by DontTreadOnMe16
The most disturbing effect of YouTube banning all of InfoWars’ content, is the memory black hole that has been created overnight on any article or website that has ever linked to one of their videos in the past.
Say what you want about Alex Jones, but the InfoWars network has undoubtedly provided some great content over the years, particularly on topics that the rest of the MSM would refuse to even go near. Now, all of those gems, along with all of their bull shit nonsense as well, is gone. Anyone that linked to their videos in the past, now just get the black fuzzy screen or the grayed out question mark.
The only videos left on YouTube about InfoWars, are videos OTHER PEOPLE have made about InfoWars. Rather than being able to go to the primary source of something, you not must rely on listening to someone else tell you what they said, which I always consider dangerous. One of my number 1 rules is to try to never let someone tell you what someone else says. Get your information from as close of a primary source as possible. Learn what liberals say from liberals. Learn what conservatives say from conservatives. Learn what conspiracy theorists say from conspiracy theorists. Once you start allowing people to tell speak about ideas held by other people, that’s the easiest way to be misled. Now, that is essentially what has happened with Infowars. It’s really a scary thing to witness happen all at once.
I just came across this when trying to find the original rant AJ went on about gay frogs, because I was trying to give someone a little more context as to what he was saying. But instead, all that came up were “YouTube approved” videos that either quote the original rant out of context, or just have someone else talking about it.
Apply this to every topic ever covered by InfoWars in the past decade, and it creates a very chilling effect that I had not really put together until now. All of that information, all of that (now) history, gone. Thousands upon thousands of sites and articles that used their videos as references now have no references (especially when you consider that no one is going to go back to a 2012 article and update it with a direct link to whatever platform they now switch to).
This sweeping removal is far more dangerous than I had previously considered it, and now makes me even more fearful for who will be next. True liberals, this should scare you too. Don’t let your disdain for Alex Jones cloud your judgement as to how dangerous this is.
We need to start working on plans for archiving past content, and we need it NOW.