're now little more than a messenger for Russian intelligence operatives -- I can't see much value in discussing this garbage.
There are plenty of places for on the internet where you can find Donald Trump circle jerks where you can discuss this with the plethora of conspiracy theorists, white nationalists and Trump supporters this stuff tends to attract. Hacker News is not one of them.
They could be fake, they could be doctored, they definitely are are out of context, etc. We know these emails are provided courtesy of Russia. Considering the Trump campaigns disturbing ties with Russia, these should be taken with extreme skepticism. To me, the much bigger question is, what does Russia want from Trump? He is obviously going to repay the favor somehow.
We don't know who leaked the emails. You'll have to show me proof otherwise.
What's disturbing is the content of the emails. Clinton will not last six months into her presidency, I can promise you that. There is clear evidence from the Podesta emails so far that the Clinton campaign cheated, broke the law, and used the Clinton Foundation for shady purposes. Mark my words, after what's come out in the last few weeks about Clinton, she will be seen in history as criminal, just like her husband.
Did you see she got debate questions ahead of time via Donna Brazile (in addition to the previously discovered town hall question)? That they made millions off pay-for-play with brutal foreign governments? Every day there are multiple discoveries of enormous magnitude, and that confirm long-standing suspicions about the Clintons.
The Alt-Right is an SPLC-designated hate group. They promote vile hatred against People of Color, women, Muslims, LGBTQ2s, immigrants, etc. I find it disturbing that well educated people could possibly believe a privately-owned company has some duty to serve as a platform for that filth.